Election 2024: John Lamont is re-elected as MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Conservative candidate increases his majority on 'challenging night' for his party
Last updated 5th Jul 2024
Conservative candidate John Lamont has been returned as the MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk - a constituency he's represented in the UK Parliament since 2017.
He polled 18,872 of the 46,696 votes cast - increasing his majority over the SNP, from 5,148 votes to 6,599.
"I'm absolutely delighted," Mr Lamont told Greatest Hits Radio, after the result was declared, shortly after 4am.
"I'm very grateful to the voters here in the Borders for putting their faith in me yet again. I really do love doing my job representing the Scottish Borders, and will continue to work as hard as I possibly can on behalf of my constituents."
The victory comes on what he described as a "very challenging night" for his party, which lost overall power to the Labour Party.
But the SNP - who polled 12,273 votes in the Borders contest - also lost seats overnight.
Mr Lamont added: "It shows you that the voters are sick to death hearing about referendums when our NHS is struggling in Scotland, our schools are going backwards in the league tables, when our transport system is struggling.
"Voters the length and breadth of Scotland are saying: 'Come on guys in the Scottish Government, focus on your day job; get on with the public services you're responsible for and stop fretting about constitutional change'."
SNP candidate David Wilson isn't too downhearted with the result, believing the lower turnout - 61.1 per cent compared to 71.5 per cent in 2019 - and tactical voting was partly to blame.
"Actually, I'm feeling good," he said. "Given I've never run for office before and I was up against an incumbent who's been an elected member for 17 years, in a place that is very hard for us notoriously. I got more votes tonight that some of our candidates in the Central Belt."
He added: "This election was about the cost of living crisis, it was about ending 14 years of Tory failure, Tory economic decline. And people voted Labour to make sure that the Tories stayed out of Westminster."
Former Labour leader Iain Gray attended the count in Kelso to support his party's candidate, Caitlin Stott.
He said: "I think people are fed-up of the Tory government after 14 years. And, to be honest, they're fed-up with the SNP Scottish Government as well. So that message that this is a real opportunity to change things has been a strong one.
"This is now about the future and looking towards 2026 when we've got the Holyrood elections. I think we've had a really good campaign here locally and that will be an important platform for us to move forward."
The full breakdown of votes is as follows: Ray Georgeson, Scottish Liberal Democrats - 3686; Hamish Goldie-Scot, Scottish Family Party - 221; Carolyn Grant, Reform UK - 3340; John Lamont, Scottish Conservative and Unionist - 18,872; Neil MacKinnon, Scottish Green Party - 1526; Ellie Merton, Independent - 329; Caitlin Stott, Scottish Labour Party - 6311; David James Wilson, Scottish National Party - 12,273.
The count took place overnight at Borders Events Centre at Springwood Park in Kelso.
Returning Officer David Robertson said: “I’d like to thank all the staff who made sure that the election in this constituency ran efficiently and accurately, both at polling stations across the area and at the count centre.”
Meanwhile, Labour have taken North Northumberland from the Conservatives - with David Smith being elected in place of former cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
And Borders Conservative councillor Scott Hamilton lost out to Labour's Douglas Alexander in Lothian East.
But the Conservatives made it a hat-trick across the South of Scotland with David Mundell returned once more for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, and John Cooper elected in Alister Jack's old seat of Dumfries and Galloway.
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