Winners who scraped past the post with some of the smallest majorities in history

THE SNP’S victory in North East Fife was secured with one of the smallest majorities in UK electoral history.

On a night when a total of nine constituencies were decided by fewer than 100 votes, Stephen Gethins, the party’s Europe spokesman, edged home by just two votes. The wafer-thin margin was achieved over the Liberal Democrat candidate Elizabeth Riches after three recounts.

Mark Oaten won Winchester by the same margin in 1997.

In Kensington, Labour candidate Emma Coad ousted incumbent Conservative MP Victoria Bowick by just 20 votes.

There have only been two occasions, in 1910 and 1886, when the majority has been smaller. The North East Fife result followed that of SNP candidate Pete Wishart, who beat his Tory challenger by just 21 votes, again after several recounts.

In Dudley North, in the Midlands, Labour’s Ian Austin held his seat by 22 votes. In Newcastle-under-lyme, Labour’s Paul Farrelly beat his Conservative rival Owen Meredith by just 30 votes. And in Southampton, Royston Smith, the Itchen Conservative MP, held off Labour’s Simon Letts by 31 votes. Zac Goldsmith, the failed London mayoral candidate, narrowly returned to Westminster, beating Lib Dem Sarah Olney to win back Richmond Park by 45 votes.

Mr Goldsmith, 42, lost to Ms Olney on Dec 1 last year after triggering a byelection when he quit the Conservative Party in protest against its plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

Labour’s Laura Smith won the Crewe & Nantwich seat from the Conservatives’ Edward Timpson by 48 votes, after a series of recounts.

Glasgow East was won by SNP’S David Linden with a majority of only 75 votes – down from a 10,387 majority in 2015. Finally, Hywel Williams of Plaid Cymru took Arfon in north Wales with a majority of 92.