Key facts
- Douglas Lumsden of the Conservative Party won the Aberdeen South by-election.
- The victory is the first Scottish Westminster by-election win for the Conservatives in over 50 years.
- The SNP retained the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat in a concurrent by-election.
- Lumsden stated his intention to advocate for the oil and gas industry.
- The SNP's vote share in Aberdeen South significantly decreased.
The Conservative Party achieved a significant by-election victory in Aberdeen South, unseating the Scottish National Party's (SNP) Richard Thomson. Douglas Lumsden secured 14,308 votes, a result described by Tory sources as 'seismic' and the first Scottish by-election win for the party since 1967. The SNP's vote share plummeted from 15,213 in the 2024 general election to 8,258.
Following the loss, SNP MP Stephen Flynn called for 'heavy reflection' within the party, suggesting that voters might not understand or perceive the SNP's energy policy as strong enough, particularly in Aberdeen, a city known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. Lumsden, the newly elected MP, stated his intention to advocate for the oil and gas industry and urged Labour to change its stance on energy policy.
SNP candidate Richard Thomson acknowledged the Conservatives' intensive campaign efforts and suggested tactical voting played a role. He downplayed the impact of the guilty plea by former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell on the election outcome. Meanwhile, First Minister John Swinney expressed disappointment, attributing the loss to tactical voting.
In contrast, the SNP retained the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat, with lawyer Lara Bird winning with 9,802 votes. Bird noted the differing circumstances and expressed pride in her team's achievement of an increased majority and vote share.