The other parties contesting the election.

The Scottish National Party sees itself as Scotland's independence party and has secured a place as the main opposition party within the devolved Scottish Parliament with 35 seats.

However, it sees the parliament as a means by which it can achieve its ultimate goal of an independent Scotland, with its own voice in Europe.

It sees itself as a moderate, left-of-centre party, founded on social democratic principles. The party was established in 1934 and won its first Westminster seat in a by-election in 1945. It has had a continuous presence at Westminster since 1967.

Its leader for 10 years, Alex Salmond, has recently criticised his countryman Gordon Brown for deserting Scottish pensioners.

The SNP won six Westminster seats in the last general election - double its previous number.

The party has been famously backed by Sir Sean Connery who has donated up to £50,000 a year. However, this could end under new funding rules which ban donations from people not registered to vote in Britain.

Connery, who lives abroad, is not entitled to vote, though he does own a home in London. Under its party slogan "We stand for Scotland", the SNP states that while Scotland is a "rich country" it is not a "rich society".

It describes how inequality is getting worse not better under Labour, that many schools and hospital buildings are run down. It adds the health and education systems lag behind the rest of Europe where once they led the world.

The SNP, which holds about 200 council seats, wants Scotland to have full control over taxation in the nation - currently limited to three pence on income tax. It also wants the power to set the minimum wage and to be able to distribute housing benefit.

Plaid Cymru

For three-quarters of a century, Plaid Cymru, the "party of Wales", has fought for self-government in Wales arguing for the preservation of the Welsh culture, language, and traditions.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, elected leader in 2000, said the Welsh language should be a force to unite Welsh people rather than create divisions. The party entered a new era In 1999 when the new Welsh Assembly came into being and Plaid Cymru won 17 of the 60 seats, winning about one in three votes.

Mr Wyn Jones - who became leader when Dafydd Wigley resigned following ill-health - said last year that Wales should have as much control over its affairs" but stopped short of calling for devolution.

The party has based its policies on socialist principles since its inception in 1925 and is calling for a £5 an hour minimum wage and a greater support for co-operatives and the voluntary sector.

The first Plaid Cymru MP entered Westminster in 1966 and the party has maintained an unbroken presence in the House of Commons since 1974.

The party currently has four seats in Westminster and two MEPs while in local elections it won 18% of the vote in 1999, winning 205 seats, double its previous proportion.