LOUISE McPhater is Irvine West's new councillor after a shock win over the SNP's Robin Sturgeon.

In a huge upset, the Labour candidate narrowly edged Mr Sturgeon - dad of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - at the sixth stage of the Single Transferable Vote system.

The SNP stalwart amassed 1,164 votes while 1,029 ballots were cast for Mrs McPhater.

But it was Mrs McPhater who claimed the seat, previously held by the SNP's Ruth Maguire, for her Labour in the final stage.

Labour are now the largest party on North Ayrshire Council but the SNP will continue to govern as a minority administration

A total of 3,151 votes were cast but only 20 per cent of the Irvine West constituency bothered to vote.

Speaking immediately after her victory, Mrs McPhater vowed to fight for the people of Irvine West regardless of how they voted.

She said: "I'm overwhelmed. This is the job that I've done for many years and the people out there are the most important thing for me.

"They are the ones that are living out there and they have their issues.

"People were disengaged from the whole situation, they weren't wanting to be involved in anything and understandably people have been through a lot.

"So my message was 'I'm you, you're me' let's work and stand together and they did come out for me so they listened to me."

Mr Sturgeon was visibly disappointed after the loss.

However, he revealed he will stand for North Ayrshire Council again in the 2017 elections.

He said: "It was a surprise. Our canvas returns looked good.

"We won on the first preferences so I think it's the Labour-Tory alliance, the unionist alliance, against the SNP that's done it.

"We were getting very good returns on the door and I think it bears it out by us winning the first preferences. I think the transfer of votes between the unionist parties has beaten us.

"I'll be back in May, hopefully."

Conservative Angela Stephen finished third with 639 votes followed by Socialist Labour candidate Bobby Cochrane (131), the Green Party's Josh McCormick (94) and Lib Dem paper candidate Nick Smith (48).