GLASGOW, Scotland -- In what some here are calling a throwback to the electoral bedlam that surrounded U.S. President George W. Bush's controversial win over Al Gore in 2000, Scotland's recent election proved chaotic, with a divisive outcome that could threaten the future of the whole United Kingdom. As the dust settles around the May 4 vote for a new Scottish Parliament, the Scottish National Party (SNP), which attracted worldwide attention in the months leading up to the election by running on a call for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom, has emerged victorious. Public wrangling over the fate of some 100,000 spoiled ballots is ongoing and likely to result in legal challenges during the days and weeks to come. But as the results stand now, the SNP beat the Labor Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair by one seat. In doing so, the SNP, for the first time in history, now holds the largest block of seats in Scottish Parliament, potentially putting Scotland on a course toward independence from Britain.
Scottish Election Results Put Independence Push on Uncertain Path
