Election Night: a long night before a new dawn – fuelled by sweets and coffee

With that noted, I made my way back to the site of my dressing down, not looking to expand my footballing knowledge, but to watch as Fife elects its four new Westminster representatives. Across the length and breadth of the country, halls like this are filling with potential candidates, volunteers, election officials and the media. For the first time, I am part of that latter group.

There will be winners and losers when the counting is complete, but most importantly there will be biscuits, sweets and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Election counts are not short nights - the first result is not expected until around 2.30am and war stories of elections past have already been shared about re-counts and delays that have stretched well into the next morning.

When the exit poll show Labour will likely take the election comfortably there is little surprise, so attention turns to those with more surprising results. The SNP, who have dominated Scotland for much of the last decade look set to take just single figure seats. Reform look to be the night’s shock with estimates that they could take as many as 14 seats.

The Lib Dems look to have tripled their seats and MSP North East Fife Willie Rennie is the first to make his way along the media scrums an hour after the exit polls. He and his party are understandably happy with how they have performed nationally. Sir Ed Davey seems to have used this election campaign as his own personal bucket list. Whether it’s rollercoasters at Thorpe Park or bungee jumping in Eastbourne, the Lib Dems leader has embraced his inner thrill-seeker.

Few that come through will seem so positive. Neale Hanvey pops in just after 12:00am. The Alba MP lays the blame firmly at the feet of the incumbent governments at Holyrood and Westminster for how tonight will play out. He points to Labour as being the natural home for voters who feel let down at best with the record of the SNP and Conservative governments. Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, follows shortly after and tells a similar story. Tonight is an election fought to get the Conservatives out of power. For her, tonight’s result will not be a reflection on attitudes towards independence.

Then we enter a lull. A very, long lull. Coverage of election counts often talks about party representatives' positive or negative emotions belying the result long before counting is complete. Nearing 2:00am, overlooking a hall filled with vote counters and hawkeyed party officials, it is difficult to spot a face showing anything but exhaustion. 2:30am comes and goes with no sign of a result in any of the four constituencies.

All in, the entire event feels anti-climatic. This election felt like a foregone conclusion before a vote was cast. At 3:30am when the turnout in each constituency is read out, it feels as though that may have played out into the public’s mind. Each has seen a massive drop off in turnout, as much as 12% in Glenrothes & Mid Fife.

Two hours later, where very little happens other than weary cheers as candidates arrive, there are no shocks. Labour take three seats of a possible four, with Wendy Chamberlain the only incumbent to survive.

And just like that it is over and we make our way out into the morning sun. The winners will say that this is a new dawn for British politics, but having not seen the sun set, the morning’s dawn feels the same as yesterday’s.