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THE SNP has been left reeling after an election night bloodbath saw the party lose 38 seats in a dismal performance at the polls.

Scottish Labour took almost every seat across the Central Belt from the Nats after the party previously held all of Glasgow's seats and all but one in Edinburgh.

John Swinney admitted that the SNP will have to do a lot of 'soul searching'
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John Swinney admitted that the SNP will have to do a lot of 'soul searching'Credit: PA
Nats stalwart Joanna Cherry lost her seat as Edinburgh South West MP
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Nats stalwart Joanna Cherry lost her seat as Edinburgh South West MPCredit: Alamy
John Nicolson was also among the MPs who lost a seat
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John Nicolson was also among the MPs who lost a seatCredit: PA:Press Association
SNP's Alyn Smith was booted out of his seat for Stirling and Strathallan
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SNP's Alyn Smith was booted out of his seat for Stirling and StrathallanCredit: Alamy Live News

After the "very poor" performance, John Swinney admitted that he and his colleagues will have to do a lot of "soul searching".

The First Minister was visibly frustrated as he absorbed the fallout of his party's massive losses.

He said: "I have to accept that we failed to convince people of the urgency of independence in this election campaign.

“Therefore, we need to take the time to consider and to reflect on how we deliver our commitment to independence - which remains absolute.

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“As somebody who has devoted their entire adult life to the winning of Scottish independence - not for an abstract reason, but because I believe it will transform the lives of our people for the better - we need to get that approach correct in the forthcoming period.

“I accept that we need to engage with, listen to and learn from the people of Scotland on how we take forward our arguments for independence.”

Mr Swinney said the SNP now needs to take time to reflect on how best to move forward.

He added: “The Scottish National Party needs to be healed and it needs to heal its relationship with the people of Scotland, and I am absolutely committed to doing that."

But it was good news for Labour who stormed to a historic landslide election victory overnight.

Anas Sarwar rode the Labour wave across the UK to more than 30 seats - helping Sir Keir Starmer secure a thumping victory to become Britain's 58th Prime Minister.

Keir vows ‘change begins NOW’ after Labour sweeps Rishi out of No10

Voters have shown how unhappy they have been with the SNP after a decade of underdelivering and finding itself being covered in scandal and sleaze.

And as the party comes to terms with the heavy loss, we have revealed the full list of MPs that have been booted out by Scottish voters.

Many of the party's stalwart MPs have been kicked out of their seats - including Joanna Cherry, for Edinburgh South West; John Nicolson, for Alloa and Grangemouth; Alyn Smith, Stirling and Strathallan's ex-MP; and Kirsten Oswald, former MP for Renfrewshire East.

Analysis from our political expert

By Conor Matchett

WOW. What a night for Scottish Labour, and what a collapse for the SNP.

This was an election dominated by voters wanting to give Rishi Sunak and the Tories a kicking.

But Scottish voters also wanted to punish an SNP which has failed to deliver for Scots and found itself covered in scandal and sleaze.

Late last night sources of all the major parties were reacting with shock to the exit poll - given the SNP's massive losses. But them winning just 10 appears to have been a slight over-estimate.

Senior SNP figures blamed a lack of a clear message from the party for the last year since Nicola Sturgeon's resignation.

But they also said traditional Labour voters who had previously lent their vote to the SNP to keep the Tories out - sparking the landslides of 2015 and 2019 - had finally turned back to their spiritual home.

Their overriding motivation? Booting out the Tories from Number 10.

Despite this - the scale of the swing away from the Nats is huge. Experts said it was around the same level as the swing to the SNP in 2015.

Reform UK also caused chaos - causing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to lose his fight for a seat but also taking votes from the Tories and Labour across the country.

But while it was a brutal night for the Nats - it was a jubilant one for Scottish Labour.

The results last night exceeded even the most optimistic predictions for Anas Sarwar's party. A total of 37 seats suggests they won every single target seat.

Winning back Glasgow - and almost all of Edinburgh - is a hugely symbolic step back to the top of Scottish politics.

All eyes will now be on Holyrood's 2026 election - with Mr Sarwar already pivoting into a long campaign mode.

And with a new cohort of Scottish Labour MPs behind him, there's no doubt he will be confident of unseating the SNP from power in two years.

Midlothian's Owen Thompson, Stewart McDonald for Glasgow South and David Linden for Glasgow East are also among the long list of Nat casualties.

However, others failed to win their constituents after replacing an incumbent.

Shamed sex pest Patrick Grady and retiring MP Mhairi Black were among those who did not stand for reelection, while Angus MacNeil stood as independent after being suspended by the party.

The full list includes:

Read more on the Scottish Sun

SNP MPs ditched by voters

  • Allan Dorans (Ayr Carrick and Cumnock)
  • Patricia Gibson (Ayrshire North and Arran)
  • Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
  • John Nicolson (Alloa and Grangemouth)
  • Alyn Smith (Stirling and Strathallan)
  • Martyn Day (Bathgate and Linlithgow)
  • Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh)
  • Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith)
  • Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West)
  • Hannah Bardell (Livingston)
  • Steven Bonnar (Coatbridge and Bellshill)
  • Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts)
  • Owen Thompson (Midlothian)
  • Stuart McDonald (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch)
  • Amy Callaghan (Dunbartonshire Mid)
  • Martin Docherty-Hughes (Dunbartonshire West)
  • David Linden (Glasgow East)
  • Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East)
  • Stewart McDonald (Glasgow South)
  • Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West)
  • Carol Monaghan (Glasgow West)
  • Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West)
  • Marion Fellows (Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke)
  • Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
  • Kirsten Oswald (Renfrewshire East)
  • Alison Thewliss (Glasgow North) - Her previous seat Glasgow Central was abolished
  • Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) - He won the seat in 2019 having held it since 2005, but stood as an independent after being suspended by SNP.

New SNP candidates who flopped

  • Annie McIndoe (Ayrshire Central)
  • Grant Costello (East Kilbride and Strathaven)
  • Ross Clark (Hamilton and Clyde Valley)
  • Toni Giugliano (Falkirk)
  • Lyn Jardine (Lothian East)
  • Lesley Backhouse (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
  • Naz Anis-Miah (Dunfermline and Dollar)
  • Stefan Hoggan-Radu (Fife North East)
  • John Beare (Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
  • Jacqueline Cameron (Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
  • Lucy Beattie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
  • Susan Thomson (Na h-Eileanan An Iar)
Kirsten Oswald was booted out by voters
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Kirsten Oswald was booted out by votersCredit: PA:Press Association
MP Stewart McDonald was also booted out
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MP Stewart McDonald was also booted outCredit: PA
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