The Conservatives have secured a significant by-election victory in Aberdeen South, overturning a substantial SNP majority in what party leader Kemi Badenoch had described as a “referendum” on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Scottish Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden won the seat with 14,308 votes, securing almost 50 per cent of the vote and defeating SNP challenger Richard Gordon Thomson by more than 6,000 votes. The SNP finished with 8,258 votes. Turnout was reported at 38 per cent.
The result marks the first time since 1967 that the Conservatives have gained a Westminster seat in a Scottish by-election.
Mr Lumsden, who spent two decades working in the oil and gas sector, said the outcome reflected growing concern about the future of the energy industry.
Speaking after his victory, he said:
“We stopped the SNP, and we sent Labour the message that the destruction of the North Sea oil and gas industry must stop now.”
He added: “I share your anger, I share your frustration, and I share your fears for the future and I promise that I will be a strong voice for the city, standing up for you, your families and your livelihoods against short-sighted policies.”
Mr Lumsden continued: “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 given a resounding answer that we back the oil and gas industry.”
“What has been made clear here tonight is that the Labour and the SNP governments must act to end the wilful destruction of the energy industry.”
The by-election was triggered after former SNP MP Stephen Flynn resigned the Westminster seat following his election to the Scottish Parliament.
Reform UK finished third with 2,478 votes, while Labour narrowly retained its deposit with 1,550 votes.
The result is likely to be viewed as a significant boost for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited the constituency three times during the campaign and made support for the North Sea energy sector a central theme.
During a visit earlier this week, Mrs Badenoch contrasted the Aberdeen contest with the by-election in Makerfield.
“Everyone is talking about the by-election in Makerfield, that is about one man’s job and one man’s ego, but this by-election is about thousands of jobs,” she said.
“I want everyone to know that we will never stop fighting for Aberdeen. We will never stop fighting for this city. We need to bring jobs back. We need to bring hope back.”
Energy policy dominated the campaign, with all major parties seeking to reassure voters over the future of employment in the region’s oil and gas sector.
Aberdeen has long been regarded as Europe’s energy capital because of its links to North Sea oil and gas production. However, the industry has faced significant challenges in recent years. Industry figures estimate that more than 57,000 offshore energy jobs have been lost over the past decade, while property values in parts of Aberdeen have fallen substantially.
The election also comes amid ongoing debate over future North Sea drilling. The Labour Government has proposed legislation that would permanently prevent the issuing of new oil and gas exploration licences, while retaining the windfall tax on energy company profits.
The SNP administration at Holyrood has also faced criticism from parts of the energy sector after previously publishing a draft energy strategy that proposed a presumption against new developments, including major projects such as the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
The defeat is also likely to intensify scrutiny of the SNP following the conviction of former party chief executive Peter Murrell. Last month, Mr Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000 from party funds and is due to be sentenced next week.
Following the result, former Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn appeared to suggest lessons needed to be learned from the defeat.
Writing on X, he described it as “a tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily”, adding that he believed the SNP could regain the seat at the next general election “if we get things right”.
Elsewhere, the SNP successfully held the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election, retaining the seat in a result that had been widely expected.
