Tag: SNP

Disunited Kingdom as Scottish nationalists on course for landslide

Scottish nationalists were on course for a landslide win north of the border in Britain’s national election, obliterating their opponents and setting the stage for a new battle over independence.

Early wins for the Scottish National Party (SNP) included the ousting of the leader of the Labour party in Scotland, the defeat of a senior Labour figure in Paisley and taking former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s onetime stronghold in Kirkcaldy.

“There’s a lion is roaring in Scotland tonight; a Scottish Lion. I don’t think any government of any political complexion is going to be able to ignore it,” former SNP leader Alex Salmond said as he awaited results in the Gordon constituency he is tipped to win.

But the SNP could still be shut out of any role in the British government, a scenario likely to bring a new confrontation over Scottish aspirations for independence.

An exit poll showed Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives were on course to win the most seats in parliament with 316, just shy of an outright majority, with Ed Miliband’s Labour Party trailing on 239.

If confirmed, such an outcome would deny the SNP the kingmaker role it had sought in the House of Commons and kill off the prospect of a leftist alliance with Labour to force Cameron out of office.

But it would dramatically highlight the political divide between England and Scotland.

In a stunning victory for the SNP, Labour’s Douglas Alexander — the shadow foreign secretary and campaign co-ordinator — lost to a 20-year-old politics student, Mhairi Black by nearly 6,000 votes.

Black becomes the youngest British Member of Parliament since the 19th Century.

The leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, Jim Murphy, also lost his seat to the SNP.

Other early results from Scotland gave victory to the SNP in 26 seats, heralding a huge sweep of Scottish seats for the SNP, which won just 6 seats in 2010.

“This is history written as we watch and speak. We have never seen swings of this magnitude in any British election,” said Murray Stewart Leith, senior lecturer in politics at the University of West Scotland.

“It has serious implications for the United Kingdom as a political union. Whatever government is formed after this election will need to seriously consider its constitutional structure.”

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said in Glasgow the results showed a historic shift in opinion in Scotland.

“We said during the campaign that the SNP MPs would be elected to make Scotland’s voice heard, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” she said.

The results could bolster Scots to push for a new referendum on independence after separatists lost one last September.

Source: Reuters

Independent Scotland ‘feels inevitable,’ says Murdoch

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch says Scottish independence “feels inevitable” and predicts a hung parliament following the UK general election next week.

In a series of Tweets the chairman of News Corp, which owns The Times and The Sun, expressed a range of opinions on British politics, Scottish self-rule, and rising inequality in the UK and US.

Murdoch, 84, suggested “dirty” deals would be made between the political parties after the general election if no party wins a clear majority.

He also predicted Prime Minister David Cameron would be dropped by the Conservative Party if he failed to gain a majority against Labour leader Ed Miliband. He said this was “open talk” among Tories.

The Australia-born press baron has been viewed as a kingmaker in British politics because of the influence he wields through his newspaper outlets.

Murdoch’s tabloid the Sun had a weekly readership of 5.4 million in the UK last year.

Murdoch has previously backed Alex Salmond, former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), praising him as a cunning politician.

Salmond’s close ties with Murdoch were first revealed in 2012, when private documents were released detailing the extent of their relationship.

Letters published shortly after Murdoch shut down his popular tabloid News of the World exposed how Salmond had more than two dozen meeting with Murdoch or his executives.

The media mogul also commented on the likelihood of no political party wining the general election, a situation known as a hung parliament.

Murdoch also indicated the SNP were “cleverly hurting Miliband” by hinting at their support of Labour in the election.

Cameron’s future as leader of the Conservative Party is at stake in this election, Murdoch suggested.

In a surprise comment for a man estimated to be worth over $14 billion (US), Murdoch also weighed in on the Sunday Times 2015 Rich List, published on the weekend.

His claim that the economic turmoil gripping “advanced” economies has been caused by “regulations and power crazed lawyers” received a barrage of responses on Twitter.

Unionists attack nationalists in Glasgow

British unionists took to the streets of Glasgow where the mood was dark after the defeat of the nationalists, to “celebrate” Scotland’s decision to stay in the UK. But the “celebration” predictably descended into violent clashes with at least 11 people arrested.

Glascow voted to leave the UK in the referendum held on Thursday. Scotland’s biggest city supported independence with 194,779 votes for and 169,347 against.

Chief Superintendent Andy Bates, local policing commander for Greater Glasgow, told The Scotsman: “More than 700 people gathered in George Square last night and there have been 11 arrests for various offenses including disorder, breach of the peace and vandalism.”

“An investigation into Friday night’s disorder has begun and an incident room has been set up at Glasgow city center police office, staffed by officers dedicated to identifying and arresting anyone involved in the ugly scenes witnessed across the world on television and social media,” he said.

A spokesperson from Police Scotland told local media that there were about 100 people in each group. But then ‘Yes’ supporters started leaving the square, which became dominated by unionists. This emboldened the unionists to go on the attack.

The supporters of the ‘No’ campaign then set off red-colored fire crackers and waved Union Jack flags, singing ‘Rule Britannia’, ‘You Let Your Country Down’ and ‘Can You Hear the Yes Campaign?’ they carried banners associated with the pro-Union Orange Order. They reportedly let off flares in George Square.

On the other side of the square there were campaigners for Scottish Independence.

“We will never surrender,” read a pro-independence sign. The pro demonstrators were reportedly singing the Scottish anthem “Flower of Scotland.”

Like hooligans, the unionists then started attacking pro-Independence supporters. With tensions high, police tried to keep the opposing political forces apart.

One Vine video from George Square depicts a young blonde woman with a Scottish flag on the ground being humiliated and attacked by an angry man with a Union Jack.

One Twitter user posted a photo showing pro-Union activists performing Nazi salutes.