Scottish election: Scottish Labour concedes defeat as SNP makes early gains

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar effectively conceded defeat as the SNP made early gains in the Holyrood election.

With just a handful of results announced so far, the SNP made a historic gain in Shetland where Hannah Goodland won what has traditionally been a Lib Dem stronghold.

In Dundee, the party held both Dundee City West and Dundee City East, where Stephen Gethins held the seat where former finance secretary Shona Robison was previously MSP.

SNP leader John Swinney held his Perthshire North constituency with a marjority of more than 6,000.

He said: “We are the very earliest stages of the election count across the country but it is becoming clear that the SNP is going to emerge as the largest party in this election campaign.

“That is for me something incredibly precious because having devoted my adult life to serving the people of Scotland through the SNP, to have resumed the leadership of my party two years ago and to take it to the position where I expect us to win the election today, is a moment of enormous significance for me.”

Potential future SNP leader, Stephen Flynn, will enter the Scottish Parliament for the first time after he won Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, beating the Conservatives by 1,244 votes.

He will vacate his seat at Westminster, where he has served as the SNP group leader since December 2022, triggering a by-election in the Westminster Aberdeen South seat after legislation was brought forward in the last Scottish Parliament, blocking MSPs from holding a dual mandate.   

On what already looks to be a difficult set of results for Labour, leader Anas Sarwar said his party was “hurting”.

The SNP held Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley, where Councillor Katie Hagmann, the resources spokesperson for local government body Cosla, took 9,610.

The seat was last held by former Scottish Government minister Elena Whitham, who stood down ahead of the vote.

 But it was a bad result for Labour, which was pushed into third place by Reform UK.

Carol Mochan, who had represented South Scotland since 2021, had hoped to turn the seat red, but won 6,671 to the 6,988 secured by Reform UK.

In Eastwood, former SNP MP Kirsten Oswald deafeted Jackson Carlaw by 854 votes. 

Carlaw had held the seat since 2016, however his defeat means that Russell Findlay will likely be elected via the West of Scotland regional list.

More to follow