This post comes with heavy caveats. Nothing is ever official until it is properly declared.
However, the BBC is reporting this about that the SNP have conceded defeat ahead of tomorrow’s recount in the Inverness, Skye and Ross West seat where Angus Macdonald is our candidate. This is the latest incarnation of the seat held between 1983 and 2015 by Charles Kennedy and has enormous emotional resonance for the party.
It seems likely the constituency will go to the Liberal Democrats – although the result is not expected to be officially announced until after a second recount which will begin at 10:30 on Saturday.
SNP candidate Drew Hendry said he would be unable to attend the recount due to an “unmovable prior commitment”.
He said it had been “an absolute joy” to serve the people of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey for the last nine years – and that he was disappointed not to be continuing as MP under the new Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire boundary.
It is now expected that the seat will be won by Angus MacDonald of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The outcome had originally been expected at about 05:00 on Friday, but there was a recount – then candidates were told the votes would need to be counted again on Saturday morning.
Returning officer Derek Brown said the delay was due to a discrepancy between the verified votes total and the provisional number of counted votes.
Watch this space…
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3 Comments
Spiritual home of Lib Dems
I sincerely hope that Inverness West Ross-shire returns to the Liberal Democrat fold. The joining of two historically important seats under new boundaries, former home of Sir Russell Johnstone , Danny Alaxender and of cause Charles Kennedy. It would be poetic justice to have this seat back, as reprobation for the terrible abuse inflicted on Charles Kennedy in 2015 by Iain Blackfords crowd . My understanding is that Drew Hendry has already conceded the seat to Angus MacDonald . Also at 3.30 am on Friday morning Blair McDougall the chef strategist of Better together won the Seat of East Renfrewshire from SNP business Convenor Kirsten Oswald, a Labour politician to watch at Westminster. Charles Kennedy would have been so proud of the Liberal Democrat’s achievements on Friday morning, the biggest group of Liberals since 1924. Also a fact that will have escaped folk , we know have Liberal Democrat MP representation at most councils controlled by the Lib Dem’s. That has never happened since the formation of the party in 1988.
@ Dan: ” Spiritual home” sounds right. If Angus MacDonald wins I shall celebrate with a glass of Talisker.