Scottish Conservatives Win Aberdeen South By-Election
Scottish Conservatives have won the Aberdeen South by-election. They took the seat from the Scottish National Party.
Douglas Lumsden won with 14,308 votes. SNP candidate Richard Thomson got 8,258 votes.
The winning margin was 6,050 votes. Voter turnout was 37.4%.
This is the first Scottish Conservative Westminster by-election win in over 50 years. Lumsden said the city spoke clearly in support of North Sea oil and gas.
The Conservative campaign criticized high taxes and limits on new oil and gas exploration. The by-election happened after SNP leader Stephen Flynn moved to the Scottish Parliament.
Klear Note — By-elections fill vacant seats between regular elections. The Scottish National Party held this seat. North Sea oil and gas are major industries for Aberdeen's economy.
Key Terms 4
- by-election A vote held to fill one empty seat in parliament
- SNP Scottish National Party — a major political party in Scotland
- swing How much voter support shifted from one party to another
- Westminster The UK Parliament based in London