Labour will almost certainly form the largest group. The Liberal Democrats are possible coalition partners, and the Scottish National Party likely to be the main opposition. Next year's election offers the first major chance of rehabilitation for the Scottish Conservatives, who have made it clear that they will use the new arena to relaunch themselves. Each party will vie to devise the most authentically popular Scottish policies and, as distinctive national concerns begin to predominate, there may well be new political alignments quite distinct from those at Westminster. The new importance of Edinburgh as a political capital has begun to generate a political market-place, with political and public affairs companies keen to exploit the new opportunities.
Moves are afoot to set up an association of professional Scottish parliamentary lobbyists.
Several new think-tanks have sprung up, intent on influencing the policy process. The major national broadcasters, BBC Scotland and Scottish Television, are planning parliamentary and news coverage attuned to the new political agenda. Newspapers based in Glasgow, Scotland's media capital, are setting up major news operations in Edinburgh. Of the London media, Channel 4 Television has adapted to devolution by establishing a new office in Glasgow. The telecommunications giant, British Telecom, has declared its interest in the restoration of trust in the political process, underlining the role of information technology in promoting public electoral involvement and proposing remote electronic access to the parliament's work for its Members.