THE ROAR OF MIDDLE SCOTLAND

Jubilant Tories’ stunning success stops SNP majority Defiant Davidson pours scorn on new independence bid

VOTERS have defiantly told the SNP to abandon its independence drive as the Tories were returned to Holyrood in record numbers. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson was yesterday celebrating a remarkable election result, after a surge in support catapulted her party into second place.

While Nicola Sturgeon was yesterday returned to Bute House for another five years, the number of Nationalist MSPs fell, leaving her without an outright parliamentary majority. Miss Davidson said that had left Miss Sturgeon with ‘no mandate, no majority and no cause’ to force another divisive battle over the constitution on a weary nation. The SNP leader will now

head a minority government, reliant on the support of other parties to pass laws – and at risk of parliamentary defeat on any issue.

On one of the most dramatic days in the Scottish parliament’s history:

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale vowed to fight on, despite leading her party to its worst Scottish election result in more than 100 years.

Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie, now heading a team of six MSPs, threatened to ‘push the SNP beyond their comfort zone’ by demanding higher taxes in return for support at Holyrood.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie celebrated spectacular revenge after his party increased its majorities in island constituencies ruthlessly targeted by the Nationalists.

More than two million Scots flocked to the polls on Thursday, with the turnout up from 2011 to nearly 56 per cent.

As the final results were declared yesterday morning, the SNP emerged triumphant with 46.5 per cent of the constituency vote – up 1.1 percentage points – and 41.7 per cent on the regional vote – down 2.3 points.

The vagaries of the Holyrood voting system left the party with 63 of the parliament’s 129 seats, ensuring a historic third straight win after nine years in office.

However, the figure, which leaves the SNP two seats short of a majority, was down from the 69 it won in 2011 when Alex Salmond presided over a landslide victory.

But the most remarkable story of the night was the performance of the Conservative Party.

Written off for years in Scotland following its 1997 demise, it stormed back to more than double its contingent of MSPs – up from 15 to 31.

With 22 per cent of the vote in the constituencies and 22.9 per cent on the regional list, Miss Davidson achieved the remarkable feat of pushing Labour into third place.

The Conservative leader, who defied the odds to win the Edinburgh Central constituency – coming from fourth place at the last Holyrood election – said: ‘In terms of the mandate for another independence referendum, I think it is shredded.’

She added: ‘[Voters] are demanding a government that considers the wishes of all of Scotland, not just the mood of its own party.

‘And I believe they want a government that does not take Scotland back to yet more division over independence.

‘As I said during the election campaign, the SNP manifesto does not give Nicola Sturgeon a mandate for a second independence referendum.

‘Now that she has failed to win a majority, whatever claims the SNP were pursuing with regard to constitutional brinkmanship over the next five years have now been utterly shredded.

‘There is no mandate, no majority, no cause – the SNP must now let Scotland move on.’

Miss Sturgeon yesterday ruled out forming a coalition with another political party and said she would instead run a minority government, while seeking ‘common ground’ with rivals.

The result could make it harder for the First Minister to force through unpopular policies, such as the plan for ‘state guardians’.

Speaking on the steps of her official Bute House residence in Edinburgh yesterday, she said: ‘The result of the election was emphatic – the people of Scotland once again placed their trust in the SNP to govern our country. We won a clear and unequivocal mandate. And I secured the personal mandate I sought to implement the bold and ambitious programme for government that I asked the country to vote on.’

Scottish Labour won 22.6 per cent of the constituency vote, down 9.2 points, and only 19.1 per cent on the regional vote – down 7.2 points.

With only 24 MSPs, far behind the Tories and down 13 since 2011, the result means Labour has finished third in a Scottish election for the first time since 1910.

But there is no concerted push to force Miss Dugdale to stand down, with no obvious candidates to replace her.

There is, however, widespread anger in the party over the failure to focus on the threat to the Union during the campaign, and a lurch to the Left through policies such as 1p tax hike and opposition to Trident renewal.

Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray yesterday admitted that Labour does not look like a government-in-waiting under Jeremy Corbyn’s UK leadership.

In an email to members, Miss Dugdale said: ‘I’ll keep fighting for our values.’

The Greens increased their Holyrood numbers from two to six, with 6.6 per cent of the vote on the regional list.

The party backs independence, meaning there is a pro-separation majority in Holyrood.

The Scottish Greens are also the most natural allies for the SNP on many issues, meaning that leader Patrick Harvie could become one of the most powerful opposition politicians in parliament. The Glasgow MSP warned yesterday: ‘There’s going to be an opportunity for parliament to hold government to account in a way that hasn’t always happened in a single party authority.’

Mr Harvie wants a top rate of income tax of 60p, while Labour wants this to be 50p. The SNP vowed to keep the rate at 45p.

It was a mixed night for the Lib Dems, who were pushed into fifth place overall, with five MSPs.

But that included two remarkable constituency victories on the mainland – in Edinburgh Western and in Northeast Fife, which leader Willie Rennie gained at the expense of the SNP.

The party also increased its majority in the two Northern Isles seats, amid signs of voter anger against a recent failed attempt to oust Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael from his Westminster seat.

Mr Carmichael said: ‘Local people have not been impressed by the personalised and occasionally vicious attacks that we

‘Constitutional brinkmanship’ ‘Personalised, vicious attacks

have seen from some Nationalists.’

Ukip had a disastrous night, failing to win a single MSP, while the far-Left RISE coalition fared even worse and fell behind the Scottish Christian Party.

Elsewhere, on the day dubbed Super Thursday because of elections across the UK, Labour became the first opposition party in 30 years to lose council seats in England.

It was estimated the party shed more than 20 seats, although this was better than had been predicted by some observers.

Labour, however, remains the biggest single party in the Welsh Assembly but does not have overall control.

The Tory Party, despite its internal battles over Brexit, lost only 32 seats in England, some in the south of the country.