THE SNP won just seven percentage points of first preference votes more than the Tories across Scotland in last week's council elections, new data shows.

The largest party in terms of seats by a considerable margin, the SNP secured almost a third of all first preferences cast in the local polls while the Tories won just over a quarter.

Data from the body which oversees elections in Scotland shows the SNP finished the day with 32.3 per cent of first preference votes and 35.1 per cent of all the 1227 seats in contention. In terms of actual first preference votes that equated to 610,454.

By contrast, the Electoral Management Board's figures show the Tories won 25.5 per cent of first preference votes but only 22.5 per cent of the seats. Total first preferences were 478,073.

Despite just 6.8 percentage points between the two major parties in first preference share, the SNP finished the day with 431 seats to the Tories 276 due to the complexities of voter transfers in the single transferable vote system.

Labour secured 20.2 per cent of first preference votes but won a higher share of seats, with 21.4 per cent or 262.

The SNP said the data showed it had "empatically won" the council elections.

Overall turnout was 46.9 per cent and was poorest in percentage terms in Glasgow and Dundee.

In Edinburgh, the Tories won the most first preference votes with 51,212 to the SNP's 49,798 despite the Nationalists ending up as the biggest party in the capital.

And in Glasgow the SNP secured 70,239 first preference votes compared with 51,778 for Labour and 25,018 for the Tories.

Across Scotland those standing on an independent ticket won 10.5 per cent of first preferences and 13.7 per cent of seats.

Derek Mackay, the SNP's campaign director for the General Election, said: "The SNP has won the local elections emphatically, with more seats than any other party, an increased and higher share of the vote than any other party and as the largest party in more councils than any other party. 

“Results across the UK show that now more than ever Scotland needs strong SNP voices to stand up to Theresa May who is set to impose more cuts and put thousands of jobs at risk. 

"Theresa May thinks she can do what she likes and get away with it - only the SNP can be an effective opposition in Westminster.

“The local election results are an excellent springboard for the general election on June 8th.”