Aberdeen North’s re-elected MP has claimed her thumping victory shows an appetite for another independence referendum.
Kirsty Blackman won 20,205 votes, out of 37,485 cast, in the former Labour stronghold – more than 5,000 more than she won in 2017.
Conservative candidate Ryan Houghton, who was suspended by the party at the start of the campaign when anti-Semetic online posts made eight years ago resurfaced, pushed Labour into third place – winning 7,535 to their candidate Nurul Ali’s 4,939.
Liberal Democrat Isobel Davidson also enjoyed a bounce, winning 2,846 votes.
Ms Blackman, who first took the Aberdeen North seat in 2015, said her victory – and the SNP wave across the country – showed that there was an appetite for independence.
However Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to block any re-running of the 2014 poll.
Ms Blackman said Mr Johnson could not ignore the results of the vote.
She said: “I’m so honoured to the MP for Aberdeen North again to represent my city at Westminster.
“We were very clear in our manifesto that it should be the people of Scotland who decide the future for Scotland and looking at the potential for the exit poll – the fact that we are delivering a majority of seats is absolutely significant.
“We will be saying we want the Scottish parliament to decide when it is held.
“We have an unambiguous message from the people of Scotland that they are rejecting that Conservative message ‘no to indyref’ and it looks like that is being rejected in constituencies across Scotland. “
Mr Houghton did not attend the count on Thursday.
Labour candidate Mr Ali admitted he was disappointed at the result, adding: “I don’t think the fall in Labour votes is directly connected to Jeremy Corbyn. I can’t say.”
Meanwhile, the Green’s Guy Ingerson said the party had made “history” by standing for the first time in Aberdeen North. He took a total of 880 votes, and thanked those who put “climate emergency on the agenda”.
Seb Leslie, father of Game of Thrones actress Rose Leslie and a councillor for West Garioch, polled 1,008 votes for the Brexit party.