Scottish Executive rejects union flag
Gordon Brown’s plans to fly the union flag from public buildings all year long have faced a setback following the revelation it will not apply to Scottish executive buildings. A Scottish National Party (SNP) spokesperson has stated that Jack Straw gave the Scottish executive his personal assurance it will not be forced to adopt the […]
SNP threaten independence white paper
The Scottish National Party (SNP) will publish a white paper on a referendum for Scottish independence within two weeks, party sources have confirmed. The pledge confirms what the SNP had promised throughout its election campaign, but has already provoked strong reactions from other parties in the Scottish Assembly. Any referendum could only be triggered following […]
Salmond: No contact from Blair
Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, has revealed neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown have contacted him since he was elected first minister. Mr Salmond said: “The form, I suppose, would be that the prime minister should have been in touch. “That’s a matter for him to explain.” The revelation follows comments from Labour MP Ann […]
SNP win two extra votes in swap for climate deal
The Scottish Green party and SNP have agreed a deal which will see the Greens support Alex Salmond as first minister, in return for legislative action on climate change. The partnership falls short of a full coalition and is looser than the ‘confidence and supply’ model mooted earlier in the week. Instead the two parties […]
Greens lobby Lib Dems to accept SNP coalition
The Scottish Green party has made a direct appeal to the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition with the SNP. Alex Salmond is still struggling to form a government, as Labour increasingly position themselves as a back-up administration if Mr Salmond is unable form his own. The Liberal Democrats have so far rejected SNP advances […]
SNP prepare for minority government
The SNP are preparing to rule Scotland as a minority government, after their potential allies the Green Party joined the Liberal Democrats in ruling out a full coalition. Alex Salmond had been hoping to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats and Green party after winning a one seat lead over Labour in the […]
SNP begins search for coalition partners
The Scottish National party’s 47 Scottish parliament members have met today to discuss a potential alliance with the Liberal Democrats and Green party that would create a ruling majority in Holyrood. The nationalists became the biggest single party north of the border after Thursday’s election and the addition of Lib Dem and Green support would […]
Labour reflects on poll mauling
Labour politicians have awoken this morning to find their grip on Britain severely diminished following disappointing election results in England, Scotland and Wales. The government’s losses in English local elections were the Conservative party’s gain, with David Cameron’s party winning more than 870 council seats, mostly in the south and centre of the nation. In […]
Nationalists takes largest slice of Holyrood
Labour has “lost its moral authority” to govern Scotland, the SNP claimed today as it won the largest number of seats in the Scottish parliament. However, Labour showed no signs of conceding defeat and indicated they would seek to form a coalition government. First minister Jack McConnell insisted the results are “very, very close” and […]
Blair happy to avoid a ‘rout’
Gordon Brown was conspicuously absent today, as he prepared to assume the leadership of a party battered in polls across Britain. Votes after the polls closed and it remains to be seen how power will be allocated across local and devolved governments. However, Labour have lost nearly five hundred councillors, four Scottish parliament seats and […]
