London (Platts)--7May2007

The Scottish National Party, which has pledged to build no new nuclear
power plants in Scotland, has become the largest party in the Scottish
devolved parliament after UK elections Thursday. 

     The SNP took 47 seats in the Scottish parliament compared with 46 for the
governing Labour party, but this falls well short of the 65 seats needed for a
majority. The SNP is now likely to form a minority coalition with the Greens,
who also have a strong anti-nuclear stance, but have just two seats. 

     The SNP had been in talks with the Liberal Democrats, who until Thursday
had been coalition partners with Labour in Scotland, but the Liberal Democrats
said Monday that they did not plan to enter into coalition with the SNP as
they did not support SNP demands for a referendum on full independence for
Scotland. The Lib Dems have 16 seats and like the SNP and Greens, oppose any
new nuclear power both in Scotland and across the UK. The Lib Dems had earlier
ruled out any coalition with Labour. 

     The Labour party, which came in just one seat behind the SNP, could seek
to form a coalition with the Conservatives, who took 17 seats, and the Greens,
but that would require compromises in a number of areas, not least nuclear
power where Labour and the Conservatives have not ruled out new build. 

     The result of the election in Scotland could be challenged, however, 
after former Labour minister Alan Wilson said Sunday he was discussing 
possible legal action over the result in the Cunninghame North constituency 
where he lost out to the SNP by just 48 votes, while over 1,000 ballot papers
were deemed spoiled. 

	---Paul Whitehead, paul_whitehead@platts.com