Independents and small parties make gains in Scotland
Independent candidates and smaller parties appeared to have the most to celebrate following the elections in Scotland yesterday.
Early indications have led commentators to suggest that Labour will fall short of an overall majority by ending up with 51 seats.
The Liberal Democrats are expected to win 16 seats.
The elections are predicted to be a disappointment for the Scottish National Party (SNP), who saw their share of the vote fall. The Party is expected to lose a total of eight seats.
The Conservatives are expected to come away with 18 seats, the same as in the 1999 elections.
Key upsets of the evening included the ousting of former Enterprise Minister Iain Gray as Tory leader David McLetchie took Edinburgh Pentlands.
The Conservatives also increased their first-past-the-post seats from one to three, while Labour lost seven compared to the 1999 results.
However, the big winners appear to be the Scottish Socialists, the Green Party and independent candidates.
In a shock result, Labour MSP Brian Fitzpatrick was toppled by Retired GP Jean Turner in Strathkelvin and Bearsden.
While, the results of the first regional list in Glasgow saw gains for both the Scottish Socialist Party and the Greens.
