Scottish Voters Hand Labour Rare Defeat

Ballot papers are fed into an automatic counting machine at Aberdeen Exhibition Center Thursday, May 3, 2007. British voters cast ballots Thursday to elect local councils across England and national legislatures in Scotland and Wales - elections that will be interpreted as a verdict on Prime Minister Tony Blair's decade in power. More than 10,000 local council seats are being contested in areas of England outside London. In Scotland, voters are choosing their local representation as well as the Scottish Parliament, which sits in Edinburgh and deals with Scotland-only issues. And in Wales, voters will elect their national assembly, located in Cardiff. (AP Photo/PA, Andrew Milligan) (Andrew Milligan - AP)

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Nationalists won the most seats in the Scottish parliament _ the Labour Party's first defeat in Scotland in a half-century _ in what appeared Friday to be a final electoral slap to outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Around 10,000 local council seats also were contested in Thursday's vote in areas of England outside London, where Labour suffered heavier losses, this time to the main opposition Conservatives.

Following an overnight vote count marred by technical and other problems, the election to Scotland's parliament went to the Scottish National Party, which had pledged a referendum on independence by 2010 if it won power.

The SNP won 47 seats, compared with 46 for Labour. The Conservative Party finished third with 17 seats, while Labour's partner in the outgoing Scottish coalition, the Liberal Democrats, retained 16.

"Scotland has changed for good and forever. Never again will they say that the Labour Party has the divine right to rule Scotland," said SNP leader Alex Salmond.

"This is a historic election. With verve and imagination, we will serve all the people of Scotland," added Salmond, who could become Scotland's "first minister," the senior administration post.

The results mean no party can form a majority government in the 129-seat parliament, leaving the prospect of either a weak minority administration or a coalition government.

Most analysts said a Salmond-led minority administration would most likely be elected when the new parliament convenes May 9. The other major parties have ruled out sharing a Cabinet table with the nationalists.

"I can't see any of them striking a deal with the nationalists. I think we're heading for a minority, unstable government with Alex Salmond as boss," said Dr. Sarah Oates, an expert on Scottish politics at Glasgow University.

"No matter who takes power, they are not going to have the kind of authority you need to rule the country. So they have won the election, but lost the country," she said.

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom for 300 years. But it has its own legal system and, since 1999, an independent parliament in Edinburgh that legislates on education, health and justice and can alter Britain's national income-tax rates for Scottish residents. London retains primacy on all matters relating to Britain as a whole, including defense, energy and foreign relations.

Scotland now faces the prospect of a 2010 referendum on independence from the rest of Britain. That was a major campaign pledge of Salmond, who received personal backing from Edinburgh-born actor Sean Connery.