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After its SNP hopeful was dumped by the party shortly before the general election, calling how Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath folk would vote was never going to be easy.

But not much sooner had the mammoth task of counting the constituency’s vote begun than reports were coming through that Neale Hanvey was doing rather well.

There were doubts that Mr Hanvey’s popularity would weather the storm created by allegations of anti-Semitism.

Following his suspension from the party over comments he made on social media two years ago, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned party members against campaigning for him.

Mr Hanvey himself appeared as surprised as anyone else to learn that he was heading towards victory over deputy leader of the Labour party, Lesley Laird.

And after he was declared the area’s MP he said he described the result as “extraordinary”.

Mr Hanvey retained a strong and loyal following from supporters who had backed him as an SNP candidate and who continued to believe in him with his future with the party in doubt.

It remains to be seen whether he can clear his name over the historic allegations and be welcomed back into the fold or whether he will sit on the green benches as an independent for his full term.

What is clear though is his defeat of Labour’s former Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland is yet another real blow for Jeremy Corbyn’s party.

The seat was long considered a Labour stronghold until it was briefly pulled into the SNP fold by Roger Mullin in 2015.

Mrs Laird returned it to Labour in 2017 by just 259 votes

Former prime minister Gordon Brown held it for a decade before standing down in 2015.

Before then the constituency was divided between the previous Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline East constituencies, both of which had been under Labour since the 1970s.