Following a campaign which focused heavily on the popularity of leader Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP once again took the lion’s share of seats in Holyrood – but unlike in 2011, this time they came up short of an overall majority – which could have big implications for the future of the UK.
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“Whether it’s been facing a Labour-Lib-Dem coalition, a minority government or a majority government, we’ve always been willing to be constructive where there is genuine common ground, we find this far more productive, and where necessary challenge where there are disagreements”.
She said her party had won a “clear and unequivocal mandate” and pledged to “govern with conviction and determination, but also with humility and a willingness to listen and to learn from the ideas of others”.
Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith said a climbdown from Ms Sturgeon would be the first sign that she is serious about being a “consensus First Minister”. That has never been done before in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
In her speech, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘The government I lead will be open and it will be inclusive.
The SNP leader insists her manifesto pledge to “undertake new work, starting this summer, with the aim of persuading a clear majority of people in Scotland that independence is the best future for our country” was backed by nearly half of voters in the Scottish election on Thursday.
The Scottish Greens, who called for a petition on another referendum in their manifesto, gained six seats bringing the total tally of nationalists to 69 out of 129 MSPs.
SNP plans to launch a summer initiative for independence will go ahead as outlined in the party’s manifesto, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
“Rather than opinion polls, we have a real poll and it shows that, while people want the SNP to continue as the government of Scotland, they do not want another referendum”.
He was previously the member for the former seat of Hamilton North and Bellshill and served as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government for Labour in the Scottish Parliament since 2007.
At a press conference in Edinburgh, Ms Davidson said the SNP leader now had “no mandate, no majority and no cause” to hold another vote on the issue, and any claims to the contrary had been “utterly shredded”.
Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie last night said the policy had been developed from the “bottom up” with input from experts, but said there were concerns over implementation. “If the SNP are looking for our support they will need to be bold and radical in how they use the new powers of the Parliament”.
She added: “We still have a job of work to do”. And it is likely to slow the momentum behind a second independence referendum – unless, of course, the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
“If you had told me when I was a teenager starting out in politics that one day the SNP would win every constituency in the city of Glasgow, not just in one election but in two elections, I would scarcely have been able to believe it”, Scotland’s first minister said to rapturous applause from her party faithful.
“I believe that is where we will make a difference”. Despite the disappointment of the final results, hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens stood with us.
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She said the result was “heartbreaking” but vowed to “keep fighting for Labour values”.
