Election Fever Hits Scotland…Doesn’t It?

Scotland will take to the polls on May 3rd to return the men and women who will run our country for the next few years.

The hustings are being dusted off as we speak as the nation waits with baited breath for the Conservative manifesto. Oooh, exciting times indeed.

Despite the fact that no-one I’ve spoken too even seems aware that an election is imminent, we could end up with a very interesting result if the latest opinion polls are to be given any credence.

The SNP are kicking Labours ass in the polls with a month to go and Jack McConnell faces the very real prospect of achieving the unthinkable – losing Scotland for the Labour Party.

Of course, no-one will win an outright majority so the probability at present is a SNP/Lib Dem coalition, which would see some very interesting shifts on the political landscape.

We’re talking about a Government that would be:

Still committed to free care for the elderly

Still committed to the abolition of higher education fees

Against the war in Iraq and pro a phased withdrawal

Against the renewal of Trident

Against Council Tax, which they would replace with a local income tax

Against ID cards

…and of course a Government whose first priority would be to seek a referendum on independence.

Whitehall would for the first time be faced with a devolved power base in direct opposition to most of their own key policies and would be forced at least in part to fund that body. Some interesting clashes between Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown would be guaranteed.

Of course there is a month of electioneering to go and things may well change, but it looks like we could be drifting gently into uncharted political territory.

I have to say I find the prospect refreshing, although you have to worry about how a party who have never had to fulfil a single promise at anything other than council level will cope with the responsibility of running the big show.