The SNP’s sensational national result in the European election was matched in Glasgow Central where the party finished just 136 votes behind Labour.

In percentage terms the SNP polled 29% to Labour’s 30%. The party says that its support is increasing, that it has momentum, and that this bodes well for the forthcoming General Election.

Commenting, Osama Saeed, the SNP’s Westminster candidate in Glasgow Central said: "To say that Glasgow Central is on a knife edge, is to describe a very sharp blade indeed. It is very close, but the momentum is definitely with us.

"Ballot box data showed us only 1,500 votes behind in 2007, and we’ve cut this dramatically now. We’ve shown we can now also perform strongly in an election held across the UK, and demonstrated that the polls indicating we’d do well in European and Westminster elections have real substance.

"The winds of change are blowing across Glasgow, traditionally one of Labour’s strongest heartlands, with the people of the city increasingly trusting us more and more to stand up for their interests in Brussels, Westminster, Holyrood and the City Chambers.

"The results we’re seeing are a testament to the hard work of activists on the ground, our councillors and MSPs who’ve been campaigning hard on Glasgow school closures, London Labour cuts and much else, and of course the fantastic record of the SNP Scottish Government."