Gibson glory as Lib Dems hammered in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Rob Gibson
THE Lib-Dems were hammered in a long-held Highland heartland area when veteran SNP campaigner Rob Gibson won the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross seat in the Scottish Parliament elections.
Mr Gibson, a regional list MSP in the previous parliament, swept to victory with a massive 7,458 majority over closest rival, the Lib-Dem’s Robbie Rowantree. The Lib-Dems had been defending a 2323 majority held by retiring MSP Jamie Stone.
The SNP were celebrating victory in the elections nationwide following the collapse of the Labour and Liberal-Democrat vote.
They took all three Highland constituencies - two from the Lib Dems. Fergus Ewing won by a landlside in Inverness and Nairn while Dingwall-based David Thompson had a stunning victory in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, with its Lib Dem voting areas, following lengthy representation by Charles Kennedy at Westminster and the retiring John Farquhar Munro at Holyrood.
And later the SNP gained another three MSPs when the Highlands and Islands REgional List votes were counted. They are John Finnie, Jean Urquhart Scottish National Party and Mike Mackenzie.
The Highlands and Islands regional list vote also saw Rhoda Grant and David Stewart returned for Labour and Jamie McGrigor and Mary Scanlon returned for the Conservatives.
In stark contrast to the SNP landslide victory, the Liberal Democrats now have no Highlands and Islands MSPs.
Mr Gibson said: "The people of the three counties that make up this stunning constituency placed their trust in me to stand up for them in Edinburgh and I am very happy to do so. From Canisbay to Contin and Applecross to Embo the voters have chosen political renewal."People here demand a hard working MSP and a Scottish government that will stand up for them and that’s exactly what they will get."We bring big thinking and fresh ideas and this area like the rest of the nation has rejected the rut of pessimism and voted for a new positive and ambitious leadership."
RESULT
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Rob Gibson (SNP) – 13,843
Robbie Rowantree (Lib Dem) – 6,385
John MacKay (Lab) – 5,438
Edward Mountain (Con) – 2,934
Majority – 7,458
Turnout – 52.14%
