Liberal democrats claim last UK seat to declare result after delayed recount

The Liberal Democrats have won the last seat in the UK general election result after a delayed recount.

Candidate Angus MacDonald gained a majority of 2,160 over the SNP’s Drew Hendry.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have taken Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire following a series of delays in releasing the result.

It means the Liberal Democrats have won 72 Westminster seats – six of which are in Scotland – overtaking the Scottish Conservatives in the process.

Originally expected at about 5.00am on Friday, a recount meant that candidates were told to wait for the outcome as votes would need to be counted again on Saturday morning.

The one we've all been waiting for today.

🔶Liberal Democrats GAIN Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire

Congratulations Angus MacDonald MP!

Charles Kennedy's seat is officially represented by the Liberal Democrats once again. pic.twitter.com/Jrh60JDc4w
— Scottish Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) July 6, 2024

The SNP candidate Drew Hendry had already conceded defeat after repeated issues at the count delayed the result.

Drew served as the MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey from 2015 and before that was the leader of Highland Council.

On Saturday, it was confirmed that the LibDems had taken the seat.

It came after multiple recounts failed to verify the votes in the constituency. After an initial recount, there was a difference between the verified and counted votes.

They did a second recount and it still did not match, and in fact, the gap was wider.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “My heart is in the highlands today. The Liberal Democrats were all but wiped out in 2015, but that wasn’t the worst thing to happen to us that year. Weeks later we lost Charles Kennedy.

“That the final act of this General Election should see his old seat returned to Lib Dem hands and the care of Angus MacDonald is simply wonderful.

“I’m overjoyed that Angus has become the sensational sixth Scottish Liberal Democrat MP.”

The Liberal Democrats now have six seats in Scotland and 72 UK-wide while the SNP have fallen to nine from a previous 48.

Labour won 37 seats in Scotland, adding to the party’s major lead in the UK, while the Scottish Tories won five but suffered the loss of Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat.