Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of being “obsessed” with internal party “drama” as she celebrated the Conservative Party’s by-election victory in Aberdeen South. The Conservative leader challenged Sir Keir Starmer and his ministers to instead focus on critical issues such as energy policy and national security.
By-Election Victory Sends Message on North Sea Drilling
Speaking at a victory rally in Aberdeen, Badenoch declared that the win “sent a message” in favour of more drilling in the North Sea. She called for the controversial Jackdaw and Rosebank developments to be given the go-ahead, arguing that approving these projects would bolster the UK’s national security. “We need to drill our own oil in the North Sea, not take oil from Russia,” she said.
Badenoch also claimed the victory demonstrated that the Conservatives are a “credible alternative to take over from Labour” at the next general election. “If we can win in Scotland in a seat where we haven’t won a by-election since 1967, we can win anywhere,” she declared.
Labour Accused of Ignoring Cost of Living
The Conservative leader criticised the Prime Minister and his party, saying they are “so obsessed about their own party drama that they are not interested in the cost of living, they are not interested in what is happening to people all across this country, what is impacting their lives.”
Her comments came during a visit to Aberdeen to celebrate the party’s success in capturing the seat previously held by former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn. The by-election was triggered after Flynn switched to Holyrood, winning a seat in the Scottish Parliament election in May.
SNP Vote Collapses as Tories Win Easily
An SNP source expressed concerns that the defeat was due to the party’s stance on oil and gas being perceived as “weak”. The SNP vote collapsed from 15,213 in 2024 to just 8,258 on Thursday, while Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden won the seat with 14,308 votes.
The Tories focused their campaign on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry, framing the by-election as a “referendum” on the issue. Badenoch emphasised the importance of energy security to national security, attacking Labour for opposing new oil developments. “What is happening right now as we kill the oil and gas sector is we are killing our energy security,” she said.
Call to Lift Ban on New Projects
Urging the Government to back new oil and gas projects, Badenoch said: “It is time to lift the ban… let Jackdaw and Rosebank drill, and provide energy and security to this country and to homes all across the UK.” She highlighted that the contest was about “thousands” of jobs in the sector.
In contrast, she noted that the Makerfield by-election, also held on Thursday and won by Andy Burnham, “was about one man’s job,” while the Aberdeen South by-election was about thousands of jobs across the country, especially in oil and gas.
Lumsden Hopes Victory Will Force Labour to Change Course
Douglas Lumsden, who will now give up his regional list seat at Holyrood, said he hopes his “seismic victory” will force Labour, which came fourth in Aberdeen South, to “change course on oil and gas.”
Scottish First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney said he was “very disappointed” to lose the seat, adding that “tactical voting has had a real impact on the result.” Defeated SNP candidate Richard Thomson acknowledged the Tories had “thrown the kitchen sink” at the campaign, with Badenoch making several visits to the area.
Thomson also noted that the guilty plea of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell did not “make a bit of difference” to the party’s fortunes in the poll. Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP and is due to be sentenced next week. “If anybody raised it, it was usually an indication that they weren’t voting SNP anyway,” Thomson said.
SNP Holds Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
Despite the loss in Aberdeen South, the SNP held Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, with Lara Bird taking the seat vacated by Stephen Gethins, who also quit Westminster for Holyrood. Bird, a lawyer and SNP adviser, won 9,802 votes, with Reform’s Bill Reid second with 4,841.
Speaking to the Press Association, Bird said: “It was obviously the Tories’ night up in Aberdeen this evening, and obviously that’s a disappointing result for us. But the circumstances are very different. I’m just delighted for what we were able to achieve here in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.”
