06 May 2007

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more interesting...

The BBC this afternoon:

The Liberal Democrats have ruled out a coalition deal with Labour in the Scottish Parliament.

The Lib Dems' Tavish Scott told BBC Scotland that if his party was not able to share power with the SNP, it would be on the backbenches.


The BBC this evening:

Liberal Democrats have tonight turned down the prospect of a coalition deal with the SNP to form the next government of Scotland.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen said that the fundamental stumbling block was the nationalists' demand for a referendum on independence.

Mr Stephen forecast that there would now be an SNP minority government at Holyrood following Thursday's election.


Are both of these stories true? Could the LibDems be ready to walk out of government, and gamble on being required on an issue-by-issue basis? Can Scotland cope with minority government? Can anyone reach the 65 votes needed for the First Minister position, or are we headed for a rerun? Are we headed for a rerun of the poll in Cunninghame North and in Glasgow anyway?

Is only one true, and if so, which one?

Or is it possible for neither of them to be true? Are the LibDems playing hardball to extract the maximum concessions?

These questions, and many others, will be answered in the next episode of Soap.

Confused? You will be...

3 comments:

Richard Havers said...

Blimey as we used to say in Sarf London in my yoof!

Hardball would be my guess.....at least that's what Tavish has told Nicol. Whether he gets it or not is another question....

Mr Eugenides said...

Never mind all that. Now you've got me whistling the theme tune from Soap.

Damn you.

Will said...

I wondered who'd succumb to that temptation, Mr. E!