Political history has been made in Glasgow as decades of Labour outright dominance has been swept away in hours, with the SNP already famously taking all seven constituencies in the city.

By just after 3am Patrick Grady became the first SNP MP elected for the party in Glasgow during a General Election, taking Glasgow North from Anne McKechin by a margin of almost two to one.

Within minutes the party's Natalie McGarry had swept aside shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran by over 10,000 votes.

Ian Davidson, the personification of pugnacious old Labour and trade union politics, also fell with a margin of 10,000.

Glasgow North East, at one stage tipped as the most likely seat Labour would hold, went too. One of the biggest majorities disappeared as the SNP secured 9000 votes more than Labour's Willie Bain.

Labour's citadel was crumbling.

More would follow. Labour's grip on the country's largest city and industrial powerhouse, held since the 1950s, was crumbling with barely a whimper.

Only handfuls of the party faithful were still around the hear the previously unimaginable confirmed. Many had departed well before any declaration was near ready.

In truth, the outcome of one of the most dramatic nights in the city's electoral history was known within minutes of the ballot boxes being emptied.

As party apparatchiks scoured the ballots,by 11pm some areas where the SNP has never had a political presence were swinging behind the Nationalists in numbers never seen.

Whispers amongst the party's army of councillors and supporters were already claiming all seven seats were a likelihood.

By midnight many were openly saying so. So too were Labour.

"We're toast, on both sides", said one. "It wouldn't matter if we had Gandhi as our leader, we were always getting horsed", said another.

Tom Harris, MP of Glasgow South since 2001, was one of few Labour MPs to remain on the scene, his despondency obvious. To his credit he made no attempt to hide it.

Shortly after 2am the SNP unofficially declared victory. A flurry of activity involving council officials, the police and senior party figures heralded the arrival of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. As the media thronged around her, Ann McKechin and Anas Sarwar arrived almost unnoticed. The contrast could not have been starker.

As Sturgeon took centre stage watching the fall of Labour stalwarts Douglas Alexander, Frank Roy and Cathy Jamieson the big screen in the Emirates Arena, her political rivals gathered almost huddled in a corner of the hall.

As they awaited confirmation of the results, the SNP's candidates were keen to talk up the tangible change their election would bring for the city.

Stewart McDonald, who just three years ago came fifth in a council election, took Glasgow South by over 10,000 votes.

He said: "After the Referendum, when Scotland voted to remain within the UK, Scotland has now voted to be heard and what the results are showing is the people of Glasgow no longer trust Labour.

"We've had MSPs and councillors and a great record in government and a very poor Labour party playing a role,

"But what we've done here is change expectations. People expect to he heard, we will fight for the city and have given it a very strong base going forward. If there was ever any doubt about it Glasgow doesn't belong to Labour anymore."

Chris Stephens, who defeated Ian Davidson in Glasgow South West, said: "This is a historic and transformational election for Glasgow and for Scotland.

"This is a once in a century political movement, an election like no other Scotland has seen.

"This sends the message to Westminster that Glasgow and Scotland wants an end to austerity cuts, to welfare reform. They will have a real positive presence in Westminster fighting for substantial powers for the Scottish Parliament."

Glasgow North West victor Carol Monaghan added: "People in Glasgow will start getting the voice they deserve at Westminster and people who will work to create the communities they deserve.

"We always knew Glasgow North West was winnable. All we needed was a good campaign and positive message people would respond to and relate to, And they did that."