The co-leader of Aberdeen City Council is to give up the role, as he splits his time between the local authority and his new job at Holyrood.
Councillor Douglas Lumsden was voted in as one of four Scottish Conservative MSPs on the North East regional list.
But, he intends to remain on the council to see out his term until next year’s local election.
No return for Salmond on Alba list vote
Meanwhile, all eyes were on P&J Live all weekend as the potential venue of a dramatic return to the Scottish Parliament for former first minister Alex Salmond.
His party, standing only in the list contest, fell short of the mark in the race for votes, trailing the Greens – who won a first North East seat in more than a decade – and the Liberal Democrats, who missed out too.
Likely new council co-leader to be agreed tomorrow
The Aberdeen Conservative group will meet tomorrow, with a view to naming Mr Lumsden’s successor.
As well as co-leader of the council, he will also give up his role as convener of the city growth and resources convener.
He told us: “I will meet with the rest of the Conservative group tomorrow morning.
“I imagine at that time we will elect a new group leader and there will be a new council co-leader in the coming week or two.
“It is only right to continue as a councillor for the next year, looking at the cost to the public of a by-election.
“I don’t think it would be worth it for only a year left.
“I do this full time so I have plenty of time to deal with queries that come my way.
“I am going to work as hard as I have been working over the last four years at this new role and the existing councillor role.”
The success in the list vote takes the party’s overall tally to five, after they held the Aberdeenshire West constituency seat too.
Liam Kerr, who lost the Aberdeen South And North Kincardine contest earlier today, was returned as a list MSP for a second time, with Maurice Golden and Tess White completing the quartet.
Scottish Labour too held their ground in the North East region, returning two new MSPs: Dundee-based pair Councillor Michael Marra and Mercedes Villalba.
Lochee representative Mr Marra did not travel to P&J Live in Aberdeen for the results, announced at 7pm on the second day of the Covid impacted election count.