Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has called on Nicola Sturgeon to rule out another referendum on independence after the Scottish Conservatives became the second-largest party at Holyrood.
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It was a remarkable result for a party hitherto regarded as “toxic” in Scotland and a vindication for the Tories’ strategy of focusing its campaign on the 55% of Scots that voted No to independence.
Ensuring opportunities for all of our young people, regardless of their background or family circumstances is a cause that must unite, not divide us over the next five years.
He said: “After nine years of ducking the big decisions and failing to deliver for Scotland, the SNP have no excuses now to start making the changes Scotland needs with the new powers on tax and other important areas on top of the extensive powers Holyrood had before”.
This would give the SNP a majority of seven.
Tory leader Ruth Davidson will now lead the official opposition at Holyrood, with Labour finishing in third with 24 seats.
It also raises troubling questions about 2020 – Labour would need a 13-point lead in England to counterbalance the SNP, which now looks extremely unlikely.
The results of Thursday’s elections in the U.K.to a spectrum of offices – from State Assemblies to mayoral posts to councils – have not sprung any major surprises.
But leader Nicola Sturgeon said her opponents are divided on many issues, and said she will work to find common ground “not so much because I have to do it but because I want to do it”.
“The Labour party is now third in Scotland for the first time since 1910 and it has failed to make a serious impression in southern England”.
Citizens in the centre of the capital are capricious, returning Labour, SNP and now Tory MSPs since 1999.
The story of the night has been the performance of the Conservatives in constituencies across Scotland.
They did well in the list seats, too. The party also won two seats in the Glasgow region and three in Highlands and Islands.
The Greens have won six seats, one shy of their previous best in the “rainbow parliament” of 2003 when the Lib Dems won 17 seats and formed their second coalition government with Labour.
Yet the Greens are one MSP short of their 2003-07 heyday, and have achieved fewer than some polls were predicting.
The Lib Dems will be satisfied and relieved to have remained at five seats, and to have taken two seats-Fife North East and Edinburgh Western-from the SNP. With over 90 percent of the vote counted, Khan has 44 percent of the vote, compared to 35 percent for Zac Goldsmith, the candidate from the Conservative Party. Meanwhile, predictions that UKIP might pick up a seat came to nothing.
While the Tories were celebrating it was a horror night for Labour as stronghold after stronghold fell in a repeat of the SNP tsunami at last year’s Westminster election. “Looking ahead, the Union mapped out its vision for Scottish farming and crofting in our manifesto document for this election and as the new parliament beds in, these are items we will be seeking to progress”.
But with the SNP now having to cut deals to pass plans, the other parties will gain new leverage over Ms Sturgeon’s group.
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“Their argument that Labour should be doing better, though, especially considering Conservative divisions over Europe in recent weeks, will continue to resonate”, he said.
