Scottish nationalists win

Scottish nationalists who are pushing for independence pulled ahead Friday to an unprecedented victory in the Scottish Parliament and said they would seek to form a coalition government committed “to all the people of this ancient and proud nation of Scotland.”

Amid chaotic vote counting that saw up to 100,000 ballots disqualified, the Scottish National Party gained 20 seats, leaving it with a total of 47 in the 129-seat assembly. The Labor Party, which has dominated politics in Scotland for the last 50 years, was left with 46.

“The Labor Party has no moral authority left to govern Scotland,” SNP leader Alex Salmond said.

But in an effort to quell nervousness about the party’s pledge to seek a referendum on independence by 2010, he said, “My approach ... will be one of goodwill.”

The party’s most obvious potential coalition partner, the Liberal Democrat Party, opposes a breakup of the United Kingdom and has said it will oppose a referendum.

SNP leaders have said they would consider putting additional questions on a referendum ballot, such as seeking additional home rule powers for Scotland, in an effort to win allies for a new government.

The nationalists’ strong showing reflected Labor setbacks across Britain. The party lost 485 seats in local council elections in England, while the Conservatives, making some limited gains in Labor territory in northern England, won 875 seats, with about 40% of the vote.

“You always take a hit in the midterm, but these results provide a perfectly good springboard to go on and win the next general election,” said Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is expected next week to announce his timetable for departure.

Conservative leader David Cameron called the results “a big breakthrough.”

“We now control more councils than Labor in the northwest, and we now control more councils than Labor in Yorkshire,” he said. “I don’t know where he’s planning to jump off to,” he added, referring to Blair, “but it must be one hell of a springboard.”

Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at Oxford University, said the size of the Conservative vote was “just about what they need to form a government with a small majority” in the general election. “But you could argue at this stage that they should be doing better. They need to show consistency.”

Bogdanor said there was “not the slightest chance of Scotland seceding from the United Kingdom,” despite the SNP’s strong showing. “Even the polls showing SNP voters at 30%, that means a 70% vote for unionist parties,” he said.

The results were clouded by the disqualification of tens of thousands of ballots in Scotland, most rejected because voters, apparently confused by the complication of the two-page, three-step ballot, marked them incorrectly. In several races, the disqualified ballots were so numerous they exceeded the margin of victory.

There were also problems in a few constituencies with electronic counting equipment, and delays in verification of mail ballots.

SNP leaders and the Scotland Office, the country’s representative in Westminster, demanded an investigation. The inquiry, Salmond said, should explain “why 100,000 Scots were denied their democratic voice.”

kim.murphy@latimes.com