Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
THE Scottish National party is on course for a decisive victory in the Holyrood election, according to the most comprehensive survey of public opinion since the campaign began.
With only 11 days to go until polling, the SNP continues to extend its lead over Labour, which now requires a seismic turnaround in its fortunes to avoid defeat.
A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times puts the SNP seven points clear of Labour in both the first-past-the-post and regional votes for the Scottish parliament. In the constituency vote, the SNP is on 37%, Labour 30%, the Liberal Democrats 15%, the Scottish Conservatives 14% and others 4%. In the regional vote the SNP is on 35%, Labour 28%, the Tories and Lib Dems 13% and other 11%.
If replicated in the election on May 3, it would put the SNP on 50 seats, eight ahead of Labour, with the Lib Dems on 18, the Tories on 16, with the Greens capturing two seats and independent candidates fighting over a single seat.
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