Angus Robertson elected SNP's new depute leader
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has been elected as the party's new depute leader.
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has been elected as the party's new depute leader.
Mr Robertson secured 52.5% of the vote, defeating fellow MP Tommy Sheppard, who secured 25.5% of votes, MEP Alyn Smith, who took 18.6%, and Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny, who was backed by 3.4%.
The results were announced at the start of the SNP's national conference in Glasgow.
Mr Robertson said he was "absolutely bowled over" by the result.
He said: "I think it makes perfect sense for the leadership team of the SNP to be made up by our leader in the Scottish Government and parliament, Nicola Sturgeon our First Minister, and the leader at Westminster.
"I think it makes perfect sense that our leadership team reflects Scotland, Nicola as a fantastic representative of this great city in central Scotland, myself as a parliamentarian living, working and representing in a part of rural Scotland."
He added: "We are the most effective political party in this country, our strength comes from our members, our branches, our local grass-roots campaigning and our partnership with councillors and parliamentarians.
"We have big challenges ahead and big opportunities.
"We are very, very close to independence and we must start campaigning right now to persuade people who did not vote Yes in 2014.
"I believe that the SNP depute leader has a big job to make this happen and I will work with Nicola Sturgeon to make this happen."
The leadership contest was held after Stewart Hosie stood down from the job amid allegations about his private life.
Mr Robertson - widely seen as the favourite to replace him - has been the party's Westminster leader since 2010.
His UK-wide profile rose after the SNP won 56 of Scotland's 59 Westminster seats in the 2015 general election, giving him a weekly platform at Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Robertson was born in London to Scottish and German parents, and grew up in Edinburgh before attending university in Aberdeen.
He worked as a journalist and then as a European and international affairs adviser to SNP MSPs at Holyrood before he was elected to Westminster in 2001 to represent Moray.
He served as the party's defence spokesman and in 2015 was appointed as a member of the Privy Council and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee.
He was the party's campaigns director for the 2007 and 2011 Scottish elections, and previously served as the business convener, chairing the SNP's National Executive Committee, the annual national conference and the policy making forum National Council.