Labour Party Bashed In U.K. Elections

Pro-Independence Party Wins In Scotland; U.K.-Wide Defeats Seen As Rebuke For Blair's Pro-War Stance

(CBS/AP)  Voters handed Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour party a string of embarrassing defeats in municipal elections, seen Friday as a rebuke to the outgoing leader in his final days in office.

Most notably, the pro-independence Scottish National Party won the most seats in elections to the Scottish Parliament, beating the Labour Party in a closely fought race.

In elections marred by technical and other problems, the SNP took 47 of 129 seats, compared to 46 seats for Labour. The Conservative Party finished third, with 17 seats, while the Liberal Democrats won 16 seats.

The close result will mean that no one party will be able to govern alone in the parliament. Labour has governed Scotland in the past together in a coalition with Britain's third main party, the Liberal Democrats.

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom for 300 years, but has its own legal system, and since 1998, it also has an independent parliament in Edinburgh which handles Scotland-only issues. It also sends representatives to the U.K. central government in London.

SNP leader Alex Salmond, who himself won a tough battle in the constituency of Gordon, in northeast Scotland, could now be Scotland's First Minister, or national leader.

"I think there is a new dawn breaking, not just in the northeast of Scotland but across our country," Salmond said after he won his seat in the Parliament. "I think there is a perspective opening up in Scottish politics which is going to transcend our experience."

Blair said the results were not as bad as predicted.

"Everyone said we were going to get hammered, it was going to be a rout, and it's not turned out like that," he said. "The fact is we have come from 10 points behind in Scotland to neck and neck."

But there were problems in counting votes, ranging from fog in the remote Western Isles — a helicopter due to carry ballot boxes to a counting hall was grounded — to engine failure in a boat ferrying votes from the Scottish isle of Arran.

Officials were investigating technical problems with the computers that counted electronic votes, and there were delays in getting postal votes to people's homes. Newspapers branded the election "a fiasco and a shambles" after it was beset with technical problems as an estimated 100,000 ballot papers — five percent of the turnout — were spoiled.

[bm6005]

Time they have. They just lack the ability.
Posted by rhs648

Ability and GW Bush. An oxyMORON if ever!!!

[bm6005]

George Bush is looking better every day.
Posted by rhs648

Compared to what?

[rhs648]

"You god da*m crooks are trying to ruin the democrats, you won't give them anytime to legislate."

Posted by rharrin1

Time they have. They just lack the ability.

[gkc99]

Bliar's party has taken an ***-whuppin just like the Bushit/Chickenshit party is gonna take an ***-whuppin right here in the USA next year.

[rharrin1]

George Bush is looking better every day.
Posted by rhs648 at 09:05 PM : May 04, 2007

Only through a republican ******* eyes.

[rharrin1]

There agenda has been to do nothing othere than investigate the republicans in the hope of deflecting any attention on there do nothing agenda.
Posted by notblue at 05:30 PM : May 04, 2007

You god da*m crooks are trying to ruin the democrats, you won't give them anytime to legislate.
Now they got three more republican crooks to investigate, please give them time to do their job.

[rhs648]

Remember the expression "you don't miss something until you lose it." Obama, Hillary, McCain, Edwards, or Rudy. George Bush is looking better every day.

[rhs648]

It's all politics folks. It doesn't matter if it is 1977, 1987, or 2007. Some things never change. Democrats today and Republicans tomorrow. One thing both parties can count on is that people have short memories and even shorter attention spans.

[notblue]

inventagod, it states the liberal democrats came in LAST. You people will be dissapointed when another Republican is elected not becasue the the Republicans are any better but because the Democrats have accomplished NOTHING for the American people, all they have accomplished is being anti-republican. There agenda has been to do nothing othere than investigate the republicans in the hope of deflecting any attention on there do nothing agenda.

[inventagod2]

Yes, indeed - anything that touches Bu$h is good as gone...
I was laughing as I watched the 'GOP hopefuls' on parade the other night... There won't be another Republicon president for forty years.
Watch and learn from the Brits.

[lochlan-2009]

The GOP is expecting the same here. Just hope it's not part of the agenda.

[notblue]

Love the CBS headline to this article, it's important to actually read the article. The headline should have read LIBERAL DEMOCRATS finished last, but that's not normally the way headlines are printed at CBS.