THE SNP have upset the odds to secure an Aberdeenshire council by-election victory.
Louise McAllister won the Ellon and district ward seat, seeing off Tory rival John Crawley.
The vote was triggered after Richard Thomson stepped down as a councillor following his election to Westminster.
The seat was retained by local business owner and community councillor McAllister with 42% of the first preference votes – an increase of more than 10% on the SNP share in 2017.
Ellon and District (Aberdeenshire) By-Election, First Preferences:
— Ballot Box Scotland (@BallotBoxScot) October 16, 2020
SNP - 1683 (42.4%, +10.5)
Conservative - 1658 (41.7%, +0.8)
Lib Dem - 405 (10.2%, -9.5)
Labour - 114 (2.9%, -4.7)
Green - 112 (2.8%, +2.8)
SNP elected stage TBC pic.twitter.com/CkzDQAwKQX
She joins Gordon MP Thomson, Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin and councillor Anouk Kloppert as a fourth SNP representative in the area.
The new councillor has lived in Aberdeenshire for 16 years and runs her own business from Ellon as a humanist celebrant.
She said: “I am thrilled to have retained this seat for the SNP and I can’t wait to get started working hard for the people of Ellon and district.
“I would like to thank my election agent and local members who came out to support me and campaign in the lead-up to this election.
“I would also like to say a very big thank-you to the council staff who worked hard in exceptional times to ensure constituents had the chance to exercise their democratic rights."
Breaking - @theSNP win Ellon & District by election! Congratulations to Aberdeenshire’s newest councillor @Louise4Ellon - can’t wait to work with you! pic.twitter.com/xTGVyLTj3N
— Richard Thomson MP (@RThomsonMP) October 16, 2020
McAllister added: “Finally, I would like to recognise the hard work of Richard Thomson MP and the work he did during his time as a Councillor and SNP group leader.
“These are incredibly challenging times for everyone and I now look forward to helping support constituents in whatever way possible.”
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