Scottish Nationalists Rejoice in Big British Election Win

[Demeter]

Source: NYT

When the results were in last September and the Scottish National Party had lost its bid for Scotland’s independence, a passionate young separatist named Mhairi Black walked past local officials of the Labour Party who were clapping sarcastically and goading her. “Better luck next time,” they said. Ms. Black, a 20-year-old politics student, says she briefly considered head-butting them.

Eight months later, she got her revenge. Elected on Thursday as Britain’s youngest member of Parliament in over three centuries, Ms. Black won a once-unthinkable victory against one of the most senior Labour politicians in the country, the party’s national campaign strategist.

Her triumph in the working-class town of Paisley – and the 27 percentage point swing in her favor compared with her party’s performance in the district five years ago — was emblematic of the radically changed political map people in Scotland and Britain woke up to Friday: Scottish nationalists, who held only six seats in the last British Parliament, won 56 out of Scotland’s 59 seats. Labour lost 40 of its 41 seats.

Overnight, the Scottish National Party, or S.N.P., ended Labour’s traditional dominance north of the border and emerged as the third-biggest force in Westminster, greatly complicating life for Prime Minister David Cameron as he embarks on a second term.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/world/europe/scottish-national-party-beats-labour-in-britain-election.html

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The Woman Scorned Syndrome...how soon they forget!

[tabasco]

1. I was disappointed they didn't break away.

I suppose it's their business.

[sulphurdunn]

13. The Scotts can't really break away.

They're the ones who run Great Britain. The threat of secession is used from time to time to remind the uppity English ruling class who's boss.

[roguevalley]

16. my family is from newpitslago in aberdeenshire. The Scots HATE the Tories

they loathe them. GO, SCOTLAND!

[elleng]

2. This is truly cool!

May have to return to Scotland for a visit!

[whatthehey]

3. It's a symbolic victory only however

A parliamentary system like the UK's relies on simple majority. The Conservatives have it and the SNP is utterly powerless to either advance its agenda or slow down the Tory agenda with only 50-odd seats. Almost all SNP gains were from Labour (who have a much closer manifesto to the SNP than Tories do), and the rest were from Lib-Dems (likewise) not Conservatives (who kept their single Scottish seat). Their public support, profile and media influence greatly increased, but politically the SNP went from bugger all legislative influence with 6 people yelling "shame" and "no" to bugger all legislative influence with 56 people yelling "shame" and "no".

[T_i_B]

5. +1

The prospect of an SNP deal if anything drove many English voters into the arms of the Tories as well.

[BlueMTexpat]

15. And Cameron really played to that faction. eom

[candelista]

4. More identity politics.

Ho-hum.

[iandhr]

6. They kind of screwed themselves

All along they said they wanted to keep the Tories out of number 10. not only did they've help keep the Tories inside number 10 they are now going to be in the minority and have little influence.

I am part Scottish. And my impression is the SNP is A left-wing version of the tea party. In the sense that Scotland gets more per capita spending then the rest of the UK but they complain about London.

Cameron should supply the new Scottish National Party MPs with a lifetime supply of single malt.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Your Scots relatives seem to like them.

[iandhr]

11. Well it been a few hundred years so I might be a wee bit out touch.

The closet connection I have to Scotland is my Jewish grandfather. He went to the University of Edinburgh for med school since me schools in NY really discriminated against Jews.

[Beauregard]

9. It's an ethnic thing.

Celts versus Anglo-Saxons. I wish it were otherwise.

[iandhr]

12. The old firm rivalry in Glasgow is also another example.

I was listening to some of the SNP victors seek. Though I think a lot of them spoke of pie in the sky ideas you still have to love the accent.

[NCjack]

8. Taunting -- you never know when it will bite your arse. nt

[PatrynXX]

10. always love it when people think Conservative party = GOP in London

Hi Mittens oh you don't wanna root for that party



true in this country our version of Conservative Party exists. and has been in control of politics for decades.. Bernie is not a member. Hillary is. Obama is part.

[shenmue]

14. Um, no

[Action_Patrol]

17. Ugh. Garbage.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. That's why we need a new Liberal party in America.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. "....she briefly considered head-butting them. "

Now THAT is a True Scotsman,....or lady in this case.

[blackspade]

20. No doubt.

[roamer65]

21. I hope the SNP makes Cameron's life living hell.