Westminster rejects election move

More than 180,000 ballots were spoilt at last year's elections

The government at Westminster has rejected calls to switch control of Scottish elections to Holyrood in the wake of last May's voting chaos.

A report by Canadian elections expert Ron Gould recommended considering switching responsibility for Scottish Parliament elections to Edinburgh.

But the Scotland Office said there is no "compelling case" to change the present arrangements.

The SNP said that was a "head in the sand attitude".

Parliamentary business minister at Holyrood, Bruce Crawford, said: "A majority in the Scottish Parliament believes the executive and legislative responsibilities for the administration of its own elections should be transferred to Holyrood.

What we have seen today is Westminster tinkering around the edges of a system for which Holyrood should have responsibility Michael Moore Liberal Democrat MP

He said: "It is this head-in-the-sand type of attitude displayed by the Scotland Office and its failure to accept that radical reform is required that led to the fiasco in May 2007.

"In failing to apply common sense and adopt a radical approach, the UK Government has let down voters in Scotland."

The original Gould report found mistakes at all levels, with the voter consistently treated as an "afterthought".

Mr Gould also said Holyrood should be responsible for future Scottish Parliamentary elections.

But Scottish Secretary Des Browne said: ''There is no compelling case to change the present legislative arrangements for elections to the Scottish Parliament.''

More than 180,000 ballots were spoiled at last year's elections.

Conservative shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said, despite agreeing with Ron Gould, the Tories would work with the Scotland Office to ensure that the new legislation was effective.

For the Liberal Democrats, Michael Moore said the decision was "deeply disappointing".

He said: "The Scottish Parliament should be made exclusively responsible for its own elections.

"Instead, what we have seen today is Westminster tinkering around the edges of a system for which Holyrood should have responsibility."

Amy Rodger of the Electoral Reform Society called the Scotland Office response "hugely disappointing".

She added: "Yet again, the Scotland Office propose mere tinkering around the edges of Scotland's electoral system, missing another opportunity to make the changes needed and wanted to improve the Scottish Parliament elections, over which they have jurisdiction."

The Gould report also called for an end to overnight counting if polls continue to close at 2200.

But Mr Browne said that this tradition would be maintained.

However, he said the practice of allowing party descriptions instead of registered names would be discontinued.

SNP list candidates carried the ballot paper tag "Alex Salmond for First Minister", a tactic which rival parties said caused confusion.

Mr Browne insisted last year's election fiasco "will not be allowed to happen again".