SNP sweep home in Kirkcaldy

David Torrance retained the seat he won in 2011 with a massive majority.

He polled 16,358 to comfortably defeat Claire Baker who saw the Labour vote fall to just 8,963.

The Kirkcaldy constituency also saw the Tory vote reach an all-time high in a Scottish parliamentary election, with Martin Laidlaw polling 4568. He wanted to break 3000 - in the end he smashed it, mor or less doubling his party’s vote from 2011.

The Lib Dem vote remained static at 1219 with candidate Lauren Jones placed fourth.

Turnout was 52.3%.

The majority was 7395.

The SNP left the hall with a chant of ‘Team Torrance’ - a fitting celebration to cap a remarkable night in Fife.

Mr Torrance paid tribute to his campaigners, saying: ‘‘We ran a long campaign from January. We knew our vote was out there - and this team has been fantastic.

‘‘They have showed such enthusiasm and commitment, They were out every day, every weekend, every night - and the number of young people who got invovled was fantastic.

‘‘You look at them and then you look at the other parties - these young folk are our future. They ahd boundless energy.’’