John Swinney declares victory for SNP in Holyrood elections

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten

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John Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has declared victory in the Holyrood elections after the first handful of results confirmed Labour had been comprehensively beaten.

Speaking to the BBC after holding his own seat of Perthshire North, Swinney said he was “absolutely certain the SNP is going to be the leading party coming out of this election”.