Originally published May 6 2010

The first results from Edinburgh constituencies began rolling in around 02:45.

Edinburgh East was the first to announce results. Labour candidate Sheila Gilmore retained the seat for her party, with a total of 17,314 votes. The SNP’s George Kerevan came second with 8,133 votes. Beverly Hope, for the Liberal Democrats won 7,751 votes and Conservative Martin Donald received 4,358. Robin Harper for the Greens got 2,035 and Socialist Gary Clark received 274. A 65.5 per cent turnout was reported.

In her speech Gilmore thanked the election staff and the police for ensuring what she called Britain’s “free and fair election system.”

“And I want to thank Edinburgh East for keeping faith with the Labour party, I think this is a vindication. Labour stands for people and we stand for public services,” she added.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling easily retained his seat in Edinburgh South West. He won with 19,473 votes.

The Conservatives Jason Rust received 11,026, Lib Dem Timothy McKay 8,194 and the SNP’s Kaukab Stewart  5,530. Clare Cooney for the Greens received 872 votes, Colin Fox, of the Scottish Socialist Party got 319 and Caroline Bellamy, who stood for the Communist League, received 48.

“It is a great honor and privilege to represent a constituency in this city,” said Darling, over a cheering crowd.

Edinburgh South’s results are so far looking extremely close, though no official statement has yet been made.

The results came in as the NUS condemned election officials in Nick Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam constituency after reports emerged that students were turned away from the Ranmoor polling station.

There are also reports of delays and long queues in Manchester Withington, Liverpool Wavertree, Hackney South and Shoreditch, and the City of Chester, all areas heavily populated by students.

Some polling stations were also said to have run out of ballot papers.

NUS President Wes Streeting said: ““Where students and other voters have been disenfranchised, local authorities should hang their heads in shame. It is outrageous that citizens should be denied their basic right to vote and we demand inquiry into how this situation occurred.”

Students were not the only voters who reportedly had problems at the polls; there have been widespread reports of voters left locked out of polling stations due to queues caused by unexpectedly high turnouts, voters arriving without polling cards and other issues that have angered voters throughout the country.