Scottish Election 2021 results: Scottish Conservatives hold key Eastwood seat

Former Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw has held on to his Eastwood seat, marginally increasing his lead over the SNP.

Mr Carlaw won 17,911 votes, over 2,000 more than the SNP’s Colm Merrick.

A total of 42 per cent of the vote went to Mr Carlaw, with the SNP taking 37 per cent.

Both the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP saw their votes increase, while Scottish Labour took a hit in the constituency, with candidate Katie Pagnell winning only 6,759 votes.

Former Scottish Conservative Leader Jackson Carlaw held on to his seat in Eastwood.

Turnout in the constituency was one of the highest in Scotland, at 76.2 per cent.

Professor Nicola McEwen, professor of territorial politics at Edinburgh University, told the BBC the loss of the Eastwood seat suggested the SNP may not get their much sought-after majority of 65 seats.

Scottish Election 2021 results: Turnout soars in Holyrood election

She said: “It is looking perhaps less likely now than it was at the start of this when we were thinking about the gains that they could make.

"I think the SNP would be hoping to win constituencies like this. It’s still possible, there are still marginal constituencies to go.

"But what I find really fascinating about this one is that clearly the collapse of the Labour vote suggests that some of those voters may have switched allegiance to the Conservative party despite the fact there is a Conservative government at Westminster and a Prime Minister which one imagines would be quite unpopular amongst many Labour voters in Scotland.

"That suggests to me it’s Scottish issues, the constitutional debate in particular, but other issues focused in Scotland, that are determining this election and that’s fascinating.”

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