DEFIANT former Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan declared that his party’s poor performance in the general election did not spell the end for the independence movement – despite a ‘dark night’ for the SNP.

The local politician, who was elected as the area’s MP in 2015, came second in the national poll with 12,560 votes.

Mr Cowan embraced many of his emotional supporters, staff and friends after it was announced that he had lost his seat and congratulated Mr McCluskey on his victory.

Speaking after the result was declared, Mr Cowan told the Telegraph it had been an honour to serve his local area.

He said: “It’s a cliché, you know when people say it’s a privilege to do this job, but I can’t think of any better way to put it.

“I was born and brought up here, educated here, lived my entire life here.

“I’ve worked all over Europe, but this is my home.

“To be given the opportunity to serve the people of this constituency for nine years was beyond my expectations and it’s been great.”

(Image: George Munro)

Mr Cowan also took the chance to fire a warning shot at Labour, who will form the next UK Government.

The SNP man said: “The tide brought me in and the tide took me away, but tides turn.

“I think there will be two or three years of a UK Labour government not producing the change they said they would.

“It’s such a big party and to manage such a big party is a very difficult thing to do.

“There’ll always be loose cannons in there just because they’ve been so successful.

(Image: George Munro)

“I think the people of Scotland will look at this in a few years’ time and say, ‘well where is that change?’.

“It could honestly be the biggest shot in the arm that the independence movement needs.

“This is not the end. It’s a really dark night for the party, but we’ve lost seats before and we’ve come back from it.

“This is going to feel sore and it’s going to hurt, but it is absolutely not the end.”