Results: Scottish Conservatives hold Galloway & West Dumfries

Finlay Carson Credit: Finlay Carson

The Scottish Conservatives have held Galloway and West Dumfries. 

Finlay Carson won 17,486 votes, keeping the seat he held for the party in 2016.

This was one of the marginal constituencies being targeted by the SNP in their quest for an outright majority, but their candidate Emma Harper fell short with 14,851 votes.

Instead, Mr Carson increased his majority to over 2,000.

Full results:

  • Finlay Carson - Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - 17,486

  • Emma Harper - SNP - 14,851

  • Archie Dryburgh - Scottish Labour - 2,932

  • Laura Moodie - Scottish Green Party - 970

  • Iain McDonald - Scottish Liberal Democrats - 948

Speaking after the result was declared, Finlay Carson said he believed Labour supporters voted for him tactically, because of their opposition to a second independence referendum.

However, he said he was confident he had held the seat because he "campaigned on local issues".

His main opponent, the SNP's Emma Harper, courted controversy during the campaign when she said a trade border between Scotland and England, created by independence, "could create jobs".

The result means all of the constituencies in the far south of Scotland remain with the Scottish Conservatives - a line of blue, while much of the rest of the country is SNP yellow.

The sprawling seat of Galloway and West Dumfries ranges from the Rhins of Galloway to the River Nith.

Long-running local issues include a lack of investment, particularly when it comes to promised developments in the west of the region, and to the transport infrastructure including major roads like the A75 and A77.

Many in the constituency are being affected by Brexit, including fishermen and farmers, and there are concerns about the impact of independence in a constituency where a big majority of people voted to remain in the UK, in 2014.