by Tom Devine

The new Scottish Parliament which was elected in May could be a historic assembly. Before the election, the Scottish National Party explicitly promised to seek another referendum on independence if it was victorious. That has now been achieved. By some distance it has more seats at Holyrood than any other party and remarkably just failed to gain an overall majority, a result which the proportional representation system in the devolution settlement was specifically designed to ensure would not happen. The number of both SNP and Green MSPs however, means there is a clear majority in Holyrood in favour of another referendum on independence.