大象传媒

Brian Taylor, political editor of 大象传媒 Scotland, describes how the Scottish Parliament changed when, after eight years of Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition leadership, the Scottish National Party came to power as a minority government in 2007. This has stalled some of the SNP's aims, such as gaining full independence for Scotland. It has also led to difficult negotiations about other aims.
The Forth Road Bridge is an important connection for the east of Scotland. The current bridge is in need of replacement but this will cost billions of pounds. The SNP want Westminster to provide funds for the bridge that can be paid back in later years. The UK Labour government and Labour in Holyrood would rather the bridge was built by a private company who would then be paid back. As the Scottish Government is unable to borrow money itself, some compromise must be reached.