First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pictured with Kaukab Stewart who made history as the first woman of colour to be elected to Holyrood. Photo: Coin Mearns NICOLA Sturgeon has declared a second independence referendum is the “will of the country”, after the SNP won a record fourth consecutive term in power in a pro-independence majority parliament. The SNP and Scottish Greens won a total of 72 seats in Holyrood on a record turnout for the Scottish Parliament elections of 63%. In her victory speech, the First Minister said her first focus would be on the coronavirus pandemic but that the people of Scotland should be able to decide on the constitutional question “when the time is right”.
Emma Harper campaiging in Galloway with Nicola Sturgeon. THE SNP have missed out on their bid to win their target seat of Galloway and West Dumfries diminishing hopes of the party s winning an overall majority in Holyrood.
Conservative candidate Finlay Carson retook the constituency seeing off a challenge by Emma Harper from Nicola Sturgeon s party. However, Harper, a former A&E nurse, who was first elected to Holyrood on the SNP list in 2016 is likely to return to the Scottish Parliament, again via the PR part of the ballot. She tops the SNP s south of Scotland regional list.
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Jim Fairlie holds Perthshire South and Kinross-shire seat for the SNP
The farmer increased the party s share of the vote over the Conservative s Liz Smith
Updated
Jim Fairlie gives a thumbs up after his victory (Image: Perthshire Advertiser)
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The SNP has held Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.
The SNP have seen off a challenge from the Tories in their most marginal seat. THE Tories have failed in their bid to win the SNP s most marginal seat with Nicola Sturgeon s party retaking the constituency with an increased majority. Jim Fairlie won the ballot this afternoon in Perthshire South and Kinross-shire beating the Tories candidate Liz Smith, the party s former education spokeswoman in Holyrood. Fairlie, who was a co-founder of Farmers4Yes ahead of the 2014 independence referendum and founded Scotland’s first farmers market, increased the SNP majority by 526 votes. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Fairlie. She wrote on Twitter: Doesn’t seem like a week since Jim Fairlie, Pete Wishart and I were campaigning in Letham in the torrential rain. Fantastic result in a seat that the Tories talked up and some people doubted we would hold.