ONE of the party’s big beasts of yesteryear has made a spectacular return to frontline politics.

From early on in the counting of votes in the Highland Hall in Ingliston, it became clear that Angus Robertson would be returning to the political spotlight as the new MSP for Edinburgh Central.

The former MP for Moray and SNP leader in the Commons duly won the seat formerly held by Scottish Conservative former leader Ruth Davidson, who is moving to the House of Lords; and it wasn’t even close.

Robertson will surely be a major force in Holyrood in the years ahead. Davidson’s majority was only 610, but to reverse that and win by 4732 votes – the SNP vote up 10.4% on 2016 – is a tremendous performance. And he did it while an expectant father as his wife Jennifer is expecting their second child in a month’s time.

In the three Edinburgh constituencies declared after 6pm, it has to be said the results were a foregone conclusion from mid-morning. Two Unionist candidates, Daniel Johnson of Labour and Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Liberal Democrats, comfortably held on to their Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western seats respectively.

It has to be said that it was a very low-key election count. Firstly it was a daytime count, so the counting staff were not under pressure to get results early as is the case with a night-time count.

They were still under inspection, however, and one of the first problems that was observed was the sheer size of the peachy ballot paper for the regional list candidates – the counters looked as if they were unfolding accordions.

READ MORE: BBC under fire for cutting off election coverage with results still to be called

Compulsory wearing of masks, the hand sanitising stations, the signs about social distancing, made this the Covid-19 election – it was already that, and let’s face it, most people will secretly be glad they didn’t have to put up with multiple candidates at their doors over the past few weeks.

There was the usual gossip between candidates and party repesentatives, and there’s a theory going round the Tory party that as long as their vote holds up, Boris Johnson may allow a snap referendum if, and only if, the SNP win an overall majority and the polls still show the No side winning. There have been dafter ideas and if it happens, remember you read it here first.

The story of the day, however, was Angus Robertson’s thoroughly deserved comeback. The Conservatives’ Scott Douglas came a poor second by Davidson’s standards – she wasn’t there to help him on to the podium – while the Greens’ Alison Johnstone saw her vote fall marginally but should not be too disappointed as she will almost certainly retain her list seat.

Independent candidate Bonnie Prince Bob had talked a good game but ended up with just 363 votes, and really it was a case of Robertson first and the rest nowhere. Yes, there was controversy over the party’s selection policy that stopped Joanna Cherry MP from standing, but yesterday’s emphatic result proved that Robertson was not just a good candidate but a doughty campaigner in the highest echelon of Scottish politicians.

A columnist for The National, Robertson, 51, is also the former deputy leader of the SNP, but it was his status as a locally born and educated candidate that played well with the public in Edinburgh Central.

It was a huge win for him and he revelled in the moment: “This result is an emphatic and unparalleled victory for the SNP in Edinburgh Central.

“We have just won the seat of the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives and have recorded the best ever SNP result.

“The people, many of whom stood in queues in rain and hail yesterday, have spoken, and their democratic choice has been to elect an SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central, in support of an SNP Scottish Government dealing with Covid recovery, for the re-election of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and that Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands.”

Robertson worked in Europe as a journalist before his political career, and he seemed almost emotional as he said: “In this most European of capital cities, people have resoundingly rejected the party of Brexit and Boris Johnson.

“The public have rejected all of the parties that want to block an independence referendum.”

He mentioned many centres of excellence that he said he was honoured to represent in Edinburgh Central, and managed to include his beloved Heart of Midlothian FC among them.

He had a serious message, however, saying the constituency had its challenges which he would do his best to address, singling out short-term lets hollowing out communities, the “scourge” of homelessness and drug-related deaths.

Robertson said: “I have pledged to work for Edinburgh Central and everyone who lives in it regardless of who they voted for and regardless of whether they voted at all.”

He later commented that he would work with communities and community organisations, saying that the last MSP hadn’t done that.

The remaining three Edinburgh seats will be counted later today before the Lothians list results are declared.

Party representatives at Ingliston were frantically trying to calculate the chances of gaining a list MSP and, while it looks good for the Greens and the Conservatives, early voting indications indicate bad new for the Alba Party.

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s victory in Edinburgh Western was the result of tactical voting by Conservatives to keep out the SNP and he was happy enough to acknowledge that it played some part in his win. Daniel Johnson pledged to work on the recovery.

On a day of few laughs, or even moments of interest, whichever official at Edinburgh Council knew their history and came up with the wifi password Burgh1125 should be congratulated. That was the year that King David I made Edinburgh a Royal Burgh.