FORMER Scottish Conservatives leader Jackson Carlaw has called on his fellow MSPs to focus on the recovery from the Covid pandemic – and not on independence – after retaining the Eastwood seat.

The constituency had been a major target for the SNP but has been retained by Mr Carlaw with an increased majority of 2,216.

After being declared the winner tonight, he said: “Five years ago, it was the greatest honour of my life to be elected to represent my home constituency of Eastwood – and the honour is greater still today.

“This has been an extraordinary year, both personally, for politics and for my party. Now, at Holyrood, there is a very big job for us to do and I look forward very much to being a part of that.”

It had been a tight three-horse race in Eastwood at the last Holyrood election in 2016, with Mr Carlaw winning by 1,611 votes from the SNP, with Labour fewer than 250 behind in third.

That result made Eastwood a target seat for opposition parties but Mr Carlaw’s winning margin increased as he picked up 17,911 votes to SNP candidate Colm Merrick’s 15,695.

Mr Merrick, who represents Giffnock and Thornliebank as an East Renfrewshire councillor, congratulated Mr Carlaw – and told how he now plans to catch up with episodes of hit BBC TV drama Line of Duty.

He added: “The results coming in across the country show that the winds of change continue to blow across Scotland and, ultimately, it will be for the people living and working in Scotland to determine our own future."

Constituents in Eastwood knew their vote would count and turned out in large numbers.

A 76.4% turnout – 42,844 votes – was up from 68.5% in 2016.

Labour, represented by Katie Pragnell, were in third place with 6,759 votes, followed by Independent candidate David Macdonald on 1,352, Tahir Jameel, of the Liberal Democrats, on 911, and Janice Mackay, of UKIP, on 75.

The Eastwood constituency – an affluent seat with many middle-class commuters – takes in Newton Mearns, Eaglesham, Giffnock, Thornliebank, Netherlee and Clarkston.

It was held by Labour’s Ken Macintosh from 1999 until 2016, when Mr Carlaw won.

Mr Macintosh, who returned to Holyrood via the regional list in 2016 and became the parliament’s presiding officer, stepped down before this election.

Eastwood is also part of the West Scotland region and the result of the list votes will be announced tomorrow, as will the result of the Renfrewshire South constituency, which includes Barrhead and Neilston.