Richard Lyle's rosette does not look too frayed. It should: the veteran, old school Nationalist has been wearing it for count after count for 40 years. But it has never brought him as much luck as on Friday.
In the wee small hours, as Mr Lyle accepted his first Holyrood constituency victory, he nodded at the yellow ribbon on his lapel. His message: this was a breakthrough win. His supporters duly cheered for the cameras.
But Mr Lyle's landslide in Uddingston and Bellshill - and the four other SNP victories in once rock-solid Labour seats of North Lanarkshire - did not quite feel historic.
Picture: Mr Lyle's victory speech and his old, old rosette
That is because Nationalist activists - so, so many in yellow "I'm with Nicola" t-shirts - had expected to win. And when they did, they celebrated like fans of the Old Firm who had just watched their team clinically dispatch lower league opposition. The SNP isn't the plucky underdog anymore.
Picture: SNP celebrates victory at North Lanarkshire count in Ravenscraig
The man defeated by Mr Lyle, Michael McMahon, has represented Labour in the Scottish Parliament since its first 1999. His demeanour: that of a resigned football fan whose minnow side has not quite matched up to more powerful opponents. "We have known how it was going to go for some time," Mr McMahon said, beaming even before his loss was announced. "I can smile because I have already been through all the the five stages of grief." His daughter, Siobhan, a list MSP in 2011, still had a seat of sorts on Thursday night, Friday morning: a folding one she snuck in to the count to take the pressure of her feet. Ms McMahon, 31, is pregnant. "I suppose I am unemployed too," she said, looking at her belly with a broad smile. "But I have a feeling I shall keep busy."
Their good humour demonstrates that they now accept their world has changed. The heartlands of Lanarkshire - north and south - are no longer Labour's, they are the SNP's.
The North Lanarkshire council area, after all, voted Yes, just, in the 2014 referendum, and delivered a solid batch of SNP MPs in last year's UK general election. The sport is now between SNP candidates: who can get the biggest share of the vote. Mr Lyle in Uddingston and Bellshill and his colleagues Clare Adamson in Motherwell and Wishaw and Fulton MacGregor in Coatbridge and Chryston took their seats from Labour with 48.8 per cent, 52.5 per cent and 48 per cent respectively. and Jamie Hepburn 60.1%. Alex Neil held Airdrie and Shotts with 52.5 per cent.
Picture: veteran minister Alex Neil wins Airdrie
But the winner of the race was Jamie Hepburn - who was confidently predicting victory over his SNP rivals as ballot boxes were opened. He got 60.1 per cent of the vote.
Banter aside, there is also an edge to politics in North Lanarkshire. Labour in the local council remains in a horrible civil war amid investigations in to corruption. Councillors watched the count in despair, but preferring to look at their clip boards than catch the eye of feuding rivals from their own parties.
Privately they admit they expect to lose in local government elections this time next year.
But they want to lose well, their dignity intact, fit to fight another day. They fear a rout. "We are being pushed by the Tories," one senior figure admitted as he tallied list vote numbers in his ward at little more than a quarter. He was exaggerating, but Labour in North Lanarkshire are nearer the third- place Conservatives than first-placed SNP.
Pictured: Cllr Rosa Zombinini one of many yellow SNP activists
There is ill-feeling in SNP ranks too. Mr MacGregor won Coatbridge and Chryston despite the local constituency party being suspended this spring amid brutal infighting. An SNP councillor Julie McAnulty was also suspended after being accused of racism on the front page of a tabloid in what insiders suggest was smear linked to feuding.
At least one ballot paper was spoiled with "Justice for Julie".
Some of the biggest cheers of the count came from Tories. They were being unashamedly nationalist, British nationalist, tapping in to new unionist sentiment that Labour just can't reach. One activist sported Union Jack socks. Motherwell candidate Meghan Gallacher - in Union Jack stilettos - explained: "We are the party of the union. We feel passionately about our country, Britain. That is our core message and for a lot of people who voted No that means something."
Pictured: Union Jack shoes and Union Jack socks
The Conservatives took three seats on the Central Scotland list, veteran Margaret Mitchell and newcomers Graham Simpson and Alison Harris. Labour got four, three defeated constituency candidates - Mark Griffin and the loudly socialist Elaine Smith and Richard Leonard - and Hamilton councillor Monica Lennon.
This went some way to counterbalance the SNP's landslide on the first ballot. But Central Scotland on a map - thanks to first-part-the-post victories across the two Lanarkshires and Falkirk - now looks as yellow as Mr Lyle's old rosette.
Pictured: Some SNP feet to balance Union Jack ones
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