The Conservative Party gained an important victory in Scotland last night, winning the first by-election to the devolved parliament in Edinburgh.
The Tory candidate, local farmer Mr John Scott, overturned a previous Labour majority of 25 to snatch the seat by a margin of 3,344 votes over the Scottish National Party, with the Labour candidate pushed into a humiliating third place.
This is the first win in a first-past-the-post constituency for Conservatives in Scotland since the 1992 Commons general election - all their 18 MSPs were returned last May on the party list proportional representation system.
The by-election was the first since the devolved parliament in Edinburgh was created last year. It was called because the sitting Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Mr Ian Welsh resigned, chiefly out of dissatisfaction at being kept on the backbenches.
The constituency was long held by the Conservatives but Labour won it in the general election of 1997 in the landslide victory for Mr Tony Blair. At that election the Conservatives lost all their seats in Scotland. Two years later in 1999 Labour held on to Ayr but only with a majority of 25.
For the past three decades Labour has been the most popular party in Scotland, polling close to 50 per cent of the popular vote. This has meant they control much of local government and are the dominant partner in the ruling coalition in the devolved parliament. The party's domination of the political landscape is beginning to turn sour as voters have nobody else to blame but Labour when they feel dissatisfied.
The Conservatives will claim the by-election marks a reversal of their fortunes and shows Scots returning to the Tory ranks. Polling confirms Labour's fears, that old Labour supporters are unhappy with the performance of the party in government.
The string of scandals and mishaps that have dogged the devolved administration are being blamed on Labour. The resignation of key advisers, the row over the cost of the new parliament building and the mishandling of legislative proposals has tarnished the party's image.
Senior members of the Labour party are worried about the loss of support across the United Kingdom - fearing that long-term Labour voters are turning their backs on the party because Mr Blair has not improved hospitals and schools as promised.
In Ayr, Labour also suffered because of local issues. The council has just announced a series of swingeing cuts in services. In particular, the closure of a day centre for the elderly caused much anger. The council is run by a Labour administration.