SNP declares victory in Holyrood election as Labour concedes defeat
John Swinney has declared victory for the Scottish National Party after early Holyrood election results showed Labour being comprehensively beaten.
Speaking after holding his own seat of Perthshire North, he said he was "absolutely certain" the SNP would be the leading party coming out of the election.
Swinney said he would be "privileged" to form the next Scottish government, describing the result as a fifth successive victory for his party.
He said it reflected work to "rebuild public confidence and trust" in the SNP.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar conceded his party had lost, speaking in Glasgow after only seven of Holyrood's 129 seats had been declared.
He said Labour had failed to counter what he called "national dissatisfaction" with Keir Starmer.
The result matters because it points to another SNP-led government in Scotland, even though the count is still at an early stage.
It also suggests Labour has struggled to turn its campaign into gains in a contest that was expected to be closely watched across Scotland.
Sarwar said the party had made an argument for change but had ultimately lost it.
