Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Jack Aitchison

SNP enjoy 'best ever' EU election as final results confirmed in disaster for Scottish Labour

Scotland's European election results are officially in after a final declaration in the Western Isles.

The SNP have came away with their best ever EU election return with three seats.

The Brexit Party , Lib Dems and Conservative all achieved one seat each.

The night was a disaster for Scottish Labour who suffered their worst election result in history, losing their two seats from the 2014 vote.

Labour's David Martin - who had been the UK's longest serving MEP having first been elected in 1984 - conceded he had lost his seat, with the party paying the price for its failure to take a clear stand on the crucial issue of Brexit.

Martin tweeted: "While obviously personally disappointed to lose my seat I'm devastated for the hundreds of good Labour people who put so much into the campaign. We lost not because of lack of effort but lack of clear message."

Labour Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray - who has campaigned for a second European referendum - hit out on Twitter, saying: "The Labour leadership refused to listen to me, their members & their supporters. Maybe now they'll listen to the voters?"

Sturgeon earlier tweeted about the "outstanding results" for her party, saying they were "on course for our best ever Euro election result".

She added: "Polling way ahead of any other party. Higher % in Scotland than Brexit Party's current share in rUK. Emphatically clear that Scotland doesn't want Brexit."

Results from 31 of the 32 councils across Scotland showed the SNP, who fought the election campaign on a strong pro-European platform, had polled 37.7%

The party's previous best Euro election result was 32.6% in 1994.

Meanwhile Alyn Smith, who was the lead SNP candidate said it was "clear Scotland has endorsed Remain".

He added: "Our Remain vote can not be ignored any longer. Scotland's for Europe."

In the City of Edinburgh Council area Labour was sixth - behind the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish Greens, the Tories and the Brexit party.

Lothian MSP, and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said her party should respond to the results by "backing a People's Vote unequivocally and committing wholeheartedly to remain".

Video: Twitter reacts - EU election results in Scotland

Meanwhile Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said "all indications" were her party had retained a Scottish MEP on what was a "tough night for the party UK-wide".

The Liberal Democrats had lost their Scottish MEP in 2014, when the party paid the price at the polls for its coalition with Conservatives at Westminster, but its increased share in this election leaves the party in Scotland on course for a return to the European Parliament.

Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme on Monday, Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said the result is a "big win" for the party.

He said: "This was quite some result and I think it shows that the Liberal Democrats have got the momentum.

"There's lots of people who voted for us this time that have never voted for us before and we need to work hard to keep their trust that's been shown in us.

"But we've got a real opportunity to represent the majority of people in Scotland who are pro-United Kingdom and pro-European Union."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.