Salmond takes the top job in Scotland

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He defeated his nearest rival, Labour leader and former First Minister Jack McConnell, by 49 votes to 46.

Salmond takes top job

His victory, with the aid of votes from the two Green MSPs, will enable him to form a minority SNP administration.

His election, after a fortnight of horse-trading behind the scenes, leaves Gordon Brown facing a political headache when he takes over as Prime Minister.

The Chancellor has predicted immediate "conflict" if Mr Salmond tries to push Scotland towards independence.

The outcome, although expected, was greeted with jubilation on the SNP benches and in the public gallery.

After his victory, Mr Salmond told MSPs he wanted to develop "a new and fundamentally more reflective" model of democracy in Scotland.

He added: "Any Scottish government led by me will respect and include this Parliament in the governance of Scotland over the next four years."

Mr Salmond continued: "In this century there are limits to what governments can achieve.

"But one thing any government I lead will never lack is ambition for Scotland.

"Today I commit myself to leadership wholly and exclusively in the Scottish national interest.

"We will appeal for support policy by policy across this chamber. That is the parliament the people of Scotland have elected - and that is the government that I will be proud to lead."

Mr McConnell said: "He will have our support when his decisions are right. We will, of course, not oppose for its own sake.

"But we will bring forward to the chamber, for robust debate, the policies in which we believe too."