STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

THE SNP were on course for a historic third term in Government at Holyrood as polls closed last night.

Nicola Sturgeon looks like winning her first Scottish Parliament election as SNP leader and remaining as First Minister.

She had asked the country to give her a personal mandate to implement her own plans over the next five years.

The party had led in opinion polls throughout the election campaign and a small decline unlikely to dent the support she has enjoyed since replacing Alex Salmond as leader and First Minister in 2014, following the defeat in the independence referendum.

The votes for eight Glasgow seats and the Glasgow regional list electing 15 city MSPs were counted at the Emirates Arena.

Four million people were registered to vote but turnout was not expected to be as high as it was during the referendum when it topped 80% or in last year’s General Election, when it was almost 75%.

The lost Holyrood election saw just over 50% of the electorate bother to vote

Ms Sturgeon cast her vote in Baillieston near her Glasgow home as reported in later editions of the Evening Times.

She said “I'm feeling good, we've fought a great campaign.

"I think we've put the issues on the table and put forward a very positive message.

She said she was looking ahead to “get on with the job of taking Scotland forward.”

Her proposals for a third SNP term in government include closing the attainment gap and increasing the amount of childcare available for three and four year olds.

Ms Sturgeon will not use the new tax powers in the first year of the new parliament and instead said she would look at what possible methods could be available to prevent tax avoidance to protect the extra cash it would raise.

She has not committed to a second referendum or set conditions on when one could be called stating it would only be held if there was sufficient majority support from the public.

It has not however been ruled out in the next five years and she has said she would like one, but the public would decide.

Labour was hoping to fend off the SNP tide that swept away all but one of its 42 MPs last year and a total wipe-out in Glasgow.

With no realistic expectation of defeating the SNP, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale was looking to keep as many MSPs as possible, mostly through the regional list system, and build for the future.

She had fought the campaign on her plan to increase income tax by 1p in the pound for the basic rate and by 5p to 50% for the highest earnings, above £150,000.

Labour’s message was it would use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to prevent further cuts to public services and to invest in education.

The policy was well received in opinion polls but it did not translate into support for the party with it struggling to stay ahead of the Tories.

Ruth Davidson staked her whole campaign on overtaking Labour and becoming the second party at Holyrood, with her as leader of the opposition.

She appealed to no voters in the referendum claiming the Conservatives were the only party that was totally opposed to independence,

Her campaign has been characterised by a series of daily photo opportunities ranging from eating ice cream to riding on a buffalo, racing cars and playing ice-hockey.

The Liberal Democrats and the Greens were locked throughout the campaign fighting for fourth place.

The Greens also proposed a tax hike for the highest earners, higher than Labours plans taking the top rate up to 60%, but with changes to lower rates and bands to make the system fairer, while raising more money, they claimed.

The Liberal Democrats had staked their bid to increase their number from five MSPs on their ‘penny for education’ policy.