My biggest fear following last week's election results has been that the LibDems would form a coalition with Labour in Holyrood to keep the SNP out. I've been of the opinion that the LibDems are so hungry for power they'd do anything to get it.

I seem to have misjudged them.

Interviewed on the BBC Politics Show today the Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign director Tavish Scott had this exchange:


Presenter: Do you rule out a coalition deal with Labour?
Scott: Yes
Presenter: So either you do a deal with the SNP or you are on the back benches
Scott: That's absolutely the position


Phew. Assuming this placing of cards on the table is officially sanctioned that's good news. Now it's down to whether the SNP and the Lib Dems can find a compromise or whether the SNP go into a minority government.

The scuttlebutt I've been hearing suggests a minority SNP government, but I'm not sure. As a minority government the SNP wouldn't be able to get a referendum through Holyrood anyway - so they might as well negotiate it away for LibDem support. It's just a case of whether or not they can find a way of doing so whilst saving face.

Either way it seems that Labour are out of government in Scotland, which is a cause for celebration.

Holyrood Labour Liberal Democrats Scotland Scottish elections SNP UK politics ukpolitics