Press Room

[Clyde1998]

Robertson reflects on election results

It's been a difficult election for the party and there's a lot of lessons to be learned. The SNP will work with other progressive parties in order to do what's right for the country. Our MPs will always work in the interests of Scotland and will always do what we have been elected to do.

17% of the Scottish vote is similar to what we've achieved in the previous few Westminster elections; but it's not what we were hoping for. However, 10 MPs is our best showing since October 1974 and we hope to have some influence in Parliament in the upcoming term.

I congratulate the Conservatives on being the largest party in this election, as well as the Liberal Democrats on finishing as the second largest party. I hope that a government is able to be formed, with only a coalition between the two largest parties being an option for a two party majority. The SNP is open to helping the formation of a government.

[Clyde1998]

Vince Cable discusses the government formation on the BBC's Sunday Politics

Cable: SNP have let Scotland down

'It's clear that the SNP have betrayed their own voters by voting in favour of a Conservative government. Their sudden conversion towards the Tories goes against the social democratic policies that the party claims to have. It appears that the nationalists are committing self harm; following a disastrous election for the party, they've decided to do a deal with the devil to receive limited powers for Scotland.

The Liberal Democrats are committed to devolution, while the Conservatives did everything they could to prevent the creation of a Scottish Parliament. How can they be trusted to deliver on their promise of extra powers to the Celtic nations when they opposed devolution in the first place?

We've always supported home rule; the SNP have decided to vote for a penny when they could've had a gold mine. Trusting the Conservatives to deliver on extra devolution to Scotland is like giving a fox a mandate to guard a chicken pen. The nationalists will find that the chicken will be missing by the end of this parliament.

The people of Scotland won't forgive the SNP for this; it's very likely that they'll lose their majority in Holyrood in the next Scottish election. Indeed, it's possible that their majority will be lost long before that with defections as a result of this deal. The people of Scotland don't want to have a Conservative government trust upon them. It's clear that the Tartan Tories are back.