THE Tories have failed in their bid to win the SNP's most marginal seat with Nicola Sturgeon's party retaking the constituency with an increased majority.
Jim Fairlie won the ballot this afternoon in Perthshire South and Kinross-shire beating the Tories' candidate Liz Smith, the party's former education spokeswoman in Holyrood.
Fairlie, who was a co-founder of Farmers4Yes ahead of the 2014 independence referendum and founded Scotland’s first farmers market, increased the SNP majority by 526 votes.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Fairlie.
She wrote on Twitter: "Doesn’t seem like a week since Jim Fairlie, Pete Wishart and I were campaigning in Letham in the torrential rain. Fantastic result in a seat that the Tories talked up and some people doubted we would hold."
SNP MP Peter Grant wrote: "Yaaaaas! Another 'probable Tory gain' stays SNP."
Fairlie will be a new face in Holyrood and replaces long serving Roseanna Cunningham who is standing down.
The Perthshire farmer said he was "over the moon to be representing my own constituency".
He added: "It's the place where I grew up, where I was born and spent my entire life. It's a huge huge honour.
Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon with SNP candidate Jim Fairlie and Deputy First Minister John Swinney
"I will absolutely represent the constituents regardless of how they voted."
Returning officer Barbara Renton announced the result just before 2pm to a socially distant reduced group gathered in Bell's Sports Centre, Perth.
Fairlie netted 20,126 votes, taking 45.7% of the vote share, while Smith got 18,178 votes with 41.2% vote share.
Both the Labour and the LibDem vote share fell by 3% and 2% respectively.
Turnout was 70% - an increase of 9% from 2016.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel