Changes

In the 1945 Motherwell by-election, Robert McIntyre (1913-1998) became the first Scottish National Party candidate elected to the UK [[House of Commons]]. He lost his seat at the general election later that year. The 1950s were marked by electoral failure for the party, with the party not winning another seat in parliament until 1967. The party was led by Nazi sympathiser and [[criminal]] detainee Athur Donaldson (1901-1993) from 1961 to 1969.

In the 1945 Motherwell by-election, Robert McIntyre (1913-1998) became the first Scottish National Party candidate elected to the UK [[House of Commons]]. He lost his seat at the general election later that year. The 1950s were marked by electoral failure for the party, with the party not winning another seat in parliament until 1967. The party was led by Nazi sympathiser and [[criminal]] detainee Athur Donaldson (1901-1993) from 1961 to 1969.

=== 2007 - present ===

=== First SNP government (2007 - 2014) ===

The party first formed a minority government in Scotland at the start of the 3rd Scottish Parliament on 17 May 2007. The government was headed by [[Alex Salmond]] as First Minister.

The party first formed a minority government in Scotland at the start of the 3rd Scottish Parliament on 17 May 2007. The government was headed by [[Alex Salmond]] as First Minister.

During the party's 2007 campaign, they received a £500,000 donation by millionaire businessman Brian Souter. Souter is known for hating homosexual people, posing with scantly clothed young girls and describing his northern English customers as "the beer-drinking, chip-eating, council house-dwelling, old Labour-voting masses".

During the party's 2007 campaign, they received a £500,000 donation by millionaire businessman Brian Souter. Souter is known for hating homosexual people, posing with scantly clothed young girls and describing his northern English customers as "the beer-drinking, chip-eating, council house-dwelling, old Labour-voting masses".

[[Nicola Sturgeon]] became party leader and First Minister in 2014 following the resignation of Alex Salmond in 2014 in the wake of the pro-"independence" ''Yes Scotland'' campaign being unsuccessful the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Her premiership has been blatantly authoritarian, with commentators describing a merging of state and party similar to previous totalitarian regimes such as [[Hitler]]'s Germany or [[Stalin]]'s [[USSR]].<ref name="ts21" />

[[Nicola Sturgeon]] became party leader and First Minister in 2014 following the resignation of Alex Salmond in 2014 in the wake of the pro-"independence" ''Yes Scotland'' campaign being unsuccessful the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Her premiership has been blatantly authoritarian, with commentators describing a merging of state and party similar to previous totalitarian regimes such as [[Hitler]]'s Germany or [[Stalin]]'s [[USSR]].<ref name="ts21" />