𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has welcomed her party’s win in Aberdeen South with a swipe at Andy Burnham. Commenting this morning Mrs Badenoch congratulated her candidate, Douglas Lumsden, saying “Makerfield was about one man’s job. Aberdeen South was about thousands.”

The Conservative Party campaign in the region has focused extensively on drilling in the North Sea which they say will secure Britain’s energy security. She added that Aberdonians “know it is common sense to use our own oil and gas rather than importing it from overseas.”

Mrs Badenoch added that many local residents would have backed her party “because they care deeply about Aberdeen and its future […] because they are sick of the SNP’s shenanigans.”

She added that others would have done so “because they are worried about what Labour’s policies mean for their jobs and livelihoods.”

The Conservative Party is “working to earn the trust of the country again” she added, saying her party would “fight for families, workers and business.”

Mr Lumsden won with a more than 6,000 vote majority, smashing the SNP who had triggered the by-election when their Westminster leader was elected to Holyrood.

Andrew Bowie MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, said the victory was “extraordinary” as he hailed the first by-election win for the party since 1967.

He added: “We said this election was a referendum on the future of North Sea oil and gas, and Aberdeen has spoken loud and clear. Let’s Get Britain Drilling Now.

“I look forward to Douglas joining the Conservative team in Westminster, where I know he will work tirelessly to hold Ed Miliband to account and stand up for the people of Aberdeen.”

Mr Flynn, the SNP’s Cabinet Secretary for economy, tourism and transport, took take aim at SNP leadership over the loss.

He said it was “a tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily”, adding that he had no doubt the SNP could win back the seat in 2029 “if we get things right”.