The SNP has claimed that the battle for Westminster is very much on, after emerging victorious in a crucial Fife by-election.
The party seized control of council affairs in Glenrothes during the early hours of Friday morning when its candidate, Craig Walker, was elected as its latest councillor in the town.
It is the SNP’s second such victory in Fife since September’s independence referendum, with Mr Walker defeating his Labour Party rival Alan Seath by 896 votes.
With the spotlight now turning towards May’s general election, the SNP believes it can pull off another shock win in the town.
Peter Grant, the party’s Westminster candidate, said the by-election result is proof the SNP can overturn Labour’s huge majority in the constituency.
“This excellent result gives us great momentum going into the general election campaign,” he said.
“Our team will graft hard for every vote and show humility and a daily determination to earn the trust of the people of Glenrothes and Central Fife. These will be the hallmarks of the SNP campaign.”
The Glenrothes and Central Fife seat is considered to be one of Labour’s safest, with outgoing MP Lindsay Roy securing a majority of almost 16,500 in 2010.
Defending the seat for the party is Melanie Ward, who has warned voters that a vote for the SNP could allow a Conservative government to be returned at Westminster.
Referring to the by-election, she said: “If this result is repeated on May 7 then David Cameron and George Osborne will be delighted.
“Families in our area cannot afford five more years of a Tory government but that is what we will get if the Tories are the largest party after the general election. Voting Labour is the only way to stop this.”
The SNP’s newest councillor believes the momentum generated in recent months could help to cause a real upset in May.
“It was such a huge result,” Mr Walker said. “It suggests that the SNP has the national momentum and that is translating down to a local level.
“The objective now is to get as many MPs at Westminster as we possibly can. We have to aim for that.”
Mr Walker’s victory means that the SNP now has six councillors on the town’s local area committee, compared to Labour’s five.
He replaces Labour councillor Betty Campbell, who died in January.
Meanwhile, Labour’s Alan Seath described the result as being “a very disappointing end to a well-fought campaign but we are still up for the fight,” he added.