Separatists grow majority in Catalonia despite Socialist win

People line up outside a polling station for the regional Catalan election (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

The pro-union Socialist Party appeared set to claim a narrow win in regional elections in Catalonia, but the bloc of parties supporting secession by Spain’s north-eastern corner were widening their control of the regional parliament.

With 90% of the votes counted, the three main parties pledging to carve out an independent Catalan state were set to increase their number of seats in the regional parliament to 74.