'The people have spoken': Reaction and round up from General Election

Speaking to West Coast Today after the announcement of the results, Mr O’Hara said: "Personally, I’m delighted. It was a great result and reward for the amount of such hard work that the local MSP did in this area.

"Obviously it’s not been a good night nationally for the SNP and I’ve lost so many close friends and valued colleagues, so it’s a bittersweet one, it really is."

SNP party members in the room were all too aware of the dismal bigger picture for the party despite this win.

Before the results were announced, Argyll and Bute MSP Jenni Minto told us: "We are a party of a great wealth of talent and we can still rebuild, come together, and regain the votes that I believe Scotland should have as an independent country within Europe."

Votes from the islands arrived by two helicopters, one bringing the ballot boxes from Gigha, Islay and Jura, and the second transporting the votes from Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Mull and Iona.

Our reporters were nearly swept off their feet as they filmed the landings and the ballot boxes being rushed to the Lochgilphead count location in emergency fashion.

The tone at the count was more calm and calculated though and lacked the Olympic race atmosphere of some other constituency counts around the UK.

The North Ayrshire and Arran constituency results were revealed just before 4am and Labour’s Irene Campbell ousted the SNP’s long-standing politician Patricia Gibson. The result breakdown was as follows:

• Irene Campbell - Scottish Labour Party - 16,821 votes
• Gillian Cole-Hamilton - Scottish Liberal Democrats - 1,005 votes
• Todd Ferguson - Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - 5,954 votes
• Ian Charles Gibson - Social Democratic Party - 238 votes
• Patricia Gibson - Scottish National Party (SNP) 13,270 votes
• Mike Mann - Reform UK - 3,415 votes
• James McDaid - Socialist Labour Party - 232 votes
• Cara McKee - Scottish Greens - 1,327 votes

The total electorate for North Ayrshire and Arran was 72,176 with 42,423 votes cast. Turnout at the polls was 58.8 per cent, down from 65.6 per cent in 2019. The total number of rejected ballot papers was 161. 

The Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire constituency was thrust into the spotlight due to a lengthy recount meaning it became the last seat in the UK to announce its result.

Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrats) was finally announced as the winner on Saturday and the results were:

• Angus MacDonald - Scottish Liberal Democrats – 18,159 votes
• Drew Hendry - Scottish National Party (SNP) – 15,999 votes
• Dillan Hill -  Reform UK – 2,934 votes
• Peter Newman - Scottish Greens – 2,038 votes
• Darren Paxton - Socialist Equality Party – 178 votes
• Michael Perera - Scottish Labour Party – 6,246 votes
• Ruraidh Stewart - Scottish Conservative and Unionist – 2,502 votes

Labour’s Torcuil Crichton won the race in the Western Isles with 6,692, beating Independent Angus MacNeill, who polled 1,370. The SNP were second on 2,856 votes.

To catch up on the live coverage from our reporters from the night, go to www.westcoasttoday.co.uk/news/live-feed-affino