SNP win, green light for independence

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/178585.html

The Scottish National Party has got just what it needed to push ahead with its long-delayed campaign for the independence of Scotland from Britain with a historic referendum.

The SNP won a majority in the Scottish parliamentary elections getting past the half-way point by taking 65 seats that means the party leader Alex Salmond will be able to announce a referendum on Scotland's independence from Britain.

The landslide victory is the first such gains for any party since the Scottish parliament was formed back in 1999.

The final results of Scotland's vote count showed Labour standing the second in the Holyrood elections with 32 parliamentary seats while Conservatives won nine, Lib Dems got four and Scottish Greens grabbed one.

The SNP failed in the last parliament to get its proposals for a referendum on Scotland's independence through the parliament for a lack of support by the majority of MSPs.

Following the “historic” win, Salmond said the days of Labour dominance in central Scotland are “gone forever”

He added he will work to dramatically increase the economic freedom of the Scottish parliament including the right to set its own corporation tax and raise borrowing powers to £5 billion before going for the referendum.

"Just as the Scottish people have restored trust in us, we must trust the people as well, which is why, in this term of the parliament, we will bring forward a referendum and trust the people on Scotland's own constitutional future," he said.

The SNP victory brought Labour its worst election in the past 80 years forcing nine Labour MSPs who were at Holyrood from its inception in 1999 out of the parliament.

The SNP also infiltrated impenetrable Labour bastions by winning constituencies in Glasgow while it won seats in the capital Edinburgh for the first time.