Kemi Badenoch handed major boost as Tories win key seat in Scotland in blow to SNP

Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden has won the Aberdeen South by-election in a major boost for Kemi Badenoch.

The Conservative Party took the seat from the SNP in the early hours of Friday morning.

Mr Lumsden got 14,308 votes, ahead of the SNP's Richard Thomson at 8,258. Reform UK came third with a little over 2,000 votes.

The Tory who took Aberdeen South from the SNP said the people of the city had spoken “loud and clear” that the “destruction of the North Sea oil and has industry must stop now”.

He added: “We said at the start of this campaign that it is a referendum on the oil and gas industry and the people of Aberdeen have give a resounding answer that we back the oil and gas industry.”

The Conservative win is only the fifth time this century the party has gained a Scottish 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%, a result which piled pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who was then leader of the opposition.

Andrew Bowie MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “This is an extraordinary victory for Douglas Lumsden MP and the Conservatives. This is the first time that the Conservative Party has gained a Westminster Parliamentary by-election in Scotland since 1967.

“We said this election was a referendum on the future of North Sea oil and gas, and Aberdeen has spoken loud and clear. Let’s Get Britain Drilling Now.

“I look forward to Douglas joining the Conservative team in Westminster, where I know he will work tirelessly to hold Ed Miliband to account and stand up for the people of Aberdeen.”

The SNP’s Stephen Flynn, who gave up his Aberdeen South seat for a seat in Holyrood, wrote on social media: “A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily.”

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

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

The campaign for Aberdeen South became a battle over the future of oil and gas, with the Conservatives, Reform and the SNP vying to persuade those in the city – dubbed the energy capital of Europe – they support the industry the most.

Candidates reported the fate of the industry was one of the key issues coming up on the doorsteps during canvassing sessions.

It will be only the fifth time this century the Tories have gained a seat at a Westminster by-election.