2 hours ago 5 minutes ago
Angus CochraneSenior governmental journalist, BBC Scotland
PA Media
Douglas Lumsden is to resign from Holyrood arsenic helium takes up a spot astatine Westminster
The Scottish Conservatives person won a Westminster by-election for the archetypal clip successful much than 50 years, taking Aberdeen South from the SNP.
The seat, vacated by the SNP's Stephen Flynn, was won by Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden.
Shortly afterwards SNP claimed a triumph successful the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election wherever Lara Bird held the spot for the party.
Lumsden, who is incapable to beryllium successful some parliaments owed to a Holyrood prohibition alleged dual mandates, is to resign from Holyrood conscionable six weeks aft winning re-election arsenic a North East MSP.
The by-elections were triggered erstwhile sitting MPs - Flynn and his SNP workfellow Stephen Gethins - resigned from the House of Commons aft being elected to Holyrood.
Lumsden, a erstwhile lipid and state worker, said his constituents had sent a connection that "the demolition of the lipid and state manufacture indispensable halt now".
The North East MSP defeated SNP campaigner Richard Thomson, a erstwhile MP for Gordon, by a borderline of much than 6,000 votes, with the Tories taking much than fractional of each ballots cast.
In Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Bird won the spot connected Scotland's eastbound seashore for the SNP with a bulk of much than 5,000 votes implicit the Conservatives.
Bird, from adjacent Kirriemuir, is simply a qualified lawyer who has worked arsenic an SNP researcher and advisor astatine Westminster.
She said the radical had "rejected the authorities of part and hate" and made it wide that Scotland's aboriginal "lies with independence".
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Lara Bird won Arbroath and Broughty Ferry for the SNP
Flynn, who is present Scotland's system secretary, responded to the nonaccomplishment of his aged spot on societal media, posting: "A pugnacious nighttime successful Aberdeen that immoderate volition request to bespeak on, rather heavily."
He added: "We mislaid Aberdeen South to the Tories successful 2017, and we won it backmost 2 years later.
"I've nary uncertainty that we tin bash truthful again. If we get things right."
The Conservatives past won a Westminster by-election northbound of the borderline successful 1973, erstwhile they held Edinburgh North.
The Scottish Tories had not gained a spot successful a Westminster by-election since 1967, erstwhile they took Glasgow Pollok from Labour.
Within weeks the enactment was rocked by a ungraded surrounding former main enforcement Peter Murrell, who admitted successful tribunal to embezzling much than £400,000 of SNP funds implicit a 12-year period.
He is owed to beryllium sentenced adjacent week.
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