IT’S been over four months since one of Scotland’s safest seats was overturned.

Almost every constituency was engulfed by an electoral tsunami after voters opted to eliminate the Labour Party’s Scottish stronghold in favour of the SNP.

Central Ayrshire was no different and Philippa Whitford was elected as the new MP - bringing Brian Donohoe’s 23-year reign to a shuddering halt.

The early hours of May 8, 2015 will be carved in the memory of supporters of both parties, whether jubilant nationalists or lugubrious Labourites.

The results that flooded in from across the country were nothing short of astounding. A 20-year-old student elected over the former Shadow Foreign Secretary? Unheard of.

At the election count in Ayr, the result was written on the candidates’ faces long before the declaration. Labour’s time was up, Brian Donohoe was a goner.

Like his colleagues, Donohoe made his farewell podium speech with grace while still feeling the effects of such a devastating defeat.

But he needn’t have bothered as moments after he delivered the parting shot heard around the world when he told the Times: “I can now turn round with the greatest delight and tell people to f*** off”.

Cue public outcry, cue calls of sour grapes. It was the last thing Labour needed. Donohoe, 67, announced his retirement from politics and has been seldom seen since his foulmouthed gaffe.

So what’s he been up to?

“I still haven’t had a day to myself. I’ve had a busy time with my garden, helicopter flying, the grandchildren take up a hell of a lot of my time and I love them to bits.

“I’m doing as much as I need to do. I haven’t taken on an onerous job but by the end of September I’ll probably take on a couple of things.” No sooner had he opened the doors of his home to the Times, Donohoe was desperate to show off his beloved model helicopters.

But they’re certainly not toys, his ‘model’ caused a racket that would rival the Ride of the Valkyries scene from Apocalypse Now.

It’s a fitting hobby for a politician having spent decades as a high flyer. But Donohoe fears Labour face a long road back to the top and doesn’t pin the blame the defeat on the disastrous leadership of Jim Murphy but on the string of uninspiring pledges.

He said: “You can’t just blame personalities, the policies were so weak. There was nothing exciting.

“The most exciting campaign I was in apart from the first one was in 1997 which was absolutely amazing. I had been campaigning since 1974 in elections and I had never seen anything like that nor anything like it.

“I saw it in part at the last General Election but I don’t think even there it was the same excitement generated by the campaign and the policies.

“If you were to ask me what was it we offered the public at the General Election, I can’t remember anything.” In regards to his own election campaign, Donohoe claims he saw the whole thing coming - despite being the bookies favourite.

“Six months out I knew we were losing,” he said.

“I was continually trying to tell my staff to look around for jobs, I saw it coming.

“Recently I went down the street to post a letter just to see what was going on and I got more of a vibe that things were improving by people’s attitude and body language, that tells me everything.

“It was dreadful in the run up to the election and right through the referendum campaign, it was an incredible transformation.

“When people with much bigger majorities than me were being swept away it was clear that wasn’t a personal vote. There was nothing I could have done in a local sense.” The former trade union official does not have high hopes for Jeremy Corbyn’s new brand of politics and believes the referendum campaign all but killed his party’s chances of election victory.

Donohoe added: “I never was involved in the Better Together campaign because I would never stand in the street with a Tory if I could help it.

“It did us damage at the General Election. I think it was the final nail, along with what the Prime Minister said on the morning after the result which was just rubbing the nose in it.

“That fired the nationalists on to where they are.” He continued: “I didn’t support him (Corbyn). I was supporting Yvette Cooper.

“But that said it’s what the voters inside the Labour Party have chosen, it’s very early days but I think the test will be to see a shift in the opinion polls here in Scotland in particular. The second test will be how we perform in by-elections and the biggest one is as to how things go in the Scottish Parliament elections.

“If there’s significant movement, and it would have to be significant, then he’s shown he’s the right choice. If that doesn’t happen then I think he’ll be washed away.” Somewhat surprisingly, Donohoe appeared sheepish when discussing his immortal gaffe. He was much happier discussing his family and admits that the voters have actually done him a favour!

Donohoe said: “I would have worded it at some constituents maybe not all.

“It was about 5am after a heavy defeat, I wasn’t as I might have been in other circumstances.

“I always remember there was an American politician that said something similar, maybe that’s what came into my head!

“If you’ve said something untoward you’ve got to take it on the chin, people have said you’re a decent guy and have always been.” On whether he regrets the remark, he said: “I’m not going to say yes and I’m not going to say no.

“I’m relaxed now, even though I knew it was coming it was still a hit.

“I have to say this and I will say this to anyone now - they’ve done me a favour.

“From I was 21 until this year I was always serving the public, I never had any time to myself.

“I was not as good a father as I could have been. I was out every night and every weekend.

“I’m quite pleased that I’ve got my life back.”