Scottish Conservatives win Aberdeen South in shock loss for the SNP

Scottish Conservative Douglas Lumsden gives a speech after winning the Aberdeen South byelection, taking the seat from the SNP. Photograph: Michał Wachucik/PA

The Scottish National party has lost the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives.

Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP’s Richard Thomson by 6,050 votes, with a 14.69% swing away towards the Scottish Tories, whose vote share was 49.51%. Lumsden’s vote tally was 14,308, with Thomson on 8,258. Jo Hart for Reform came a distant third with 2,478 votes. The turnout was just 38%.