Britain:Nationalists committed to independence became the biggest party in the Scottish parliament yesterday in elections which left a political headache for prime minister Tony Blair's successor.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) ended 50 years of Labour dominance in Scotland in Thursday's vote and Labour suffered heavy losses in local council elections in England and lesser losses in elections to the devolved Welsh Assembly.
With Mr Blair expected to announce next week he is stepping down as prime minister, he leaves a poisoned chalice to finance minister Gordon Brown, the Scot who is almost certain to succeed him.
Mr Brown must wrestle with the problem of how to revive support for the Labour Party, whose popularity has slumped because of opposition to the Iraq war, a series of political scandals and a general sense of voter fatigue with the party.
He could now face the tricky problem of managing relations with a Scottish executive dominated by the SNP, which has pledged to hold a referendum in three years on independence from Britain.
"This is a historic moment," SNP leader Alex Salmond said. "The Labour Party has no moral authority left to govern Scotland."
Labour, a staunch supporter of Scotland's 300-year-old union with England, has attacked the SNP's referendum plan, saying it could lead to uncertainty and undermine Scotland's economy.
Polls show a majority of Scots against independence and some voters are likely to have backed the SNP as a protest against Labour.
Final results showed the SNP with 47 seats to Labour's 46 in the 129-member Scottish parliament, which has power over issues such as health and education.
The SNP's astounding gain of 20 seats compared with the 2003 election left it short of an absolute majority.
Tense coalition negotiations will now take place and while the SNP is in pole position to form the new Scottish executive, there is no guarantee it will be able to. Labour could also try to form a coalition with other parties that support the union with England.
A lot depends on the Scottish Liberal Democrats, whose 16 seats could make it kingmakers.
The local council elections in England brought more bad news for Mr Blair and Mr Brown. The Conservatives won more than 800 council seats, inflicting heavy losses on Labour.
A BBC projection showed the Tories had taken 41 per cent of the national vote, a threshold deemed necessary to win power at a general election. But mid-term polls are not the same as general elections.
- (Reuters)