The high profile MPs who lost their seats

While nationalists celebrated unprecedented gains right across the country, virtually sweeping the board by taking 56 of the 59 seats, Labour has been left with just one MP in all of Scotland - with both Scottish leader Jim Murphy and the party’s election campaign chief Douglas Alexander losing their seats.

Here we look at the major MPs, most of which are from Scotland, who were voted out of office.

Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy’s once safe majority was eliminated as Kirsten Oswald swept to victory with 23,564 votes to Labour’s 19,295.

Mr Murphy, who replaced Johann Lamont as Scottish Labour leader late last year, now plans to stand as First Minister in next year’s Holyrood election. Following the declaration in his constituency, he admitted that it had been a difficult night for the party.

Vince Cable

Vince Cable, an MP since 1997, says his party has been hit by a “very well-organised national campaign” by the Conservatives,

He lost to Tania Mathias who said Cable had been “an amazing MP who had served Twickenham for 18 years”.

Jo Swinson

UK business minister Jo Swinson lost the East Dunbartonshire seat she had held for the Liberal Democrats since 2005 due to a 16.05% swing to the SNP.

George Galloway

The Respect leader stormed to victory in a by-election in Bradford West three years ago but has now lost out to Labour’s Naseem Shah, who won by nearly 20,000 votes. He vowed to return to politics.

Douglas Alexander

Labour’s general election campaign chief and shadow foreign secretary was swept aside by the SNP’s Mhairi Black, a 20-year-old politics student at Glasgow University, with a 26.92% swing from Labour to the SNP in Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Margaret Curran

Margaret Curran was replaced in Glasgow East,

Ms Curran said: “The Labour party absolutely believes that we need to stand by working people.

“Of course we understand that they have given us a message tonight, but we will never lose that deep belief in the cause of economic and social equality.”

Anas Sarwar

One-time Scottish deputy Anas Sarwar lost his Glasgow Central seat.

Mr Sarwar said: “I will always defend the right to fight for Labour values, fighting for solidarity across the UK, for social justice and for redistribution of wealth. Those values haven’t changed tonight.”

Charles Kennedy

Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has said he plans to remain involved in politics despite becoming another high profile scalp at the hands of the SNP.

He was beaten into second place in the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency by Nationalist Ian Blackford, who won with 20,119 votes, a majority of 5,124.

Danny Alexander

Danny Alexander lost to the SNP’s Drew Hendry by more than 10,000 votes.

Asked about speculation he may enter the House of Lords, Mr Alexander said: “I’m going to go and have a good night’s sleep, I don’t have any plans beyond that.

“I’ve lost an election which I’m deeply disappointed by, but there are many many worse things that could happen to people and I’m sure that I’ll find something useful to occupy my time in the weeks to come.”

Simon Hughes

The Liberal Democrat lost the Bermondsey and Old Southwark seat he had held for 32 years to Labour by around 5,000 votes.

Ed Davey

The Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary lost the Kingston and Surbiton seat he had held since 1997 to Conservative James Berry. Mr Davey won 20,415 votes, almost 3,000 less than the Tory tally of 23,249.