Scottish election: Lib Dems hold Orkney but lose Shetland as results begin

The Liberal Democrats have held Orkney in the first result of the Scottish Parliament election.

But the party has lost control of Shetland for the first time in the history of devolution in a major upset.

The SNP's Hannah-Mary Goodlad was victorious with 5,453 votes in a constituency that was considered one of the safest seats in the country.

Its last MSP, Beatrice Wishart, stood down ahead of the election and while local council leader Emma Macdonald hoped to take over, she was unable to stem the tide of votes to Goodlad, whose work for Norwegian energy giant Equinor was seen as an advantage in a seat where North Sea jobs and energy poverty are major issues.

Returning MSP Liam McArthur secured 70 per cent of the vote in Orkney, winning on 7,221.

The second placed SNP was on 1,661, with Reform UK third on 844. The Conservatives managed 358 and Labour was pushed into fifth place on just 199.

The declaration was the first of 129 parliamentary seats across 73 constituencies and eight multi-member regions. All winners are expected to be announced by 7pm.

The Orkney result marks a 7.8 per cent increase in vote share for the Scottish Lib Dems, while the SNP share dropped by 12.9 per cent compared with the last election in 2021.

McArthur served as a deputy presiding officer in the last election and was the MSP behind the assisted dying bill, which ultimately failed to pass. He has ruled out bringing the legislation back in this parliament.

Responding to the result, McArthur said: “I would like to thank everyone in Orkney who has placed their trust in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and returned me to parliament. It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your MSP for the last nineteen years, and I look forward immensely to the next five.”

The result comes after UK Lib Dem leader Ed Davey revealed he would be travelling to Scotland today, with an expectation of positive results for the party. 

The SNP’s first win has been announced in Dundee City West, where turnout was 46.4 per cent. Councillor Heather Anderson, who was an MEP for four days in the election just before Brexit took effect, has been elected there with 12,722 votes.

Labour’s Michael Marra, the party's finance spokesman, ended in second place on 6,365, with Reform UK winning 3,315 votes to come in third. The Conservative vote was 881.

The seat is a hold for the SNP and was last represented by Joe Fitzpatrick, who is amongst dozens of politicians who chose not to run again this time around.

It was followed by success for the SNP in both Aberdeen Central, where government spin doctor Jack Middleton won the most votes, and in Kilmarnock and Loudon, which went to former MP Alan Brown.

And Dundee City East - the other half of "Yes city" - also stayed yellow as Stephen Gethins won by a margin of around 8,000 votes.

Gethins is currently an MP and his win will force a Westminster byelection.

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