Tories secure landmark win in Aberdeen South by-election while SNP clings to Arbroath & Broughty Ferry

The Conservatives have achieved a landmark win in the Aberdeen South by-election, in what was described as a referendum on North Sea oil.

Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden seized the seat from the SNP by more than 6,000 votes, with 14,308 on the night.

The Scottish National Party received 8,248 seats, Reform UK received 2,478, Scottish Liberal Democrats received 1,270, and Scottish Greens received 974 seats.

"The people of Aberdeen have given a resounding answer: That we back the oil and gas industry," Mr Lumsden said after the count was read out.

Meanwhile in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, the second Scottish referendum of the night, the SNP retained its seat - with Lara Bird elected to the Commons.

The historic Aberdeen win marks only the fifth time this century the Tories have gained a seat at a Westminster by-election.

The last time was Hartlepool in May 2021, when Jill Mortimer took the seat from Labour with a swing of almost 16 per cent, a result which piled pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who was then leader of the opposition.

This marks the first Conservatives win in a Scottish by-election since 1967.

Campaigning in Aberdeen South, formerly held by SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, had centred on one central issue - North Sea oil and gas.

Mr Lumsden was supported by Kemi Badenoch on the campaign trail, who previously described not drilling for oil as “utter madness”.

Just last month, she said: “Voters in Aberdeen South can turn this by-election into a referendum on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry.”

Tory sources told GB News the issue of oil and gas continuously came up on the door, with one in three voters mentioning the subject.

Mr Flynn stood down last month after he was elected as an MSP and was quickly appointed Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport in Holyrood.

He described the election on social media as a “tough night” for the SNP and its candidate former SNP MP Richard Thomson, admitting it needed some heavy reflection.

“We lost Aberdeen South to the Tories in 2017, and we won it back two years later,” he added.

“I’ve no doubt we can do so again. If we get things right.”

Labour more or less abandoned the two Scottish by-elections, with one senior source previously admitting to GB News they did not know who their candidates were - Nurul Hoque Ali for Aberdeen South and Heather Doran for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, to name them.

More to follow...