SNP's Laura Mitchell hails 'fantastic night for SNP' despite narrow defeat in Moray
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SNP candidate Laura Mitchell came agonisingly close to winning back the Moray seat for the nationalists.
She slashed a more than 4000 Tory majority in 2017 to finish just 513 votes adrift of Douglas Ross.
It was clearly hard to bear and Ms Mitchell cut an emotional figure moments after the result was declared as she was consoled by supporters.
She said: "We always knew that Moray was going to be on a knife edge and the result shows just how far we have pushed the Tories, it's just a shame we fell a bit short but overall it has been a fantastic night for the SNP across the country and we are picking up seats everywhere."
The SNP swept to victory as they claimed 49 of the 59 seats in Scotland.
"There were 21,000 people who turned out for the SNP in Moray tonight, which was fantastic, but it just wasn't enough.
"The momentum is with the SNP in Moray and we have slashed the Conservatives lead and we will be working flat out to get this seat back."
Ms Mitchell is parliamentary office manager for Richard Lochhead MSP and was his election agent at the last Scottish Parliament elections.
Liberal Democrat Fiona Campbell Trevor, who finished fourth with 2269 votes, said: "I am very happy with the decision of the electorate and very respectful of that decision.
"We have doubled our vote on last time and that in itself says a lot on a night when it hasn't been so good for the Liberal Democrats. It does say that Moray is fairly welcoming of the Liberal Democrats re-emerging again."
