Anas Sarwar 'excited' about Thursday's election despite poll putting Labour on 13 seats

The Scottish Labour leader also told those who are undecided - which the More in Common poll suggested was 20 per cent of voters - that “this election is not about protest”.

The MRP had Labour on just 13 seats - four down from a similar survey by the same pollster a fortnight ago.

It suggested that deputy leader Jackie Baillie could lose her Dumbarton constituency which she has held in every Scottish Parliament election since devolution in 1999.

Labour will not win a constituency across the country, according to the poll.

It put the SNP on 60 seats, with Reform in second on 22 MSPs. Reform’s seats included the Ayr and Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituencies.

The Tories and the Lib Dems were on 12, with the Greens on 10 - including a first ever constituency win in Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill.

Asked if he was worried about the poll, Mr Sarwar said: “I'm excited about the opportunity to change our great country, but we only get that change if people vote for it.

“So if they agree that we have to reject Reform, if they agree we have to beat the SNP, and if they agree that we need to change Scotland, there's only one route to that change, and that's a vote from me in Scottish Labour.”

Read more: Anas Sarwar: 'It won't be long till Reform accuses me of coming off a boat'

When asked about a fifth of voters being undecided, he said: “I say directly to anyone that's undecided in this election: this election is not about protest.

“It's not without consequence. It will impact on our schools, our hospitals and our local businesses.

“So if you agree that we need to cut waiting lists, build more homes, get more classroom assistants and teachers into our schools, have more apprenticeships, protect for university tuition, stop the waste, respect your money and cut taxes, then this election is for you.

“If you want to reject Reform, beat the SNP and change the government, there's only one route to that change, and that's the vote for me and Scottish Labour.”

Labour’s worst Scottish election result was in 2021 - months after Sarwar became leader - where it won just 22 seats and came third.

Read more: 'Every single person tells me they want to be like me', says Reform's Malcolm Offord

Luke Tryl, the UK director at More in Common, said the SNP seems set for a win which is “built on the collapse of other parties rather than a surge in their own support”.

“Our focus groups across Scotland find an electorate deeply uninspired by the choices before them, and the attitude of many we have spoken to could be best described as ‘meh’, which will see the SNP limp over the finish line with their lowest vote share in decades,” he said.

“Labour’s position looks to be deteriorating as the election approaches.

“The party that once dominated Scottish politics is now projected to win no constituency seats at all.

“This projection suggests Labour could be facing their worst Scottish defeat since devolution.

“Even where Labour is the tactical choice to stop the SNP, unionists seem unwilling to rally round Anas Sarwar’s party.

“One of the defining stories of this election is Reform. Four years ago they barely existed in Scottish politics – and for a long time it was assumed Nigel Farage’s party would not be able to break through north of the border.

“Now, they are on course to be the second largest party in Holyrood, overtaking Labour and the Conservatives, winning constituencies and picking up seats in every regional list.”