Scots Nationalists Ready for New Battle as Support Surges - Bloomberg

Scots Nationalists Ready for New Battle as Support Surges - Bloomberg: "Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon said her country could end up being kingmaker in the U.K. after the general election next year.

Ruling out any coalition with the governing Conservative Party, Sturgeon told her party’s conference in Perth today that Scotland would wield more power over its affairs if a Labour Party government needed its support.

“Scotland could well hold the balance of power in a Westminster parliament with no overall majority,” Sturgeon said in her maiden address as leader after formally succeeding Alex Salmond yesterday. “Think about how much more we could win for Scotland from a Labour government if they had to depend on SNP votes. They’d have to deliver real powers for our parliament.”

Sturgeon, 44, will take over as Scotland’s first minister next week following Salmond’s decision to step down in the wake of the unsuccessful campaign for independence in a referendum two months ago. She is buoyed by a surge in support for the SNP, with membership more than tripling since the vote.

She paid tribute to Salmond, 59, who will now consider his next move and whether to stand for a seat in the U.K. Parliament in the May election, calling him a “hero of our movement.”"



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