Voters in two Scottish constituencies cast ballots Thursday for Westminster by-elections following the resignations of their sitting MPs. Aberdeen South and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry both held elections to fill vacant seats in the House of Commons.
The contests mark a test of voter sentiment in Scotland ahead of the next general election. Both constituencies have traditionally leaned Labour, though the Scottish National Party has made significant inroads in recent years. Control of these seats carries symbolic weight in Westminster, where every parliamentary vote counts for Keir Starmer's Labour government, which operates with a thin majority.
Aberdeen South has been a Labour stronghold for decades, though the SNP has pushed hard to expand its footprint in northeast Scotland. The party flipped the seat once before, demonstrating its ability to compete in traditional Labour territory. Broughty Ferry, part of the Arbroath seat, sits in a region where Labour and the SNP battle fiercely for dominance.
These by-elections occur as Scottish politics continues to shift. The SNP's grip on Westminster representation has weakened from its 2015 peak, when the party won 56 of Scotland's 59 seats. Labour has steadily reclaimed ground, particularly in the central belt. Current polling suggests Labour could make substantial gains in Scotland during the next general election, potentially reversing years of SNP dominance north of the border.
Turnout figures and voting patterns from Thursday will offer early signals about Scottish voter priorities and whether Labour's momentum continues. The results also test whether local issues or broader Westminster politics drive decision-making in Scottish constituencies.