KEZIA Dugdale last night played down the latest election blow for Labour after it was pushed into third place in local government north of the Border.

In a major defeat it lost control of Glasgow after holding power there for almost four decades, and was also toppled as the biggest party in Edinburgh.

Former strongholds such as West Dunbartonshire, North and South Lanarkshire and Fife fell too, as the party saw much of its power base crumble. In total Scottish Labour won just 262 seats, 132 fewer than in 2012. There was some good news when it managed to hold on to the biggest number of seats Inverclyde, East Lothian, Mid Lothian and North Ayrshire.

Dugdale told the BBC News Channel the vote in Scotland had split on constitutional lines, with many Unionists backing the Conservatives.

She said: “It’s undoubtedly a disappointing result for Labour here in Scotland but it’s not particularly a surprise. The polls have consistently shown Labour around 15 per cent.

“The reality, though, is we’re topping the tables in at least four areas across the country – Inverclyde, East Lothian, Midlothian, North Ayrshire – Labour at the top of the results today.

“In fact across many of our towns and cities across Scotland, it’s Labour who are the strong opposition to the SNP.

“Really what’s happened today is we’ve seen the constitutional politics bite in Scotland once again, it’s very much Yes versus No in that regard, and a clear rejection the length and breadth of the country of Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for a second independence referendum.”

She also insisted the results were “not as devastating” as polls or pundits had predicted they would be for her party.

“This time last week we were told Labour was going to lose control in every single one of our councils, we were going to lose half of our councillors. That’s not happened,” she said.

“Time and time again in the towns and cities across Scotland it is Labour that offers that strong opposition to the SNP and their divisive plans for a second independence referendum.

“There has been a strong focus on the constitution during these local government elections, there is no doubt about that, but the strength of the Tory surge is predominantly in the Borders and the Highlands.”

Daniel Johnson, Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern, appeared to point the finger of blame at the UK leadership for the poor result.

“This was a local government election but one which clearly was viewed through the prism of national politics and constitutional politics and I think that Labour got squeezed in the middle of that,” he said.

“I think the Labour leadership at a UK level needs to listen to this result, learn the lessons and apply them very quickly indeed.”

The different parties will now begin the process of discussion to see what alliances will be made in order to take administrative control in town halls.

Yesterday elections expert Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University warned Labour against forming anti-independence coalitions.

He said it “made no sense” for the party to pursue deals with the Tories over the running of councils given further public spending cuts.

He added the best hope of the party recovering support in Scotland rested with SNP coalitions rather than attacking the SNP on independence.

“Attacking the SNP and focusing on opposition to a second independence referendum isn’t working. Labour has been much more effective in opposing the Tories when it has turned its attention to the UK governing party.”