Glasgow City Council's new SNP leader 'open to coalition deal'

Other deals may be harder to stitch together, not least because of the SNP's declared refusal to work with the Tories.

The slogan was first coined by the Conservatives as they pointed to pessimistic economic data as proof that Nicola Sturgeon's plans for another independence referendum was harming the country's finances.

Following yesterday's council elections in North Ayrshire SNP Group Leader Marie Burns said: "We're pleased to get a strong showing for the SNP, with 11 of our candidates returned, and winning the popular vote".

Ms Davidson said: "I think you have seen in both language and design, the SNP attempt to assimilate the party for Scotland and Scotland for the party. That's the reality", said one prominent SNP figure.

She added: "Let's take the Tory argument at face value".

The SNP's success in ending Labour's control of Glasgow council was matched by an eight point increase in support across the city.

Does that represent a slump for the nationalists?

The analysis also suggests that the party is ahead in Edinburgh South, which is now home to Labour's only MP in Scotland, Ian Murray.

The Conservatives have comfortably left Labour and the SNP trailing in their wake as the main political party in East Renfrewshire following last week's elections.

Labour have taken data which compares constituency votes in the 2015 general election and 2016 Holyrood election to the amount of "first preference" votes received by the SNP. They chose to fight the election on the issue of an independence referendum, they talked about nothing else, they didn't have any policies for local government.

This side of the border, it emerged the Scottish Greens will be fielding fewer than 10 candidates.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has played down the threat from the ruling Conservatives in Scotland a day after Prime Minister Theresa May's party made big gains in local elections there.

Hours earlier, in a recorded interview with the news website, the Labour leader said he would, er, stay on as leader whatever the election result.

More than 36 per cent of voters in the constituency chose the Tories as their first preference, while only 31 per cent backed the SNP, it claims.

The SNP remains the largest party in local government with 431 councillors voted in, up slightly from its total of 425 in 2012.

Liberal Democrats picked up 6,872 while Labour gained 4,407 first votes.

For one, there are variables in a council election which don't tend to present themselves in Holyrood or Westminster votes.

Alex Salmond has accused the Tories of making "vainglorious boasts" about their chances of winning his seat in the General Election, as he warned Ruth Davidson she could be brought "back down to earth with a bump" by the voters.

Ms Aitken said she was "very happy" with the outcome after her party spent the last five years building towards this election.