Conservatives claim historic victory in Aberdeen South by-election

Douglas Lumsden has won Aberdeen South for the Conservatives, marking their first Scottish by-election win since 1967.

He secured the seat with 14,308 votes, which was largely attributed to strategic voting, according to Tory sources.

The Scottish National Party saw their vote collapse from 15,213 in the 2024 general election to 8,258 in this contest.

After his victory, Lumsden expressed his eagerness to advocate for Aberdeen and its oil and gas industry at Westminster. He stated the need for new energy licences and scrapping the energy profits levy to preserve jobs.

The previous holder of the Aberdeen South seat, Stephen Flynn of the SNP, expressed disappointment via social media, calling for reflection on the party's strategy.

The SNP's stance on oil and gas was identified as a key issue with some voters, according to a senior party source, viewing the party's energy policy as weak.

First Minister John Swinney mentioned the significant impact of tactical voting on the results, while SNP candidate Richard Thomson commented on the Conservative campaign's extensive resources.

The Conservative Party has interpreted this result as indicative of Aberdeen's focus on energy security, which includes local oil and gas jobs.

UK leader Kemi Badenoch highlighted the importance of energy security and community representation in the Conservative victory. She emphasized the local impact on jobs in Aberdeen and criticised the SNP’s policies while praising Douglas Lumsden for his commitment to the region and his previous experience within the oil and gas sector.

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