McConnell hangs on while independents make gains

Despite suffering a series of high-profile defeats, Labour was returned to power in the Scottish Parliament elections – albeit with a reduced majority in many seats.

Voter apathy conspired with bad weather to keep much of the electorate away with only 48 per cent of Scots bothering to vote for their second government in almost 300 years.

Labour, led by the First Minister, Jack McConnell, had 50 MSPs, down six; the Liberal Democrats were up one on 17 and the Scottish National Party lost seven MSPs, falling to 27. The Tories secured 18 seats, three constituency and 15 list.

Among the biggest surprises of the election was the success of independent candidates and the smaller parties such as the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), which came from almost nowhere to take votes from all the main parties and secure six list seats. The Greens managed to increase their representation from one to seven. "What happened tonight is that a new political force has been formed, and that force believes that the wealth of Scotland belongs to the people of Scotland," Tommy Sheridan, the SSP leader, told supporters.

In Central Scotland, John Swinburne was elected as an MSP for the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party.

The SNP failed to make the breakthrough that Labour strategists had been worried about. It won three seats from Labour but failed to take the Glasgow Govan constituency, where it had hoped a large Muslim community would back its anti-war stance on Iraq.

One of the most stunning successes was the victory of Jean Turner, a campaigner against hospital closures, who ousted Labour's Brian Fitzpatrick in Strathkelvin and Bearsden. "I think people were fed up that nobody seemed to listen to what they were saying, in particular on the health service," said Dr Turner.

Dennis Canavan was returned as the independent MSP for Falkirk West with a 10,000 majority and a 56 per cent share of the vote. In Edinburgh, David McLetchie captured the Pentlands seat for the Tories from Labour's Iain Gray while Alex Fergusson, a fellow Tory, snatched the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale seat from the SNP's Alasdair Morgan by only 99 votes. "We are on our way back," said Mr McLetchie. "I am proud to have led this party in our campaign."