A donner kebab pie, some sweets and a nervous wait - newly elected MP gives insight into election nerves with his diary covering run up to results

Graeme Downie, newly-elected MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, recounts his hectic last 24 hours in a months-long campaign… culminating in winning the seat, with a stunning 8,000 majority, from the SNP.

With two young children in the house, including one who is particularly full of beans in the mornings, getting up early was never going to be a problem.

And so it was that I climbed out of bed at 6.30am on Thursday to ready myself for the final day of a campaign which had been at times tough, mostly enjoyable and, I hoped, would ultimately prove successful.

Breakfast has to be just right, so it was a sausage roll and a very large black coffee, one sugar. 

Not conventional, perhaps, but you have to stick to what you know when a huge day is ahead.

The girls are buzzing around by this time, my nine-year-old Hannah fairly well aware of what’s happening, the younger one, Eilidh, who is five, not so much – but their energy is infectious and helps start the day with a smile.

I put on my dark suit, white shirt and a red tie, placed a rosette on my lapel and steadied myself for the day, and night, ahead.

I stay in Torryburn and we visited some doors in the area early on with some leaflets as part of a final push, my daughters accompanying me and seeming to enjoy the spot of last-minute campaigning.

We stopped off at the playpark for a break and then it was off for the not-unimportant business of actually voting at Torryburn community library. Thunderstorms, actual ones, not political ones, were forecast, but thankfully we managed to get there between downpours.

Some quick ‘hellos’ were said to supporters at the polling station and then it was back to the house.

One of the first things I wanted to do on this final day was to take ‘thank you’ hampers around my activists and campaigners as both a nod to them for all their hard work, and also as some fuel for what was going to be a big day for them too.

A key ingredient has to be Haribo sweets - always the little lime-flavoured ones for me, and never the fried eggs - and I also packed in sandwiches and cakes to hopefully give the team a little boost.

My sister arrived to help with driving duties and it was so nice to have her by my side. Caramel wafers, teacakes, and savouries were duly dropped off to our group and went down well.

I think it’s important to acknowledge the group who have worked so hard, for no pay whatsoever, for months. For this final day, everyone in the team has a schedule, where to be and when, and I was no different.

A tour of as many polling stations as we could manage was our aim, to acknowledge those who were out to vote, and encourage anyone who might be susceptible to a bit of last-minute persuasion.

As far as I was concerned, in this campaign, every single vote was up for grabs and I wanted to give no less than one hundred per cent.

Stephens Bakery in Dunfermline, an old favourite, was the stop-off for lunch and it had to be a donor kebab pie. Don’t be put off by any preconceptions, I’d recommend one to anyone visiting the town.

Over the morning and into the afternoon we managed to visit around ten of the 46 polling stations in the area and it was reassuring to see that our banners were in place and everything was in order.

We bumped into a couple of SNP activists, and all was cordial as we gave a nod to each other.

Campaigning and trying to get our message across is never over and my mum and dad helped with childcare, and a trip to soft play, allowing my wife and I to visit some more doors.

Back at the house, it’s like Piccadilly Circus at rush hour with all the comings and goings and I grab a light tea of salad, and a shower, to help pep me up.

My elder daughter was allowed to stay up for the exit poll, although the younger one, completely disinterested in proceedings, was off to bed and slept through all night oblivious to everything.

It is an exciting time, albeit you are in a state of limbo. The exit polls gave a strong indication that it was going to be good news but there is still uncertainty.

My agent, Stuart Irwin, and organiser, Gregor Mitchell, who ran an incredible campaign for someone aged just 21, indicated the polls and sampling looked good and so it was off to the count.

My dad came with me and I thought that was appropriate as it’s because of him and my mum that I got into politics. I remember watching the count at the 1992 General Election and being fascinated by it all.

At Glenrothes, where all the Fife constituencies were being counted, half past one came and went, as did half past two, and it became apparent that, because my constituency reaches into rural areas, we were going to have some time to wait.

Finally, and in a somewhat surreal experience, I was taken behind a screen to be told the news that we had won. You get this heads-up to prepare you for the official announcement minutes later.

I was handed a somewhat mysterious looking envelope by the presiding officer and wondered what secrets it may contain.

However, it was simply a book for new MPs with some of the basics on what my new job would entail in terms of going to Westminster and some of the other protocols I needed to know.

Whisked up on to stage following the count, I just wanted to get through a few, short words of thanks without getting too emotional.

I mentioned the children, my wife and my parents. I couldn’t look at them or I wouldn’t have been able to get the words out. It means so much to all of us.

It quickly becomes a whirlwind of media calls, conversations and pointers from party officials. Adrenaline keeps you going. 

It was 5.30am before our count was over and I believe I was the last Scottish Labour MP to be elected.

I am up overnight and it’s off to Glasgow for a photocall on Friday. 

There’s family time and a film with the girls on Friday night and then Sunday I’m off to London for something of a trip into the unknown.

We ran a really good campaign and, while I dearly hoped we would win, even I did not anticipate the scale of the majority.

On now to the matter of delivering on behalf of my constituents as the rather tired, but very proud, newly-elected Member of Parliament for Dunfermline and Dollar.

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