Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie cracked open the champagne yesterday as he celebrated his party tripling the number of Scottish seats it holds at Westminster.

The party praised what it said was a “humongous” victory to go from one seat to three.

Re-joining Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael one the green benches will be the former business minister and newly elected East Dunbartonshire MP Jo Swinson.

The third MP is former No 10 and Nick Clegg special adviser and new Edinburgh MP Christine Jardine.

Ms Jardine made it to Westminster on her second attempt, two years after she stood against Alex Salmond in Gordon in 2015.

The former SNP leader was the highest-profile casualty of the night north of the Border, a victim of a surge in support for the Conservatives.

Ms Swinson also re-took her constituency from the SNP's John Nicolson, with what is now the biggest majority that she has ever held in the seat.

Speaking in Milngavie, Mr Rennie said: "The SNP suffered big losses on Thursday and their plan for another independence referendum was the big reason for that result. To lose 21 MPs including the former First Minister and Deputy Leader as well as facing a 13 percentage point drop in the vote was an event that requires a significant response.

"To respond appropriately we need a vote in the Scottish Parliament to push any independence referendum far into the future. That is why I have written to Alex Neil, Kenny Macaskill and Patrick Harvie to secure their support for such a vote.

"With their support I am sure others in the parliament would come on board too. We unanimity with Holyrood we could bring the country together after the divisions of the last few years.

"Scotland needs to come together and this is a big opportunity to do that."

The Lib Dems were almost wiped out in Scotland in 2015, when they lost 10 of the 11 seats they held in the wake of a rise in support for the SNP during the fallout from the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Today Mr Rennie will also join the newly elected Scottish Lib Dem MPs at Westminster.