DHAKA: Mhairi Black, of the Scottish National Party, has become the youngest MP elected in the UK for 350 years after defeating Labour's shadow foreign secretary.

20-year-old Black secured the biggest upset of the 2015 general election so far by beating Douglas Alexander in Paisley and Renfrewshire South, outside Glasgow, by more than 6,000 votes

She managed to turn a 16,614 Labour majority into a 5,684-vote victory thanks to a swing in the vote towards the SNP of 26.9 per cent.

“The people of Scotland are speaking and its time for their voice to be heard at Westminster,” Black said after her shock victory.

Speaking immediately after the result was declared, Alexander said: "This of course has been a very difficult night for Labour.

"Scotland has chosen to oppose this Conservative government, but not place that trust in the Labour party. It will be our responsibility to re-win that trust in the months and years ahead."

However Black’s victory celebrations are likely to be cut short by the need complete her final year politics exams at Glasgow University.

The poll law was changed in 2006, lowering the minimum age of parliamentary candidates from 21 to 18.

In 1667, 13-year-old Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, took his seat in the House of Commons.

Sources, Photo: The Daily Telegraph, BBC

BDST: 0930 HRS, MAY 08, 2015
HB/AKA