A BETTING specialist endorsed by Alex Salmond has predicted that the SNP will win 42 seats in May, with almost three quarters of Scottish voters turning out to the polls.
Sporting Index has forecast that Scottish Labour will be left with just 14 MPs from 40 currently, while the Liberal Democrats will see their numbers cut from 11 to just two.
Meanwhile, the sole Tory MP north of the border, David Mundell, is expected to hold on to his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat but his party is not likely to make any gains.
Mr Salmond, revealing he had placed bets on a number of SNP candidates at the General Election, told The Herald last month that Nicola Sturgeon had banned him from predicting the number of seats his party would win in May.
However, he suggested looking at the Sporting Index forecast, saying: "These spread things are quite informed, because it's real money talking."
The principle of spread betting is that the gambler is invited to challenge a prediction by betting higher, referred to as 'buying', or betting lower, or 'selling', on that prediction. Profits or losses are calculated on how right or wrong the punter was with the outcome.
Sporting Index believes that the mood of engagement following the independence referendum will continue, predicting a 74.5 per cent turnout in Scotland compared to 69.1 per cent UK-wide.
Ed Fulton, political spokesman for Sporting Index, said: "It's clear from our trading floor that the SNP will win a large number of Scottish seats on 7 May.
"Yet many have a nagging feeling that the independence referendum was truly a once in a lifetime moment, and worry that the voter turnout won't be as high on the day as expected. Many are assuming that lower voter turnout will hurt the SNP, but only time will tell."
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