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There has to be another election before anyone (including the politicians) can feel any pride in our democracy and themselves.

Mr Salmon must be given credit for capturing 14 seats from the minor parties etc. But he has taken only 4 seats from Labour when Labour are at rock bottom after the disasterous consequences of the Iraq War and its failure to control government spending - and more importantly get value for money in its spending. Moral-Fibre Fatigue has beset Labour as it did the Tories.

However its a bit early to say that he has changed Scottish politics. Rather it is a case of where else do you go once labour has at last had its chance and been tested in office and has thereby evidenced its vulnerability.

Salmond says labour has no moral right to govern scotland .Then he has no moral right to achieve his dream Independence.
I like many others didnt vote for him and will never vote for him.I look foward to his first defeat and his resignation and he goes back to his rich friends.

Salmond says if installed as First Minister he will see to it that his own election is the subject of a judicial inquiry. Is this cause for confidence? Perhaps he will also have himself audited regarding tax payments?

The first electronic vote counting, and as a matter of fact not a single human being has personal knowledge of the count. The computers that malfunctioned are nevertheless trusted to announce "final" numbers. First SNP victory in 50 years. Nothing to look into here, the winners will investigate themselves.

Hey, I'm just an election lawyer from the United States and we've had electronic voting "anomalies" starting in 2000 when Bush was first elected. Over 80% of e-voting is used in the USA now and it is 100% secret vote counting. I should be more familiar with Scotland's political situation, yet I feel confident in guessing that counting the votes in secrecy is as much an affront to democracy in Scotland as it is in the USA or anywhere else.

When voters vote, they are exercising their sovereignty as "masters" to select governmental "servants." There's no basis to hide the count from the citizens/masters, elect a new government that eliminates Labour's lock for the first time in 50 years, and then have the winners investigate themselves. No matter how humbly.

Perhaps all of Scotland likes the political direction they've seen since 2000 in the USA, but that is still no substitute for a proven and openly transparent demonstration of an election's validity -- not secret electronic counts.