Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander has received backing from an unusual source a week before the general election.
Hollywood star Hugh Grant, who has friends and family in Inverness, tweeted a message in support of Alexander earlier today, telling voters in his constituency that they were lucky to have him.
Recent polls have suggested Alexander will not succeed in his quest to be returned to the Commons.
Research by Lord Ashcroft, conducted at the beginning of the year, indicated he could lose his seat by 29 points.
Meanwhile, a constituency-by-constituency analysis by psephologist Lewis Baston for Westbourne Communications, published yesterday, predicted the Liberal Democrat will lose his seat.
Dear People of Inverness (incl my friends and relations), I know Danny Alexander and think you're very lucky to have him. Just an opinion. X
- Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) April 30, 2015
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Alexander, who is fighting to save his Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey seat, replied: "Thanks Hugh, very much appreciated."
However, Grant's tweet caused a backlash on Twitter, with users hitting out at Alexander's record in office and the coalition.
@HackedOffHugh Are you for real?! He is a waste of space passing Tory policy...
- Alasdair [#VoteSNP] (@Alasdair91) April 30, 2015
@HackedOffHugh Who are you and what have you done with Hugh Grant?
- Gary J-G (@Gary_J_G) April 30, 2015
@HackedOffHugh Hugh u have talent aplenty but no idea of the damage caused by the cuts he supported #SNP
- John (@BigJ3262) April 30, 2015
@HackedOffHugh I agree with Hugh.
- Adrian Sanders (@adriansanders) April 30, 2015
@HackedOffHugh Uhh? I feel sick. Unfollowing.
- Silver (@010501AZ) April 30, 2015
An Ipsos Mori poll for STV yesterday said that the SNP could win all 59 Scottish seats in the general election.
The latest and final Ipsos MORI poll for STV News puts support for Nicola Sturgeon's party at 54%, up by two percentage points on the last poll, with Labour trailing on 20%, down from 24%.
Support for the Conservatives has increased by five points to 17% while the Liberal Democrats are on 5%, up one point, the Greens are on 2%, down by two points, Ukip are polling at 1%, with support for other parties also at 1%.
Using these figures, the Electoral Calculus website predicts that the SNP would take all 59 seats in Scotland.
Ipsos MORI questioned 1,071 people between April 22 and 27 on how they would vote if there were a Westminster General Election tomorrow.
It is the latest poll to show a record level of support for nationalists after a survey by TNS published on Monday put the SNP on 54%.
It recorded support for Labour at 22%, the Tories at 13%, Lib Dems at 6% and the Greens and Ukip both on 2%.
Using the Electoral Calculus seat predictor, the TNS results put the SNP on 57 seats, with one each for Labour and the Lib Dems.
Alexander and Grant were pictured together at the 2012 Liberal Democrat conference.
The Notting Hill and Love Actually star was one of a number of celebrities Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg met during the Hacked Off campaign.
In 2013, Alexander co-led a Privy Council sub-committee looking into the PressBof charter, submitted as a rival to the Government's proposals for press regulation.
It was rejected on the grounds it did not comply with "some important Leveson principles and government policy", according to then culture secretary Maria Miller, who was also on the committee.
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