Election 2015: The SNP conquers Scotland - as it happened
The results are flooding in across Scotland and they are already painting an astonishing picture. Nicola Sturgeon's SNP party will win well over 50 seats after knocking out big-names from the Liberal Democrats and Labour, among them Jo Swinson, Jim Murphy, Douglas Alexander and Charles Kennedy.
After the exhiliration of the Scottish referendum, tonight is proving once again that Scotland's political scene has been transformed by the SNP -- and this transformation may alter the UK forever.
Here are the headlines so far:
- 20-year-old Maihri Black becomes Britain's youngest MP since 1832, unseating senior Labour strategist Douglas Alexander.
- Labour leader Jim Murphy unseated in East Renfrewshire, losing to the SNP with a swing of 24%.
- Gordon Brown's old seat of Kircaldy and Cowdenbeath has fallen to the SNP with a record-breaking swing of 35%.
- Alex Salmond wins Gordon and is back in Westminster
IBT also has a comprehensive UK-wide election blog, which you can follow here.
We'll wrap up now -- Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem chief secretary to the Treasury, has just lost his seat to the SNP's Drew Hendry. As it stands, with one more seat in Scotland to declare, the SNP are on 55; Labour 1; Conservatives 1; Liberal Democrats 1. This has been the SNP's night, as most expected it to be -- a total landslide for Nicola Sturgeon. And she wasn't even standing. Thanks for reading.
So far, the SNP has won 41 seats in Scotland the Liberal Democrats one. Labour? None. But there are still seats to be called. It might not be a total wipeout yet.
Tom Clarke ousted as three more fall
As predicted (and feared by those of a red tinge) Tom Clarke has lost his seat in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, ending his 33 years as an MP.
Clarke's is one of three more seats to fall to the SNP in the last few minutes. That makes it 33-0 in their head-to-head with Labour. And they're on course to become the first party to win over 50% of the vote across Scotland since the Conservatives in 1955.
Now Murphy's gone
And I thought Mhairi Black was big... now Jim Murphy, leader of Scottish Labour, has lost his own seat in East Renfrewshire.
Murphy lost out to Kirsten Oswald, who is described as a HR professional and is making her first foray into politics.
The seats keep tumbling to the SNP
Results are now flooding in, and they're all coming up SNP. Even Kircaldy and Cowdenbeath, the former seat of Gordon Brown, has fallen - and that with a record-breaking swing of 35%. This is simply unbelievable; they have more closely-contested elections in North Korea.
Mhairi Black: the factfile
Mhairi Black has made history tonight by becoming Britain's youngest MP since 1832, ousting Labour front-bencher Douglas Alexander in the process.
Here are some facts about the marvel who has won the seat of Paisley.
- She is studying politics at the University of the West of Scotland, and has a year to go on her degree.
- She is a self-confessed 'political geek' and also loves football, supporting Partick Thistle. She proudly claims she was one of the first girls to play for her school football team.
- She claims to have participated in political marches from a young age, including a demonstration against the Iraq war (which began when she was eight).
- She has volunteered for Oxfam, and travelled around Scotland with The Margo Mobile campaign, visiting deprived areas.
- She has courted controversy due to her remarks on Twitter about Celtic Football Club, righting in October 2013 "I've only just realised - I really f***** hate Celtic" and "Celtic, yer a joke!#scum".
'There'll be a Scottish lion roaring tonight'
Alex Salmond has spoken to the BBC about his party's incredible progress, saying "there'll be a Scottish lion roaring tonight".
Salmond also said that "no-one in Westminster will be able to ignore" his Scottish lion. Which seems pretty reasonable - if you or I saw a lion, Scottish or otherwise, we'd find it hard to ignore as well.
Sturgeon speaks
Nicola Sturgeon has spoken to reporters on what is shaping up to be an amazing night for her party.
She told reporters the indications suggest "it's going to be a very very good night for the SNP" and defended her party against claims their success is playing into the Conservatives' hands, saying "Labour's inability to beat the Tories in England" is responsible for the bleak forecasts facing Ed Miliband's party.
Sturgeon also said: "I still want to see how the results shape up across the UK. If there's an anti-Tory majority, I want to work with Labour to lock the Tories out."
'Ok, maybe the exit polls are right after all'
With the SNP juggernaut crushing everything in its path, even ardent Labour campaigners seem to be revising their opinion on the earlier exit polls, which many dismissed out of hand.
Here's Duncan Hothersall of Labour Hame, reporting from Edinburgh South:
Let me revise my previous statement. There are now people here, on all sides, who believe the BBC exit poll could be entirely accurate.
Salmond set to win Gordon
Sir Malcolm Bruce has admitted that Alex Salmond is on course to win Gordon. Parliament is likely to lose a number of big personalities tonight, but they're sure to gain one in the form of Wee Eck.
'Not even the SNP believe they will take 58 seats'
Duncan Hothersall, of Labour Hame, clearly holds little truck with the early exit polls suggesting the SNP has basically massacred Labour in Scotland.
No question the SNP have had a good night, and some excellent MPs have lost their seats. But nobody here believes the exit poll that put the SNP on 58 seats. Not even the SNP!
Murphy's job not under threat - Stihler
Labour MEP Catherine Stihler telling the Beeb that Jim Murphy's position isn't under threat. She claims that, despite the projected wipe-out of Labour in Scotland, Murphy is "doing a great job" and has led a "dynamic" campaign.
To all SNP supporters out there, a penny for your thoughts...
'Ed Balls is speaking complete drivel - again'
James Kelly, of SCOTLAND goes POP!, has this to say in response to Ed Ball's comments about the SNP earlier.
Ed Balls is, not for the first time in his life, speaking complete drivel. If the exit poll is right, there would be a Conservative minority government even if Labour had won EVERY SINGLE SEAT in Scotland.
If David Cameron remains Prime Minister, it will be because of how England has voted and no other reason. The same old story of Scotland within the UK - our democratic voice counts for nothing.
Danny Alexander 'accepts he is out'
It is being reported that Danny Alexander has accepted he has lost his seat. Senior Lib Dem sources being cited.
A bad start to the night for the Lib Dems, and a sign of more shocks ahead?
Turnout making things slow?
Some have asked why the counting process is taking so long. They reckon we should have more results by now.
Perhaps the answer is that turnout is far higher than it has been in previous years? If so, that can only be a good thing, and indicative of a surge in interest in British politics. Whatever your views on Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP, it's hard to deny they've had a crucial role in this.
William Hill 'devastated'
Interesting stuff from our UK-wide election blog, which you can read here.
William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe has told ITV News that the firm's odds have been "devastated" by the exit polls.
"Our previously favourite option for the next government, a Labour minority with odds of 7/4, has suddenly become five times bigger with odds of 10/1 - and there is a brand new favourite," he said.
"All three options involve the Conservatives which now means David Cameron is now 10/1 likely to become prime minister, so his odds have absolutely been annihilated. It's like buying money now to back him to be prime minister," he added.
The odds of Ed Miliband resigning before midnight tomorrow are now just 6/4.
Balls blames SNP
Ed Balls, looking rather flustered, has blamed Labour's poor forecast in the BBC exit polls on the SNP, and promised that Nicola Sturgeon's party will suffer if they propel David Cameron back to office.
If he ends up losing his Morley and Oatwood seat (as some have suggested), perhaps that will be Sturgeon's fault as well.
Not surprisingly, Balls' blast has already brought a stern rebuke on social media.
Campbell could be unkilted
Another former political star has put an item of clothing on the line after hearing about the SNP's projected gains - and this time it's far less appealing than Paddy Ashdown's hat pledge.
Alistair Campbell has pledged to eat his own kilt if Sturgeon's crew pick up 58 seats, as forecast by the BBC.
Eating an entire kilt would be some feat, but given the size of Campbell's mouth one wouldn't put it past him.
'Cameron re-election would bring dismay - which may be perfect for indie movement'
James Kelly, of SCOTLAND goes POP!, has reacted to the BBC poll by saying:
If the exit poll is right, which I don't really believe, it would give the SNP a degree of influence within a hung parliament, but without the responsibility of being part of a governing deal. There would be huge dismay in Scotland that voters south of the border have elected another Tory government, and frankly that may be the ideal context to move towards independence in the medium-term rather than long-term.
It would be near enough certain that an in/out referendum on EU membership would take place by 2017 - if England votes to leave and Scotland votes to stay, the union will be finished.
Sturgeon: Treat exit polls with extreme caution
After exit polls forecast her party would claim 58 seats, Nicola Sturgeon has attempted to play down the speculation that the SNP will all-but-wipe out Labour in Scotland.
Sturgeon, seen here doing her best blue steel impression with a rather over-familiar fan, said the early exit poll results should be treated with "extreme caution", adding "I think 58 seats is unlikely."
YouGov poll shows sharp contrast
YouGov has just released its own exit poll which contrasts sharply with the one trumpeted by the BBC.
According to YouGov, the gap between the Tories and Labour will be far narrower. David Cameron's party will claim 284 seats while Ed Miliband and his red army will claim 263.
The SNP's projected haul is also down sharply. According to YouGov, it will pick up 48 seats - 10 fewer than the number forecast by the BBC.
Cameron to stay on in minority government?
BBC claiming exit poll shows Cameron will stay on as leader of minority government.
Better news for SNP fans is that Sturgeon is forecast to win 58 seats, turning Scotland almost entirely yellow.
Lib Dems will fall to a paltry 10 seats, and Ukip will win two.
But let's see what happens, the drama is only just beginning...
Salmond speaks to IBT
Before the polls close and we get down to the nitty-gritty, a chance to remind you of the interview we did with Alex Salmond back in January. Link here.
Great read for SNP fans (and for those Labour and Tory supporters who love a spot of teeth-grinding).
Cupcakes
Just wanted to share a snap we took at one of the shops near our London office. Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband represented in cupcake form.
But where is Cameron you ask? Was he eaten? And where is Farage? (Some might suggest a fruitcake would be more appropriate than a cupcake for Ukip, but there you go...)
The end of majority government?
Someone just made a very interesting point. Unless either of the two main parties wins an overall majority tonight (and frankly the chances of either Labour or the Tories achieving that feat looks about as likely as Sir Alex Ferguson receiving the freedom of Liverpool), it'll be 28 years since the Tories did so, and 40 years since Labour managed it under anyone but Tony Blair.
Are we seeing the end of majority government forever? And, with the electorate so fragmented, is it time for some electoral reform?
Many influential thinkers have already said yes to the latter question. One of them, swingometer legend Peter Snow, gave his views to IBTimes earlier today. You can read his interview here.
Murphy set to hang on
Jim Murphy may not be everyone's cup of tea this side of the border, and his campaign may have been overshadowed by the success of Nicola Sturgeon, but it now looks like he will hang on to his seat.
Ladbrokes say Murphy is now the outright favourite to hold Renfrewshire East, contradicting earlier speculation that he was likely to be unseated.
Whether Murphy hangs on to the leadership of his party, in light of the SNP's projected gains, remains to be seen.
Police in Scotland have warned polling stations across the country of "threatening behaviour" from radical nationalists they fear could enforce all votes are properly counted.
After claims of vote rigging at last September's independence referendum, Yes voters from last year want the electorate to take photos of their ballot paper to prove it was not tampered with.
Newsweek reported Police Scotland urged officers to be on the lookout for any signs that could lead to disruptive behaviour, including snaking queues outside polling stations.
It follows two arrests in Glasgow on Monday when Scottish Labour leader and party supporter Eddie Izzard were shouted down at an event.
Labour's economic policies are better for Britain than the Conservatives', according to award-winning economist Thomas Piketty.
The author of best selling book Capital in the 21st Century told Newsweek Europe that Ed Miliband was better placed than David Cameron to "promote growth, equitable growth and more investment in education and public services and keep Britain in the EU."
Touted as one of the most influential economists of his generation, the Frenchman said inequality had risen in Britain under the Tories and that plans for a referndum on EU membership were "populist and very dangerous
With a number of political beasts either retiring or facing a challenge to keep their job, here is IBTimes UK's moments to look out for.
The ball will get rolling in Houghton & Sunderland South, where a winner is expected to be declared at 11pm, and finally St Ives should wrap things up at 1pm on Friday, by which point the political landscape will be clear.
Isis election leaflets handed out in east London
Not strictly relevant to Scotland, but disturbing nonetheless. Leaflets apparently bearing the Isis insignia have been handed out in east London, imploring Muslims not to vote.
Read IBT's full story here.
Record's strange tune raises anger
James Kelly has this to say about this morning's Daily Record, specifically its exhortation to English voters to eject David Cameron:
Eighteen hours on, many of us are still coming to terms with our bemusement at today's Daily Record front cover, which urges voters in England to kick David Cameron out, but makes no recommendation to voters in Scotland. This is a rather odd approach for a Scottish newspaper to take, and was obviously brought about by the impossible dilemma of being a Labour-supporting publication that probably has a majority of SNP voters among its readership.
The most creative (and probably ironic) interpretation I've heard so far is that the advice to England was intended to underline the fact that it doesn't really matter how Scotland votes - we get the government chosen for us anyway. Almost certainly not what the Record editorial team had in mind, but that's one of the messages conveyed anyway.
REMEMBER: Katie Hopkins will move to Greece if Miliband wins the election
If you didn't already have sufficient motivation to vote Labour or the SNP, read this.
#Disturbingreports going viral
There's nothing like reports of violence and intimidation to make Twitter light up in mirth and merriment.
Earlier today the Scottish Conservatives tweeted about 'disturbing reports' of violence in Annan. The claims were strongly refuted by the local council, although that didn't stop BBC Scotland going on to publish news of these claims hours later.
Now the internet is having a good old kick at the Tories. Not a great look for Ruth Davidson and her blue army.
Confirmed disorder outside Primary School - and it's Labour voter at fault
After all the speculation about voter intimidation in Annan, we have confirmation of an incident in Dundee - and the culprit is reportedly a Labour supporter.
The Sunday Herald's Neil Mackay has published on Twitter a cutting from the Evening Telegraph which reports that there was a "shouting match" outside a local primary school, serving as a polling station today.
Here's the clipping:
To the Murraymobile!
Duncan Hothersall of Labour Hame brings us this passionate account from Edinburgh, which has also given us the wonderful image of Ian Murray dressed as a naff 60s superhero.
There's no question it's going to be a day of mixed fortunes for Labour, with a strong showing across England and Wales likely while we struggle against the odds in Scotland.
But within Scotland too there are some notes of optimism. I'm hearing positivity from one or two constituencies that the polls have previously written off. Some terrific campaigns have been fought and some of those teams will bring home first prize tonight.
Others will not be successful, and it's worth bearing in mind that when an MP loses their seat, all their staff also lose their jobs. It's a brutal, winner-takes-all system, and while we will all be cheering our respective teams this evening, it would be good to remember those for whom tonight will mean redundancy and a search for new employment.
And so to the doors once more. To the Murraymobile!
'Let's sh*ft the Unionist parties'
Telegraph reporter Ben Riley-Smith writes of a cab ride with an SNP-supporting taxi driver.
"They promised us the earth" the driver said, "and yet we got nothing. So let's sh*ft them."
William Wallace, Rabbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott... they'd surely all applaud this sentiment (although maybe not the cabbie's language).
James Kelly on Labour 'propaganda'
Our resident fire-breathing nationalist brings us the following:
I see that "Labour insiders" are telling the Guardian that they expect to hold four Glasgow seats, which would include a couple of very implausible wins. This has coincided with what looks to me like a concerted propaganda campaign on social media and in blog comments to convince us that Scottish Labour are doing better than expected.
Well, maybe, but I would just remind people that at this stage of referendum day, Better Together were telling journalists they had won by 58-42, and the Yes campaign still thought they were on course for victory if they could get their vote out. The truth was somewhere in between. We're deep into the "fog of war" stage of proceedings, and I'll be treating claims from all sides with the scepticism they deserve. At least until the polls close - perhaps at that point we'll start to get a few honest predictions.
SNP blighted by rubbish selfie in North East Fife
The SNP's candidate for North East Fife, Stephen Gethins, has published this selfie of him and his team.
I think we can all agree that, as selfies go, this one's pretty pants. I mean come on, the first rule of group selfies is to get in tight and keep it that way, to minimise the chances of someone being left with half a head.
Clearly no-one told the guy on the left (or maybe he wasn't supposed to be in the photo at all. We'll probably never know for sure.)
Farage in 'fags' row
Ukip have been accused of various slurs since rising to prominence a year or so ago. But the latest could be the most damaging.
As Britain goes to the polls, Nigel Farage has been accused of homophobia after referring to gay people as "fags" during a wedding speech.
According to the Independent, Farage told guests at his brother's wedding: "The good news for us who are smokers is that we are far better off here than if we had been at Michael Barrymore's house.
"Because there they removed all the ashtrays on the basis that now they chuck all the fags in the pool."
We've interviewed Farage and he can be a very charming man in the flesh, but this 'gag' seems particularly poorly judged.
Farage in cheesy grin photo shock
Yet another political leader has posed for the cameras outside the polling station. This time it's Ukip leader Nigel Farage.
The local Labour party has claimed Ukip supporters have been intimidating people in South Thanet, chanting "scum" and "traitor" at non-believers and following local Labour councillors in a van. It is even claimed a punch was thrown yesterday.
Ukip vigorously deny the claims. A spokesman described Labour's allegations as an "outright lie", adding that "all our tellers are either old ladies or old men. In St Mark's Church in Ramsgate, we've got a blind guy and his dog."
Ukip also claim that they themselves have been attacked, with punches thrown and property vandalised. All very murky down there.
Mistake in Survation poll?
Yes, according to James Kelly, who writes:
A couple of the statistical experts who regularly leave comments on my blog have noticed there's a big mistake in the datasets for the Survation poll that was published last night - it's as if all the figures for the most affluent voters (so-called "ABs") have been divided by 10.
It isn't clear whether this has affected the overall voting intention figures, but if so it will have led to the SNP vote being underestimated. It's possible that Nicola Sturgeon's party should have been given a vote share of over 50% on the first of the two questions that were asked.
Odds are going against Murphy in East Renfrewshire
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy is defending a majority of 10,420 in East Renfrewshire from the 2010 General Election - it's a key target seat for the SNP.
Bookies odds are not in Murphy's favour at the moment but he could be saved by tactical voting.
On the ground with Duncan Hothersall, Labour Hame
Here's more from Duncan Hothersall on the ground. Remember you can follow him @dhothersall or @labourhame
Ian Murray's campaign office going great guns in Edinburgh South, team after team arriving back and heading out again. Lots of sandwiches and home baking on the go and endless tea and coffee.
I'm heading back to Edinburgh East now to catch up with the incredibly hard-working local MP Sheila Gilmore and do a stint on the doors there. She has a tough fight today but has been such a conscientious local representative I really hope people remember that when voting.
Turnout continues to look pretty high, and there are vast numbers of Labour canvassers out across the country knocking on doors. Tired feet but strong hearts. And on we go!
Great graphic on voting patterns
With so much energy and conversation devoted to the largely pointless race for No.10, we often forget what's really important during the election campaign - the chance to try out new and rather fabulous graphics to illustrate voting patterns.
Here's a cracker from the Evening Times:
Continuing the wonderful 'leaders outside polling booths' montage, here's Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam, looking like a pair of Sky Sports News presenters on Transfer Deadline Day with their yellow colour scheme.
On the ground with James Kelly
Prolific blogger James Kelly, author of the blog SCOT goes POP!, reports from Edinburgh:
I've just taken part in an unusual election day show at the Traverse Theatre. The idea was that two guests put forward a "two minute manifesto" of something they would do if they became Prime Minister.
Juliet Swann of the Electoral Reform Society wanted a randomly selected Citizens' Chamber to replace the House of Lords, and the playwright Linda McLean suggested that all adults should be required to spend one day per year in a care home.
Both proposals received majority support from the audience, although there was some concern over the impact on the prison system if day-visits to care homes are made compulsory!
Just spoken to Nigel Farage's right-hand man re: alleged intimidation by Ukip supporters in South Thanet
He said: "I have visited nearly every polling station with Nigel this morning, in many of them we are the only party with tellers. All of our tellers are either old ladies or old men. In St Mark's church in Ramsgate, we've got a blind guy and his dog.
"They tried this yesterday, it turned out the claimant was a Hope Not Hate activist. It's utter bollocks and if you look at the evidence it's our guys who are being intimidated.
"We've had our people punched, stickers put on them, garages vandalised. One of our high-profile supporters had his window smashed with a flower pot and Ukip shop was smashed two weeks ago."
"It [the reports of intimidation] are just the Labour party playing their same old nasty politics. I've been to nearly all of [the stations] today and I can tell you with other confidence this is an outright lie."
Just spoken to the spokesperson for South Thanet Labour. He told me:
"We basically had three or four polling stations where we had groups of Ukip people gathering outside and verbally abusing people, telling them who to vote for. It's something that's been alerted to the police, and they've have got a particular team working on this.
"Of the four polling stations, three of them was just a handful of people, one of them was a larger group of around 10 people. i think they were telling people to vote Ukip, I've had reports of more unpleasant things [being said] but we're checking with our people at the polling stations on that."
Too close to call
Just to remind you how squeaky-bum-tastic all this is, here's the final poll of polls for the English parties, showing Labour and the Tories neck-and-neck. The final polls suggest Cameron won't have enough seats to cling to power, great news for the SNP of course.
Looks like the rise of Ukip has really hurt Cameron, and could ultimately cost him power. Given that Miliband has suggested an EU referendum is unlikely under Labour, Farage and his followers may end up getting exactly the opposite of what they originally wished for.
Peter Snow speaks to IBTimes UK
As the action begins to heat up, election night legend Peter Snow has spoken to IBTimes UK about his memories of the famous swingometer, and his take on this year's campaign. You may or may not be surprised to reveal that he doesn't like Ukip very much.
Read the piece here.
Tory pravda reaching out its tentacles
With a macabre sense of irony, it seems England's conservative puppet-masters, presumably while swivelling in their chairs and stroking their cats, have decided to deploy their very own Pravda to see off Red Ed.
The Telegraph, a paper much loved by Alex Salmond and his SNP chums of course, has left a few people rather cheesed off south of the border this morning. (We apologise for the rather crude language in this tweet, but we are sure you appreciate the sentiment).
Live from the front line
Blogger Duncan Hothersall, of Labour Hame, sends us this update from the canvassing trail:
Another session of door knocking completed, this time in Edinburgh South. Today it's all about GOTV - Get Out The Vote - where the folk who have promised to vote Labour during the campaign get a final reminder, and those who have requested lifts get taken to vote. We will be out all day and all evening!
Miliband casts his vote
And we continue with our series of 'party leaders voting' pictures. Here's Ed Miliband leaving the polling station having done his business in Sutton. From the look on his face, it wasn't an entirely pleasant experience (and btw the tie is too long for the jacket. Come on Ed, that's breaking suit-wearing rule 101 right there).
And the most influential Scottish politician on social media is...
No it's not Jim or Nicola. It's not George K or Mhairi. It's the Blair-hating trilby-wearing cat-human George Galloway.
Well, at least that's according to a list of the MPs with the most impactful social media presence. The list is here.
The most influential MP in either the SNP or Scottish Labour is Jim Murphy, in 17th place. Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond will surely change that if/when they are elected.
Anti-semitic leaflet left in car outside Stirling booth
After the Nathalie McGarry vandalism, more distinctly unsavoury scenes. According to reporter Chris Deerin, a letter bearing an anti-semitic statement has been left in a car outside the Stirling polling booth.
Hopefully these mindless idiots have spoiled their ballot. That way they won't actually influence the result of the election.
Cameron clashes with Muppet
Meanwhile, down south, the big beasts are emerging from their lairs and smearing their mighty paws all over their ballot papers.
Here's David Cameron casting his vote in Witney. We presume he's voting for himself, but couldn't guarantee it.
Below Cameron you will see a giant Sesame Street character. Insert your own 'which one is the Muppet?' type banter here.
For more news, views and people wearing costumes of children's TV characters, following our national election blog here.
'If Sturgeon really wanted to break the union, you'd know about it'
IBT columnist James Kelly wrote a terrific piece for us yesterday, refuting the idea that Nicola Sturgeon is solely focused on independence.
'It can probably be taken as read that if Nicola Sturgeon ever wants to talk about independence, she won't be shy about doing so. Conversely, if you catch her talking about the overseas aid budget instead, you can safely conclude she doesn't have independence on her mind at that precise moment.'
Read James's full article here.
Duncan Hothersall reports from Edinburgh
Prolific blogger Duncan Hothersall (of Labour Hame) will be sending on-the-ground updates from Edinburgh East throughout the day. Here's his first post:
Voting brisk this morning. Feels a bit more like referendum day than a normal election. Big turnout could mean anything though. Weather is dry and sunny so a pretty decent turnout should be anticipated.
You can also stay in touch with Duncan by following his personal Twitter page, or the page of Labour Hame.
Murray rallying his troops
Most of the coverage around Scottish Labour has been pretty grim so far, but the party are going to pull out all the stops today to ensure the SNP's gains are kept to a minimum.
Here's Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray giving his campaign troops a final team-talk before they go into battle (well metaphorically anyway - no-one wants a repeat of the Eddie Izzard-SNP clash on Saturday).
Mike Small, editor of Bella Caledonia, has sent us this short piece on the 'legitimacy' question which has been levelled in recent days. Definitely worth a read (btw you can keep up-to-date with Mike's views throughout the day by following Bella Caledonia on Twitter).
'It's a tale of two countries, one apparently racked with indecision, divided and downcast, the other strangely euphoric and uniting under one banner in totemic strategy. The contrast is stark. As Gerry Hassan has noted: "While Westminster commentators have regularly stated that this is the 'most boring' and 'risk free' election they can ever remember, north of the border nothing like this has ever been seen before." But if results are as the (seemingly constant) polling suggests, then Britain faces a crisis of selfhood.
Yesterday Simon Jenkins wrote in the Guardian: "Scotland can be simply disposed. The Scots appear fed up with the English, and the English with the Scots. No amount of subsidy, economic scaremongering or fake emotion can overcome this message from north of the border."
Such negativity and hostility is rife. But the idea of describing the SNP as effectively a proscribed party has dangerous ramifications. These are elected MPs from a country that the entire apparatus of the British state begged to remain only a few months ago. Now they are somehow 'illegitimate'?
The question of legitimacy is an odd one. No-one bothered to think that Westminister rule was 'illegitimate' when Scotland voted overwhelmingly for Labour and got a Tory government over the past thirty years. Labour returned 56 out of 72 seats for Labour in 2001. The SNP are poised to take those kind of numbers today. It's a historic turnaround with a massive 22% swing predicted.
The Tories may - if they return to sub-Panda politics again - be ready to lose Scotland entirely. That would be madness for anyone truly believing in the union. In other words, the easiest way to maintain the status quo is to cherish and absorb the SNP cohort.'
Pic: Reuters
Salmond mobbed by screaming girls (well, perhaps not screaming)
Anything Ed Miliband can do, the SNP can match it seems. After Ed was mobbed by a hen do in Chester, Alex Salmond has been given what looks suspiciously like a makeover in Bucksburn while attending a pamper party (apparently that's a thing these days).
We've had #Milifandom - what to call this? #Samcrush? #Eck-tivism? And does this make the girls Salmonders? (Sorry, it's early, we promise to up our game as the blog progresses).
'Scotland, Russia should strengthen ties in Arctic'
As Sturgeon casts her vote, one of her predecessors as leader of the SNP has suggested Scotland should seek closer ties with Russia, particularly surrounding trade in the Arctic region.
Gordon Wilson was quoted by Sputnik News as saying "Scotland has always had strong cultural ties with Russia. There are certain political impediments at the moment to developing closer relationships. One priority beneficial to both will be the expansion of trade as and when conditions allow."
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