SCOTLAND:Prospects for a SNP/Liberal Democrat government at Holyrood appeared to improve yesterday as nationalist leader Alex Salmond indicated flexibility over the timing and content of any referendum on Scotland's constitutional future.
With the latest polls confirming the SNP still set to be the largest party in the new Scottish parliament, but in need of coalition allies to get into government, Mr Salmond suggested he could agree a multi-choice referendum, with a range of options being given to voters rather than a straight 'yes' or 'no' vote on the question of future independence.
Nicol Stephen, the Liberal Democrat leader in Scotland, has suggested that talk of a coalition administration would only be realistic if the nationalists agreed to drop their proposed referendum on independence - to which the Lib Dems are opposed - in the life of the new parliament.
However, Mr Salmond's move yesterday in a Guardian interview opened up the possibility of a referendum giving voters the chance to approve the alternative Lib Dem proposal for a further increase in the parliament's powers while Scotland remains within the UK.
The SNP leader's overture coincided with another opinion poll ahead of next week's Scottish, Welsh and English local elections showing Labour trailing on levels of support not seen since Michael Foot's leadership of the party in 1983. The poll for The Independent had Labour down four points on 27 per cent, nine points behind the Conservatives who were up one, at 36 per cent.
The latest evidence of collapsing Labour support came as departing prime minister Tony Blair appeared to play down the possibility of seeking to give his party a poll boost by announcing his resignation timetable ahead of the May 3rd elections.
During an interview with BBC Breakfast, Mr Blair was asked if voters would want to give him a final "kicking" on Thursday week.
He replied: "Look, you're always an issue when you're the prime minister."
Seeming to resist the idea that he might reduce the damage to his party by resigning ahead of the elections, Mr Blair suggested that - having previously been elected on a promise to serve "a full term" in office - it was important for him to "get past this part of the parliament".
Mr Blair will complete 10 years in office next Tuesday, just 48 hours before devolved and local elections are expected to transform the political landscape and underline the task facing his successor in renewing Labour in government before seeking a fourth term.
With David Miliband out of the race, home secretary John Reid appears to be the last remaining prospect for a heavyweight challenge from within the cabinet to chancellor Gordon Brown succeeding Mr Blair.
Former home secretary Charles Clarke also appears willing to challenge Mr Brown, if no other "Blairite" candidate can be found, and assuming he can obtain the backing of the 44 MPs necessary to get his name on the ballot paper.
Former environment secretary Michael Meacher and backbencher John McDonnell are still competing for the necessary 44 nominations to mount a challenge from the left of the party.