SNP wins Scottish Election
The 4th of May 2007 AD
The third elections to the Scottish Parliament were held on May 3 2007. When counting was completed on May 4 the voting resulted in the Scottish National Party having the largest number of MSPs – 47; the Labour Party had 46, Conservatives 17; and Liberal Democrats 16, with ‘Others’ accounting for the past three seats.
Horse trading regarding the formation of a government was to follow, given no party had an overall majority. Eventually Alex Salmond was chosen as First Minister, replacing Labour’s Jack McConnell , winning a vote 48 to 46 – the Greens with two members added their votes to the SNP’s own, Labour opposed him, and both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems abstained.
Thus for the first time the SNP held power in Holyrood , that hugely expensive symbol of political profligacy which cost more than 10 times its original estimate. Commentators and the parties themselves argue about whether this was a demonstration of belief in the SNP, or disenchantment with the previous Labour administration and with labour in Westminster . Intriguingly approximately seven per cent of the votes cast were spoiled, most deliberately, perhaps indicating growing annoyance with the entire political class.
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