Labour wins Western Isles with SNP finishing second

Labour’s Torcuil Crichton has won the Western Isles seat with an almost 50% share of the votes.

Angus MacNeil, who held the seat for 19 years, finished third and the SNP’s candidate Susan Thomson was second.

Mr MacNeil was one of the SNP’s longest-serving MPs before he was expelled from the party last August, reportedly following a clash with party chief whip Brendan O’Hara. Mr MacNeil stood in the election as an independent.

Mr Crichton, who secured Na h-Eileanan an Iar with 6,692 votes, said the SNP’s leadership had “abandoned” islanders.

Mr Crichton told BBC Naidheachdan: “I have had lots of conversations over the short campaign and the year-and-a-half I have been going round the islands with plenty people who support independence, but don’t see that as a priority right now.

“When I met people like that I found out what we agreed on – challenges that face us on ferries, on communications, on health, depopulation – and finding opportunities to turn that around.”

The former journalist said it had been a “long road” from working at the West Highland Free Press newspaper 30 years ago to being elected as an MP.

He added: “I am glad with such a resounding result that I have taken so many islanders with me, and we can travel down this next stretch of road for the islands and for Scotland together.”

Mr MacNeil congratulated Mr Crichton on his win, but added he believed the electorate would turn against Labour.

He said: “If Labour stick to the Conservative spending plans and to Brexit, things might change and voices for independence might get stronger and Scotland becomes a normal country like our neighbours around about us.”

Mr MacNeil said he had no regrets around his campaign.

“It’s good to look forward. Don’t look back on past woes,” he said.

Mr MacNeil added: “The public has every right to change their mind.

“They’ve given one opinion today, they will give another opinion tomorrow.”