A local councillor has toppled political giant and figurehead of Scottish nationalism Alex Salmond in a “David and Goliath” fairytale.
Conservative councillor Colin Clark triumphed over the former First Minister of Scotland by 2,607 votes on a night other prominent nationalists in the north-east were also defeated.
Mr Clark said his remarkable victory was a signal that Scottish people – even traditional SNP supporters – will not be dragged “kicking and screaming” into a second independence referendum.
Mr Salmond, who won his previous nine parliamentary elections during a frontline political career which has stretched over three decades, said it has been the “privilege” of his life to represent the north-east of Scotland.
But his defeat came only days after his father Robert died aged 95. Speaking from the stage at the AECC, the former First Minister said: “We’ve suffered some serious blows recently which have put the world of politics into perspective.”
He also laughed off suggestions his successor in Bute House Nicola Sturgeon should resign, saying the nationalists have still won a majority of Scottish seats, and called on his colleagues to form a “progressive alliance” with other parties.
Mr Salmond’s loss came just hours after another prominent north-east SNP figure, Callum McCaig, was defeated by Tory opposition.
Conservative Ross Thomson overturned a deficit of 9,000 votes to win Aberdeen South for his party for the first time since 1992.
Mr McCaig enjoyed a meteoric rise as a politician becoming leader of the city council at the age of just 23.
And two years ago he was a beneficiary of his party’s surge at Westminster when he won the seat with 20,221 votes.
But this time around he was not so fortunate as he lost by 4,752 votes.
For Mr Thomson it was third time lucky in the area after contesting the seat at the UK election in 2015, and in the Scottish parliamentary elections.
He said: “I think there are two very clear reasons that people have voted for the Conservatives here in Aberdeen South. The first one being that the area voted overwhelmingly against independence in 2014.
“The other reason is that people here in Aberdeen and the north-east feel forgotten about by a Scottish Government which is so focused on the central belt.”
Mr McCaig, speaking after his defeat, said: “It’s much more stressful being the incumbent, you go in with your own record and it feels more personal when you are on the incumbent side.”