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Scotland election live: Labour celebrates after gains from SNP as Conservative leader Douglas Ross loses seat

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Scotland election live: Labour celebrates after gains from SNP as Conservative leader Douglas Ross loses seat

What are the party leaders saying today?published at 19:59 5 July

Image source, PA Media

Surrounded by newly elected MPs on Glasgow’s Clydeside, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said his “many” new Scottish MPs are not going to go to Westminster to shout, protest and ultimately come back with nothing.

He says: “They are going to sit on the government benches, to sit round the table and make decisions for the people of Scotland. That is the change that people have voted for.”

Following a night of heavy losses for the SNP, First Minister John Swinney says his party has built trust with the Scottish people before, by delivering on key policies, and will do so again.

He says: “Delivering policy commitments that change the lives of individuals are central in how you build up trust and I commit us to ensuring that we focus on that delivery.”

Reflecting on a positive night for the Scottish Greens, co-leader Patrick Harvie says he hopes the result will be a “springboard” to further success in the 2016 Scottish election.

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton says his party is having “a lovely day”, attributing the best Lib Dem election result in the party’s history to Sir Ed Davey’s “colourful antics and stunts but with a deep message” on the campaign trail.

Douglas Ross failed to secure the seat he contested in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, describing the election result as a “historically bad night” for the Conservatives.

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