General Election 2024 LIVE: Sir Keir Starmer officially becomes Prime Minister as he meets King after Labour landslide

SCOTTISH LABOUR NOT GETTING CARRIED AWAY

Labour candidate for Edinburgh South West, Scott Arthur, wasn’t getting carried away.

He said: “Nothing is guaranteed. It will be very close.

“We have worked very, very hard in the area to get votes and we will need to wait and see what happens.”

NATS FEAR JOANNA CHERRY WILL LOSE SEAT

SNP sources at Edinburgh are “worried” that Joanna Cherry will lose her seat.

An insider said: “It’s not looking great at all in Joanna’s seat.

“We have pretty much been walloped in East and North and Leith and whilst it will be close we think Labour will take it.”

TORY CHIEF: 'ALL OUR RESULTS WILL BE VERY CLOSE IN SCOTLAND'

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy: "I think all of our seats are going to be very, very close in Scotland."

When asked about the exit poll and how it suggests the Tories will do in Scotland , he said: "I think we should be very cautious about taking a UK-wide exit poll and trying to extrapolate something in Scotland from it."

STURGEON 'HAS TO CARRY THE CAN' FOR SNP ELECTION DISASTER

Former special adviser to Nicola Sturgeon, Geoff Aberdein said: “This is a very difficult night for the SNP, there is no doubt it.”

Asked if Nicola Sturgeon bears some responsibility, he replied: “I certainly do. I worked alongside Nicola Sturgeon for seven years in government. I have the greatest respect for her, her electoral success speaks for itself but to suggest that she shouldn't carry the can for where we are, a significant portion of where we are tonight would be completely unrealistic.

"A number of policies the Scottish Government took forward in the last few years did not align with the people’s priorities. We spent over two years focusing on an issue around gender recognition, an important issue, very important, no compromise was sought, and no compromise was given.

"The tactics of the SNP should have been to try and find that compromise. We’ve had a deposit return system scheme that has gone into abeyance, might cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds, ongoing ferry issues.

"I accept all of that. The key raison d'etre of the SNP and the success of the SNP in terms of enabling an independence referendum was being a competent government .

"That competence has been called into question and that’s what John Swinney and Kate Forbes must focus on.”

CORBYN COULD BE ONE FOR THE WIN

A Labour source tells The Times there could be as few as 1,500 votes in it, with Corbyn thought to be narrowly in front.

The exit poll says the result is too close to call.

STURGEON: SNP 'BETWEEN TWO STOOLS' ON INDEPENDENCE

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scottish independence "wasn't really put front and centre" of the SNP's campaign.

The ex-SNP leader - contributing to the election night coverage of broadcaster ITV - however said it would be "foolish" for the incoming government to discount independence support north of the border.

With the joint BBC/Sky/ITV exit poll suggesting the SNP could drop as low as 10 seats, although some parties have questioned the accuracy of the survey in Scotland, Ms Sturgeon said: "I think one of the questions out of the SNP result tonight is whether they've left themselves between two stools on the independence question because I think - in my view - it wasn't really put front and centre."

NO WOBBLE IN POUND

The pound held firm after exit polls showed the Labour Party was on track for a landslide victory.

It remained steady with sterling trading unchanged from earlier in the day at about $1.27.

With a large Labour majority long predicted, markets were braced for political change.

FIRST SCOTTISH RESULT EXPECTED AROUND 1AM

The first Scottish seat is expected to declare the result at 1am.

Rutherglen is predicted to be the first constituency north of the border to return a result.

'THE COUNTRY IS LOOKING FOR CHANGE'

Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser told journalists at the election count for Perth and Kinross-shire: "The exit poll clearly is in two parts, you've got the situation south of the border which very much is in line with polling, what we expected.

"Clearly people are casting a verdict on 14 years of Conservative government, five prime ministers, and the country was looking for a change.

"The situation in Scotland, clearly, is a very different one because it looks like people are actually making up their minds how to vote based primarily on a verdict on 17 years of the SNP in government and clearly have not liked what they have seen from the SNP and they're up for an even bigger change, potentially, in Scotland.

"It does look like, on the basis of the exit poll, the Conservatives might not just be looking to hold the seats we have in Scotland but actually might make gains."

'RAIN CAUSED NATS' PAIN'

Gutted ex-SNP MP Mhairi Black suggested her party's predicted poor performance is because it RAINED on election day.

She said on Channel 4: "I'll be interested to hear what the turnout was, not only because we have had more barriers in this election with having to have ID, the fact that everyone is uninspired, the postal votes fiasco.

"Also today I learned it was raining up in Scotland which also always has a negative impact on the SNP.

SALMOND: SNP 'SLAUGHTERED' IN EXIT POLL

Alex Salmond has said the SNP were "slaughtered"as the exit poll predicts they will be reduced to just 10 seats.

But he said the crushing result for the Nats is not the end for independence.

The Alba Party leader said: “London commentators are crowing about seeing the back of the independence argument. But the slaughter of the SNP is not because of independence. How could it be? The SNP did not even campaign on it.

"In reality the support for independence is strong. It is the SNP who are weak. The independence case must now find new vehicles to move forward.”

JK ROWLING REACTS

JK Rowling has hit out at Nicola Sturgeon following the exit poll result.

The SNP are predicted to gain just 10 seats in the General Election.

And the author didn't hold back when taking a pop at the former First Minister on ITV.

CONSERVATIVES OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HOLDING SEATS

A senior Scottish Tory source told The Scottish Sun that the party was cautiously optimistic about holding on to their seats - but said it was going to be "really tight" between them and the SNP in seven seats.

They added: "It is a toss-up in six or seven seats. We are pretty content with that when you are comparing that with the rest of the UK.

"Douglas' seat is tight, there is a decent Reform UK vote there. We are hopeful that we are competitive in every seat.

"If the exit poll is right, and the SNP are down to 10, that does not suggest a Tory wipeout in Scotland, but a terrible night for the SNP."

TORIES UPBEAT ABOUT CHANCES IN ABERDEENSHIRE

The Tories are upbeat about their chances across Aberdeenshire.

Labour insiders reckon it's a three way fight for Aberdeen South between the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives.

And there is speculation that the Tories might win and topple Stephen Flynn's seat.

SNP REACTION

Speaking to journalists at the Glasgow count, the SNP’s campaign director Stewart Hosie said: “We have fought a fantastic ground campaign in almost every constituency in the country and my heart will go out to any SNP MPs and colleagues who lose their seats, but let’s wait until the real votes are counted until we start making predictions about the SNP’s demise.”

He added: “Clearly, if these results were broadly accurate, there would be an absolute requirement on the SNP to strengthen the case, to firm up the arguments and to be more persuasive.

“We’re not going to stop believing in independence, but clearly a result like that means we need to double our efforts and work even harder to convince people of the merits of that cause.”