Thank you to everyone in Dumfriesshire who voted for me and the SNP - a rise of more than 3000 people, or 3.8% in SNP vote share - nearly three times the rise in the party’s vote across Scotland.
The Conservative incumbent held the seat with an increased majority, but the surge in SNP support means more than one in three voters here now believe Scotland’s future should be Scotland’s choice. The SNP vote share is 4 points ahead of the region’s Yes vote in 2014
SNP progress in #dumfriesshire is testament to the hard work of our local activists and I am so grateful to them and my agent @BumbleBootsSco. It builds on our progress in 2016 when my campaign increased our vote share by almost 8%, the highest rise in the South.
Parts of Dumfriesshire used to be called “The Debatable Lands” and it’s incumbent on those of us who believe Scottish independence is the best future for our country to engage respectfully with those who are unpersuaded.
I alway knew this seat would be hard to win. One of the toughest in Scotland. Some colleagues suggested I go for one of several easier seats elsewhere. But I’ve worked hard for years as a regional MSP alongside our activists in Dumfriesshire. Walking away was not an option
I’ve also loved serving the amazing, diverse communities across Dumfriesshire as a regional MSP and working on campaigns and issues important to them. I believe the area has a brighter future because of SNP government initiatives, such as South of Scotland Enterprise Agency.
The results across Scotland are not finalised. But there will be a pro-independence majority in our @ScotParl. Boris Johnson’s Tories are retreating into a unionist laager. It is undemocratic and immoral to deny Scots a democratic say over their future.
You can follow @JoanMcAlpine.
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