Labour are ‘hurting’, Sarwar says, as Swinney expects SNP to win election

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said his party is “hurting” after it “didn’t win the argument” in the Holyrood election.

His comments came as SNP leader John Swinney said he expected his party to go on and win a record fifth consecutive term in power in the Scottish Parliament.

Speaking as he was re-elected as the MSP for Perthshire North, Mr Swinney said;: “We are at the every early stages of the election counts across the county.

“But it is becoming clear that the Scottish National Party is going to emerge as the largest party in this election campaign.”

His comments were in contrast to those of the Scottish Labour Mr Sarwar, who told journalists that “those who seek to divide us and use people with frustrations to divide us are going to win the day today”.

But Mr Sarwar hinted that he would not step down from his post, telling journalists: “My party is hurting – we’re disappointed.

“We advocate for change, we didn’t win that argument, but it’s my job to hold us together and that’s a job I intend to do.”

The early results saw Stephen Flynn – who had been the SNP’s Westminster’s leader – elected as the MSP for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine.

Another SNP MP will be swapping Westminster for Holyrood, with Stephen Gethins elected as the MSP for Dundee City East.

Mr Swinney’s party also made an early gain – picking up the Shetland constituency which had been held by the Liberal Democrats since the first ever Scottish Parliament elections in 1999.

Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur however was re-elected as the MSP for Orkney, winning 70% of the vote – the biggest share in the Scottish Parliament’s history.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said he was “thrilled to see Liam McArthur returning to the Scottish Parliament with the biggest share of the vote in the history of Holyrood”.

He spoke out as results started coming in from 73 constituency seats across Scotland – with the 56 regional list MSPs who will also take their place at Holyrood to be announced later in the day.

Unlike most previous Scottish Parliament elections, counting of the ballots took place the following day, with the traditional overnight count abandoned.

Speaking just before counting go under way, former Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison – who did not stand for re-election – said the SNP is “optimistic that we’ll win the election for the fifth time in a row, which would be absolutely unprecedented”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast, she added: “We have fought hard in this campaign and have fought for every single vote – and we need to see what that adds up to today.”

Liz Lloyd, who was the chief of staff for Nicola Sturgeon when she was first minister, said the SNP could finish the election 30 seats ahead of their nearest rival.

Highlighting that Mr Swinney took over the top job just two years ago, she told the same programme the difference in the party between now and then “is quite remarkable”.

Ms Lloyd said: “The transformation John Swinney has taken the party on, steadying the ship, reviving the entire campaigning machinery of the SNP, to get to the point where even if they don’t get the majority, where they are winning a fifth term, where he is winning his first mandate as first minister, it’s a huge thing.

“I don’t think anyone in the SNP if they fall a few short of a majority will think somehow they have failed, if they have won the election in that manner.”

Former Scottish Labour communications director Alan Roden meanwhile said Anas Sarwar and his party had been “dealt a very challenging hand” in the Holyrood campaign.

Also speaking on BBC Scotland’s Breakfast programme, he said: “The primary challenge is the deep unpopularity of Keir Starmer and his Government in Westminster.”

Mr Roden said he expects Scottish Labour to have the “best result” for the party in the United Kingdom, but added: “Undoubtedly it is going to be a challenging day.”

Labour has also been facing a challenge from the rising popularity of Reform UK – with Nigel Farage’s party set to win its first ever group of MSPs.

If the party – led in Scotland by Lord Malcolm Offord – does well, it could finish the day as the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats and the Greens are also hoping to make gains, while the Tories, according to the polls, could return their worst ever Holyrood result since devolution.