THE SNP remains on course for a landslide victory in Scotland in the General Election in May according to the latest poll of polls.
Nicola Sturgeon's party is set to take 47 of the country's 59 seats, up from six at present, according to the study by polling expert Professor John Curtice.
Scottish Labour faces holding just 10 of its 40 seats, while the Lib Dems would be reduced to a single seat, down from 11 at present.
The Conservatives would retain a foothold North of the Border, returning a single MP as now, if the swings from the last election in 2010 are replicated across the country.
The poll of polls, published on the What Scotland Thinks website yesterday, averaged four surveys, by Survation, YouGov and TNS BMRB, conducted since the middle of last month.
Discounting don't-knows, support for the SNP is running at 46 per cent, 18 points ahead of Labour on 28 per cent.
The Conservatives are on two per cent, the Lib Dems on four per cent, and UKIP and the Greens on three per cent each.
The SNP has maintained a consistent lead since before the end of the year, showing the difficulty Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has faced since succeeding Johann Lamont last December.
Responding to the findings, the party repeated its warning that a vote for the SNP would increase the chance of David Cameron remaining in Downing Street.
Professor Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said: "Everything still points to a very large number of SNP MPs in the next House of Commons.
"Given where the polls are UK-wide, any chance Labour had of winning an overall majority seems to have gone down the tubes in Scotland."
The poll of polls included the latest survey by Survation, published on Thursday.
It support support for the SNP at 47 per cent, up two compared February. Support for Labour fell two points to 26 per cent.
In another boost for the Nationalists, support for independence was higher than staying in the UK.
Asked how they would vote if a fresh referendum were held tomorrow, 45 per cent of votes said Yes, 43 per cent No and 11 per cent were unsure.
The poll of polls was published as Liberal Democrats gathered in Aberdeen to launch a desperate fight for the survival in their Scottish seats.
A spokesman for Scottish Labour said: "As the General Election draws nearer it becomes clearer every day that only Labour or the Tories can form the next UK government.
"As we have said repeatedly every seat taken from Labour, by the SNP or any other party, increases the likelihood that David Cameron's Tories will be returned to government.
"Scotland does not want another five years of Tory austerity.
"The only way to defeat David Cameron is to vote Labour and for our progressive policies to introduce a 50p tax on top earners, a bankers bonus tax and a Mansion Tax and use the proceeds to train more nurses and help young people across Britain to get a job."
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said: "While we are taking nothing for granted and are working hard for every vote, this is another example of the support for giving Scotland a strong voice at Westminster by returning a team of SNP MPs to stand up for Scottish interests, while Labour continue to pay the price for being on the same side of so many arguments as the Tories, including their joint commitment to imposing even more spending cuts."
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "This poll shows the Scottish Conservatives have steady support across Scotland, and that is something we'll look to expand on at the General Election.
"It also shows beyond doubt that the Lib Dems are dead in Scotland, and the Conservatives are the only real alternative to the SNP for people serious about the future of the UK."
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