SCOTTISH Labour has turned the tables on the SNP by winning back swathes of their central belt heartlands lost in 2015.

The party saw their total number of MPs soar from just two to 37 as the SNP saw their tally plummet from 47 to just nine.

The Liberal Democrats gained one as the Tories dropped a seat, leaving both with five a piece, while the Scottish Greens saw their largest poll ever after standing a record 44 candidates.

Surrounded by newly elected colleagues on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow, where his party saw a clean sweep for the first time in nine years, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “I want to say thank you to the people of Scotland.

“You have put your faith and trust in us and we will work day and night to build on that.

“Today we stop the chaos, we turn the page and we start the hard work of change.

“These Scottish Labour MPs are going to Westminster to sit on the government benches, to sit round the table, make decisions and help deliver for the people of Scotland. That’s the change that people have voted for.”

Speaking in Edinburgh as his party began what he termed a period of “soul searching” into its worst showing since 2010, SNP leader John Swinney accepted they had fallen short of the mandate he sought for a second referendum on separation.

He stated: “I have to accept that we failed to convince people of the urgency of independence in this election campaign.

“Therefore, we need to take the time to consider and to reflect on how we deliver our commitment to independence, which remains absolute.”

In the early hours of Friday morning as the result became clear, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer congratulated Labour, but immediately staked out workers’ demands from the new government.

She said: “A new dawn has broken. It cannot be a false one. 

“The new government can offer hope to workers after 14 years of Tory attacks on our communities, our people and our public services. 

“Through co-operation with the Scottish government, we can invest in jobs and services.

“The change that the now new Prime Minister offered during the campaign must start now. This is day one of his Labour government.

“We need decisive action to turn our back on the austerity-driven, public service-slashing, trade union-attacking ways of the Tory past.

“It’s time to rebuild.”