After almost 21 hours of politics, (with 5 hours sleep!), here is how I see the possibilities:
Tories do a deal with the Libdems-The SNP rail against Tory cuts, citing the feeble Labour forty of the Thatcher years and get in with an increased majority in 2011, leading to independence.
Tories go for minority Government- The SNP/Plaid vote will be extracted from them at a price. Again the SNP will win in 2011 and the English will be glad to see the back of us.
Labour and the Libdems form a coalition- The English will not stand for it and Scottish independence will be hastened down the road.
Anyone else see it differently?
As things stand in Scotland, we might have not bothered going to the polls yesterday. Sat on our big, fat, lardy, subsidy-junky arses and left it up to to the English to change the Government. A Labour government led by the most unpopular PM in history. A country changed from being 13 years ago, a green and pleasant land to one where totalitarianism, State power and celebrity are the norm instead of the traditional avenues to success of hard work and family values and where respect for you neighbours has become an anathema.
Indeed the Labour vote in Scotland has actually gone up! So what was the reason? I think the SNP vote was more damaged by not being part of the Leaders' debates that even we, in the SNP thought. I think Brown's popularity is higher in Scotland than we took account of. With most of the day to day running of the country now being done by the Scottish Parliament, the electorate don't feel Westminster has the same impact. The Tories in Scotland haven't had a effective Leader since David McLetchie. Annabel Goldie, she of the outraged face, is a disaster.
There have been very few times in my life when I have been ashamed to be Scottish. Today is one of them. However, if the Tories form the next Government, then I believe Scotland will be independent before the next five years.
