Andrew Black Political reporter BBC Scotland news website

Scotland's new politics has begun - that was Alex Salmond's claim as he set out his vision for government.

The new government will have to build consensus in the chamber

Traditionally, new first ministers used their first big Holyrood speeches to announce new legislation.

But in those days, with a parliamentary majority, they could easily put their money where their mouth was.

Mr Salmond, as the head of Scotland's first minority administration, will have to work to find common causes across the "divided" chamber, as his predecessor Jack McConnell put it.

He will need to seek consensus in areas where his political rivals may not necessarily agree and may even have to rely on "rebel" Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs.

So what does the new politics entail?

One thing is for certain - the first minister made it clear in his statement to MSPs that he did not favour the "mushy ground of false consensus".

Winning backing

Mr Salmond said his new government would not be dogmatic and intransigent - but neither would it account to a parliament of the same description.

While the government, he said, would require to win support from one or more parties to carry a position, opposition parties would likewise be required to win backing from the administration to take on their points of view.

Take bridge tolls, for example.

To scrap charges on the Forth and Tay bridges the SNP and its 47 MSPs could count on Tory support. But those 63 votes are still short of the 65 needed to vote the plans through.

Opposition policy

Labour has already moved to meet the Nationalists halfway by "constructively" supporting this policy - while asking the SNP to support the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link and trams proposals agreed in the last parliament.

And, in keeping with the newly-accepted style, the favour was returned - with Mr Salmond suggesting there may be merit in taking forward some of Labour's policies as well as those of the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

During the afternoon session of parliament, Labour MSP Richard Simpson complained that parts of Mr Salmond's statement had been trailed too heavily in the media, against parliamentary regulations.

Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson ruled there had been no breach, but the protest sparked memories of an often-made complaint in previous parliaments.