SNP and Lib Dems gain council seats from Labour

Mr Cunningham took the Glasgow seat after a closely-contested by-election

The SNP and Lib Dems have gained council seats from Labour after by-elections in Glasgow and Culloden.

Chris Cunningham, brother of Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, took a seat in Glasgow's Garscadden/Scotstounhill ward.

Meanwhile Trish Robertson took a Highland Council seat in Culloden and Ardersier for the Lib Dems.

Labour were beaten into second in the Glasgow City Council race and seventh in the Highlands.

There are elections to all 32 of Scotland's local authorities in 2017.

Trish Robertson took a Highland Council seat for the Lib Dems

The Glasgow by-election was triggered by the death of Labour councillor John Kelly, and the defeat leaves the party with a one-seat majority on the council.

The SNP took 43% of first-preference votes to Labour's 39%. Turnout was 23.8%.

SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon posted "congratulations" to Mr Cunningham on Twitter, as did council leader Frank McAveety, who added: "No greater honour than to serve Glasgow's citizens."

The Highlands by-election was triggered by the death of another Labour councillor, John Ford.

The SNP took the most first-preference votes, with the Lib Dems second at that point, but when the second preferences of all other candidates were redistributed Ms Robertson pipped the SNP candidate by 25 votes. Turnout was 30%.

Party leader Willie Rennie said the win was a "stunning and spectacular result".