Conservatives pull off stunning victory against the SNP in Aberdeen South by-election

This is the first time the Conservatives have gained a Westminster seat at a by-election in Scotland since 1967.

The Conservatives won 14,308 votes, up 25 per cent on 2024, to the SNP’s 8,258, which was down 4 per cent. The Labour vote collapsed, with their vote share declining by 19 per cent and winning just 1,550 votes. Reform UK came third with 2,478 votes, the Lib Dems won 1,270 and the Greens got 974.

It was better news for the nationalists in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, where their candidate Lara Bird retained the seat for the SNP with 9,802 votes. The Conservatives came second with 4,524 followed by Reform UK on 4,341, Labour on 3,651 and the Lib Dems on 1,452. This represents a 3.1 per cent swing from the SNP to Reform UK.

In his victory speech, Mr Lumsden said: “The people of Aberdeen have stopped the SNP and sent a message to Labour that the destruction of the oil and gas industry must stop now.

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“To everyone in Aberdeen that put their trust in me, I share your anger, I share your frustration, and your fears for the future.

“I promise I will be a strong voice for the city and stand up for you and your livelihoods against short-sighted policies.

“We said this was a referendum on the oil and gas industry, and the people of Aberdeen have given a resounding answer - we back the oil and gas industry.”

Speaking to The Scotsman later in the evening, Mr Lumsden said: “I am feeling absolutely delighted - what a huge victory.

“To get almost 50 per cent of the vote is beyond my wildest expectations and shows you we had a good campaign with good, clear messaging, and people backed it.”

He said the result is a “clear signal” that Scotland needs to back the oil and gas industry because “it’s better for jobs, the economy and the environment if we produce it rather than rely on imports from elsewhere”.

Mr Lumsden added: “The SNP needs to rethink its energy policy.

“While I’ve been an MSP I’ve been asking for their energy strategy for three years and they haven’t produced it.

“They have a presumption against new oil and gas and they need to change that, they need to back the industry and they need to take note of this.”

He added: “The hard work starts next week down in Westminster. It’s a big burden actually, the thought that I will be the person representing Aberdeen South, but I am looking forward to banging the drum for Aberdeen and oil down in Westminster.”

The SNP’s Mr Thomson said: “The Conservatives threw the kitchen sink at this and on this occasion the sheer amount of resources we were up against made it difficult to get the result we wanted.

“By-elections have a dynamic all of their own and we found it difficult to compete against the tidal wave of resources thrown at this seat.”

He said anyone who let “the Murrell affair govern their vote” decided not to vote for the SNP “a long time ago”.

Mr Thomson then blamed the media for their lack of coverage, and said: “I’ve been around politics for 30 years and I can’t think of a set of by-elections in Scotland with less coverage from the broadcast media.

“The electorate has been poorly served by the lack of attention to these two by-elections compared to the contest in Makerfield, and all national broadcasters need to reflect.”

Mr Lumsden will now leave his job as an MSP in Holyrood to take up his seat in the House of Commons.

As he is a list MSP for the North East, there will not be a by-election to replace him. The next available candidate on the list is Councillor James Adams.

Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie said the Conservatives have been able to win Aberdeen South because of Stephen Flynn’s personal ambition. He told The Scotsman: “We want to thank Stephen Flynn for giving us this opportunity.”

He also said the win is “huge” for UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

Mr Flynn conceded defeat in his old seat before the result was even announced. Posting on X, he said: “A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily.

“Commiserations to my good friend Richard Thomson - a great man and colleague.

“Congratulations to Douglas Lumsden. I know he loves this city as much as I do, and I look forward to working with him.

“We lost Aberdeen South to the Tories in 2018, and we won it back two years later. I’ve no doubt that we can do so again, if we get things right.”

This was echoed by First Minister John Swinney, who said: “Very disappointed with the result in Aberdeen South. The SNP remains strong but it is clear that tactical voting has had a real impact on the result.

“Congratulations to Douglas Lumsden, well done to Richard Thomson and his dedicated team for their efforts.”

Meanwhile in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Ms Bird said her win demonstrates the “community is inclusive”.

In her victory speech, she said: “The people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry have rejected the politics of division and hate.

“We have demonstrated that our community is inclusive, hopeful and proud, and that while there are challenges that we must face, we will face them together and not allow others to turn us against each other.”

The turnout in Aberdeen South was 38.08 per cent and the turnout in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry was 31.36 per cent.