Holyrood 2016: Iain Gray holds East Lothian for Labour

LABOUR'S Iain Gray has held onto his seat in the East Lothian constituency - increasing his slender majority by almost 1000 votes.

Iain Gray.

A fraught election battle saw him hold off SNP candidate DJ Johnston-Smith, a former landlord of the Sheep Heid in Duddingston.

The Tories’ Rachael Hamilton came in third place, nabbing 23.86 per cent of the vote, while the Lib Dems’ Ettie Spencer trailed behind in fourth.

This morning’s results mark a 1.25 per cent swing from SNP to Labour.

Mr Gray said: “The biggest thanks goes to the voters of East Lothian for putting their faith in me. I love this county and I don’t mind saying that I love it a little more tonight.”

He called for a “powerful, devolved Scottish Parliament, but as part of the UK”, adding: “We should use the new power of our parliament and stop the austerity cuts.”