Salmond will get his chance to smile

So it appears that Alex Salmond was right after all. His views that the election would result in a hung parliament, that additional SNP MPs could potentially hand Scotland a significant say in future decision-making at Westminster, that the undemocratic TV debates as screened in Scotland would hamper the efforts of the SNP to increase their seats at Westminster, in spite of their relative popularity here, have proven correct.

Of course, for every apparent "loser" there is an apparent "winner", and while the SNP and democracy in Scotland may have lost out, Scottish Labour, as reflected in Jim Murphy's smug post-election comments, are clearly elated that their negative campaign has succeeded, at least for now, in halting the progress of the Conservatives at the Border while at the same time delaying Scotland's journey towards independence.

However, Westminster politics will become more polarised, at least in geographical terms, irrespective of who emerges as the next Prime Minister, as a result of the Conservatives now broadly representing England, while Labour has the majority of seats in Scotland and Wales.

The fact that disproportionate numbers of Scottish Labour MPs relative to the votes cast are likely to continue the shameful policy of voting on matters already devolved to Scotland, while again failing many of those in their own constituencies who elected them, may result in more SNP MSPs smiling at the next Holyrood elections.

STAN GRODYNSKI

Longniddry

East Lothian

If anything good comes of having the predicted hung parliament, it may be that the voting system will be changed to more accurately reflect the views of the electorate.

There was the ridiculous example of people wailing that they had been "disenfranchised" because they turned up too late to vote when they had all day to do so, but this is nothing compared with the "one party" constituencies that litter the country.

The obvious example is in Scotland where a monkey in a red tie could be elected and everyone else's vote is a wasted one. No doubt the same thing happens in the Tory "home" counties. If there is one Liberal Democrat party principle I've always agreed with, it's that of proportional representation.

BARRY LEES

Denholm Street

Greenock

The case for independence and reform of the electoral system spoke for itself in Scotland as the results were revealed: 70 per cent of seats for only 42 per cent of the vote; 20 per cent of the vote for 10 per cent of seats; 16 per cent of the vote for 0.01 per cent. In no way can those figures be seen as democratic or in any way a reflection of voters' wishes.

Regarding the need for independence, Scottish Labour MPs deciding on English-only issues is a clear injustice for English democracy and a clear case for English independence.

CATRIONA C CLARK

Hawthorn Drive

Falkirk

Now we have lots of speculation, as expected, on what alliances are possible to form a UK government. What about the obvious: let the three old parties of Empire, who arranged to exclude everyone else from their TV leadership debates, stop shadow-boxing and form an imperial coalition.

Or are we going to be subjected to another UK general election in the hope of getting a result that they can live with?

DAVID STEVENSON

Blacket Place

Edinburgh

In 1988 a then obscure (in Westminster terms) Scottish MP stood up to intervene in Chancellor Lawson's Budget speech. His persistence may have earned him a week's suspension, but some believe that he was the first to demonstrate that Margaret Thatcher and her Nazgul army could be successfully met and challenged.

Is it too much to hope that another SNP MP will step up to the plate again, to save us from David Cameron? Or will we find ourselves, ironically, regretting that the First Minister took the money, and chose not seek a Westminster constituency this time round?

DAVID FIDDIMORE

Calton Road

Edinburgh

However close and indecisive the outcome of the election, some things have been made crystal clear.

The SNP, for example, are no nearer winning a solitary seat, let alone establishing a base, in the populous Central Belt of Scotland. Their base remains the farming and fishing fringes of our country.

"Twenty-Seat Salmond" has spun this latest disaster into a "victory'' but the truth is the Nationalists were a total irrelevance and so they will return to trying to convince a predominately uninterested populace that their disaster at the polls really means we all are desperately crying out for a referendum to break up the UK. In reality, it is all rather sad.

A minority government or hung parliament may not be entirely a bad thing; it at least ensures the lunatic-fringe policies and the obsessive and paranoid elements at Westminster are kept under close control.

ALEXANDER McKAY

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh