The 2011 election marked a landmark victory for the Scottish National Party (SNP) who managed to secure a majority government for the first time in Scotland’s history. The SNP won 69 seats which is the most the party has ever held for either a Holyrood or Westminister election. This means that Alex Salmond remains as the First Minister for Scotland. Supporters of the SNP held celebrations in the city of the evening of 5th May before returning to their homes, serviced apartments Edinburgh and hotels.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Labour Party suffered a disappointing defeat. They lost seven seats in what proved to be their worst polling in 80 years. Unsurprisingly Iain Gray, the Labour leader, announced his resignation shortly after the results were announced. It is evident now that major Labour strongholds had defected to the side of the SNP as the core of blue collar and working class support had been lost.

It was the Liberal Democrats who came off worst, losing 12 of the 17 seats they held from the last election. It was the poorest showing in the history of the party and the election claimed yet another victim with Annabel Goldie resigning almost immediately.

For those who travelled to Edinburgh to campaign, serviced apartments Edinburgh were a great alternative to a hotel, providing candidates with the privacy they needed as a possible future member of parliament during an election campaign.

Media attention intensifies during any election and these Scottish elections were no exception. Candidates were subjected to a fierce level of scrutiny during the campaign, with many journalists flocking to the city and staying in serviced apartments Edinburgh, to be in the thick of the action. Two potential members of parliament were forced to drop out before the election due to scandal and gossip.

The SNP policies include a freeze on council tax until after the next election. They will continue to offer free university tuition to Scottish students. They also plan to legislate to give Scotland a referendum on independence. Further policies include maintaining the high number of police on the streets, producing all electricity for the country through renewable sources by 2020 and increased wages for nurses.

It remains to be seen how Scotland’s political landscape will change over the coming months and years or whether the SNP will succeed in driving through independence. Either way, it will be a time of change in Scottish politics and in business, with a large influx of corporate travellers and politicians visiting the city. But no matter how the political landscape in Scotland changes, serviced apartments Edinburgh offer a peaceful retreat for anyone staying in the city during this time.