The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
That's with all the 73 "First Past the Post" Constituencies declared.
Then there are 7 out of 8 regions where second votes count in regional "lists" of candidates, with another 49 seats decided and 5 more to go.
Given that the remaining region is (I think!) a rural one where Labour tends to trail, I think we are going to see SNP about three or four seats ahead of Labour with Margo McDonald adding one to SNP de facto.
Interesting.
No-one would cut a deal with the Conservatives: period. So that puts the LibDems in as "Kingmakers".
They have said they'll talk first to the party with the most seats. That's the SNP, and if he can't agree terms with them I think LibDems leader Nichol Stephens could ask for the post of First Minister as the price of leaving Labour in power.
He has said that he will not back SNP if they are committed to a referendum on Independence, so we can expect some creativity between Alex Salmond (who would not give up the post of First Minister to God himself) and Stephens - maybe along the lines of a Constitutional Convention or similar, with a vote scheduled to a coincide with the next election.
The last region should come in any time (I've had to update this twice before even posting it!)
Interesting times.
Biggest losers? The fringe parties, particularly the Greens.
Winners? The SNP of course, but I bet Nichol Stephens will have a big smile on his face when he goes to bed tonight as well. "The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson
by Cat - Mar 31 1 comment
by Frank Schnittger - Mar 22 3 comments
by Oui - Mar 27 23 comments
by gmoke - Mar 17
by Oui - Mar 16 22 comments
by Oui - Mar 15 5 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Mar 9 3 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Mar 14 14 comments
by Cat - Mar 311 comment
by Oui - Mar 31
by Oui - Mar 294 comments
by Oui - Mar 274 comments
by Oui - Mar 2723 comments
by Oui - Mar 22
by Oui - Mar 2211 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Mar 223 comments
by Oui - Mar 1988 comments
by Oui - Mar 1744 comments
by Oui - Mar 1622 comments
by Oui - Mar 1541 comments
by Oui - Mar 155 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Mar 1414 comments
by Oui - Mar 134 comments
by Oui - Mar 128 comments
by Oui - Mar 1112 comments
by Oui - Mar 1060 comments