Labour leader Jim Murphy loses seat to SNP

JIM Murphy insisted he would “continue to lead” Scottish Labour despite his 18-year run as an MP being ended last night by an SNP landslide in East Renfrewshire.

Jim Murphy picturing during the referendum campaign. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Mr Murphy, gracious in defeat, was trounced by the Nationalists who were being catapulted from fourth place at the 2010 general election to win by some 4,000 votes.

Kirsten Oswald, who only joined the SNP last June, took the seat which Mr Murphy had previously held with a majority of more than 10,000.

The extraordinary Nationalist surge across Scotland has transformed the constituency vote for the third time in less than two decades - establishing for the SNP what was once the Tories’ safest Scottish seat which latterly became solid Labour too - until now.

Mr Murphy, who said the “Labour fight back” would start tomorrow, told Ms Oswald: “I know what it’s like to come from behind in an election” and offered his “wholehearted congratulations”.