'Knife-edge' UK election to be decided in Scotland

WITH polls indicating that the May 7 UK general election is poised on a knife-edge, it is clear that the outcome could be decided, or at least strongly influenced, in Scotland. This is because Scotland, previously an electoral stronghold at Westminster of the Labour Party, appears to be undergoing a seismic shift in loyalty towards the Scottish National Party (SNP) following last year's landmark independence referendum.

This development, which has been described as nothing short of a potential "revolution", represents a sea change in Scottish politics. And it could have profound implications for the longer-term future of the United Kingdom.

At the last UK general election in 2010, Labour won some 40 of Scotland's 59 parliamentary seats (with 40 per cent of the Scottish vote), with the Liberal Democrats securing 11 seats (with 19 per cent of the vote). However, following a surge in support for the SNP since last September's referendum (with some polls indicating the party has more than 50 per cent of support in Scotland), it could boost the number of seats it has from the current six to what some estimate could be 50 or more.