The SNP showed their dominance last night by retaining their seat in an Aberdeen by-election.
The party’s candidate Audrey Nicoll received the most votes with 1,618 and has been elected as the new councillor for Torry/Ferryhill, as reported in the Evening Express.
The Scottish Conservatives’ Neil Murray came in second with 972 votes, while Labour’s Willie Young trailed in third place with 395 votes.
Voters in Torry/Ferryhill went to the polls yesterday to elect a new councillor following the resignation of SNP member Catriona Mackenzie.
The by-election result means the ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration have just a single member majority.
Liberal Democrat candidate Gregor McAbery came in fourth place with 315 votes, followed by Betty Lyon of the Scottish Green Party on 304 votes, independent Simon McLean with 86 and UKIP’s Roy Hill on 53 votes.
The turn-out for the by-election was 24.5% with 3,783 votes cast from a total electorate of 15,443.
Mrs Nicoll said: “I think people appreciated my local knowledge of the area and that the result has been influenced by a big flux in both local and national politics.
“I thank everyone who turned out and voted for me.”
Conservative council group leader Douglas Lumsden, who is standing for the Aberdeen South seat at the general election, urged unionists to lend their votes to the Tories on December 12.
He said: “I’m disappointed we didn’t win but we had a strong second place showing with Labour and the Liberal Democrats nowhere near.
“It is clear that only voting Conservative can stop Nicola Sturgeon holding another divisive independence referendum.”
Mr Young called on Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard to re-admit the nine suspended councillors to provide more support in campaigns.
He said: “This seat was really the SNP’s to lose, and with a low turnout, they managed to get their support to the polls and the other parties didn’t.
“To strengthen the party locally we need to see real leadership from Richard Leonard who must now re-instate the Aberdeen nine – who have been suspended for two and a half years in this farcical situation.”
Martin Greig said:“This was an excellent increase in our vote for the Liberal Democrats. We were only 80 votes behind Willie Young’s Labour party.
“With our local rise in support, we are now in an even stronger position for the next election.”
