SCOTTISH PRO-INDEPENDENCE PARTY VOWS ‘BETTER FUTURE’ IN POLLS

Voters in the devolved nations of Scotland and Wales were casting their ballots in regional parliamentary elections which could help determine the future of Britain's union or hasten its breakup, Isobel Frodsham reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and who served as first minister, donned her party colors of all yellow as citizens across Scotland headed to polling booths on Thursday, May 6, 2021.

In a final campaign message to voters, the pro-independence leader urged people to vote for her party to deliver "strong leadership through the Covid crisis" and "a better future for Scotland."

Final opinion polls published on Wednesday showed the SNP was likely to win the election again for a second term. However, it was unclear whether they can seal a majority in the Scottish parliament.

If they win an outright majority, Sturgeon has previously stated she will give citizens the chance to have a say on whether Scotland should break away from Britain. She would however wait until after the nation has turned the corner on the coronavirus to hold the referendum.

Meanwhile, Wales is also holding its parliamentary election. Mark Drakeford, of the left-wing Welsh Labor, was photographed casting his vote in his local constituency of Cardiff on Thursday afternoon.

He is hoping for a second term in office as First Minister for Wales after previously taking office in 2018. His message remained simple on Thursday, tweeting: "Your voice matters - don’t forget to use all of your votes for Welsh Labor today!"

The latest polls show while Drakeford's party could gain the most seats, they may not gain a majority either. This could see him forming a coalition with fellow left-wing party Plaid Cymru, whose leader Adam Price is calling for an independence referendum within five years if his party wins a majority.

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