Joanna Cherry loses seat as SNP suffers Edinburgh defeats

The SNP's Joanna Cherry has blamed former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for their party's heavy general election losses.

Ms Cherry lost the battle for Edinburgh South West by 6,217 votes to Labour,

She said the SNP had lost its reputation for competent government and failed to progress the case for independence.

Ms Cherry, who has had public run-ins with the party leadership over her views on gender reform, also accused Ms Sturgeon of putting identity politics over real policy.

Labour celebrated big wins across Edinburgh after taking back three seats held by the SNP since 2015.

Other SNP MPs to be ousted in the capital were Tommy Sheppard - who was hoping to be re-elected for a fourth term - and Deidre Brock.

Labour's Ian Murray comfortably held his Edinburgh South seat saying in his acceptance speech:  "We're going to need a bigger boat."

He said: "I think it's about time the SNP listened to the people of Scotland, they've lost heavily tonight, it looks like they've lost all over Scotland and I think it's really time now to reflect."

Christine Jardine held Edinburgh West for the Liberal Democrats.

Meanwhile, former Labour cabinet minister Douglas Alexander is returning to Westminster, having won in Lothian East.

He took the seat from the SNP, winning 49% of the vote to their 21.4%.

Ms Cherry was beaten by Scott Arthur, a councillor and convener of the City of Edinburgh Council's transport committee, in a 26.5% swing to Labour.

Mr Arthur is now expected to stand down from the council and trigger a by-election in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward.

Speaking after losing her seat, Ms Cherry thanked feminist activists who were not aligned to the SNP for campaigning for her and said death and rape threats she had received in recent years came as a result of her activism.

She said: "This is the first time that I've had to make a losing speech on an election night and I hope it will be the last."

She said there had been a lot of criticism about policy priorities formed under Nicola Sturgeon, with a focus on identity politics "perhaps to the detriment" of the public's priorities.

She added recent scandals may have called into question the party's integrity in the eyes of the public.

Ms Cherry said while her party suffered a "setback" and it must now address what had gone wrong, the poor results across Scotland should not be interpreted as a setback for the cause of independence.

Mr Arthur said: "Obviously it's quite daunting, I genuinely didn't think I was going to win so I feel a whole mix of emotions, but proud - proud to be part of that government which I'm really enthusiastic about and help make it happen."

Meanwhile, Mr Sheppard, who was beaten by 3,715 votes by Labour's Chris Murray for the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh seat, said it had been "Labour's night all across the UK" and the seat he was contesting was "not immune to the national trend".

He said serving as MP for the constituency had been the "best job of my life," adding: "Politics is a game of ups and downs and good and bad and this night belongs to Labour."

Edinburgh North and Leith was also gained by Labour with a majority of 2,268 for Tracy Gilbert, ousting the SNP's Deidre Brock.

Christine Jardine held Edinburgh West for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in what she said was the best ever result for her party in the constituency.

Ms Jardine said: "I promise you that I aim to repay the faith you have shown in me and my party by representing you through what we now hope will be a period of change - positive change in this country for all of us.

"We will make sure we do everything we can to make the next period of government for all of us is better than the one we have just experienced."

North East Fife was a Lib Dem gain from SNP with Wendy Chamberlain receiving 23,384 votes.

Glenrothes and Mid Fife was a Labour gain from SNP with Richard Baker getting 15,994 votes.

Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy also saw Labour take the seat from SNPwith Melanie Ward taking 18,662 votes.

Dunfermline and Dollar had a Labour gain from SNP with Graeme Downie taking 20,336 votes.

Midlothian had a Labour gain from SNP with Kirsty McNeill getting 21,480 votes.

Livingston was a Labour gain from SNP with Gregor Poynton receiving 18,324 votes.

Bathgate and Linlithgow saw Labour gain the seat from SNP with Kirsteen Sullivan receiving 19,774 votes.