The Conservatives have claimed their first by-election gain in Scotland since 1967 as the SNP vote collapsed.
Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden claimed the seat held by former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn – who said some in his party will have to “reflect”.
On a 38% turnout in the seat, Mr Lumsden won 14,308 votes, with the SNP’s share dropping from 15,213 in 2024 to just 8,258 in Thursday’s by-election.
In his victory speech, the newly-elected MP 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.”
Posting on X after the SNP conceded defeat in the contest, Mr Flynn said: “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.”
A senior party source also hit out at the SNP’s stance on oil and gas – a key issue in a city which has been dubbed as the oil and gas capital of Europe – suggesting voters do not understand the party’s energy policy or view it as “weak”.
Party leader John Swinney has said he favours “climate compatibility tests” on any new drilling on oil and gas, but his Government has failed to finalise its stance by publishing a final energy strategy.
Speaking to journalists after the result, SNP candidate Richard Thomson said the Tories had “thrown the kitchen sink” at the campaign.
“We like not to be out-campaigned, but on this occasion, I think, just the sheer amount of resources that we were up against made it difficult to get the result we’d hoped for,” he said.
The candidates in the Aberdeen South by-election await the results (Michal Wachucik/PA Wire)
PA Wire
The guilty plea of former SNP chief executive – and Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband – Peter Murrell did not “make a bit of difference” to the party’s fortunes in Thursday’s poll, he added.
“If anybody raised it, it was usually an indication that they weren’t voting SNP anyway.
“I think any votes that were decided by that were decided a long, long time ago.”
Mr Thomson went on to criticise broadcast media coverage of the two by-elections in Scotland, with more focus, he said, being put on the Makerfield contest in north west England.
The SNP did hold onto Arbroath and Broughty Ferry with Lara Bird taking the seat vacated by Stephen Gethins who, like Mr Flynn, quit Westminster for Holyrood.
Ms Bird – a lawyer and SNP adviser – won 9,802 votes in Thursday’s contest, with Reform’s Bill Reid second with 4,841.
