General Election tactical voting guide to get Tories out of target seats in Scotland

The Record is confident Keir Starmer will deliver for ordinary people and we urge Scots to give him a chance to turn the UK around.

The exceptions are the seats in the north-east and south of Scotland where the Tories and the SNP are in a two-horse race. Labour is not strong in these regions and a vote for the SNP is the best way to topple the Tories.

This is particularly true in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat where we hope the SNP candidate defeats Douglas Ross. Here's a tactical voting guide to help keep the Tories out.

TORY HELD SEATS

Aberdeenshire North and Moray East

Notional 2019 winner: David Duguid, Conservative. Majority: 2399 (5.2%)

Sitting MP David Duguid was blocked from standing for reelection by his party due to poor health. Douglas Ross dramatically stepped in as a replacement candidate and faced a huge backlash. The Nationalists would love to derail his bid to return to Westminster.

Tactical voting recommendation: Seamus Logan, SNP

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

Notional 2019 winner: David Mundell, Conservative. Majority: 4338 (8.5%)

Former Scottish Secretary David Mundell will again defend this redrawn seat for the Tories. Boundary changes are likely to favour his party. The SNP finished second here in 2019 and will need to fight hard to win this time.

Tactical voting recommendation: Kim Marshall, SNP

Dumfries and Galloway

Notional 2019 winner: Alister Jack, Conservative. Majority: 1556 (3%)

Alister Jack has retired as an MP and the Tories are relying on his special adviser John Cooper to hold this huge rural constituency. The SNP finished second last time around.

Tactical voting recommendation: Tracey Little, SNP.

Gordon and Buchan

Notional 2019 winner: Colin Clark, Conservative. Majority: 3224 (6.8%)

The boundaries of this north-east seat have been extensively redrawn since 2019, making it a notional Tory seat. Harriet Cross will contest the constituency for the Tories, while Richard Thomson will strongly fancy winning it for the Nationalists.

Tactical voting recommendation: Richard Thomson, SNP

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Notional 2019 winner: Andrew Bowie, Conservative. Majority: 843 (1.6%)

The Tories narrowly held this seat last time around in 2019 and as a result it's one of the SNP's top targets. Andrew Bowie, a persistent critic of the Nationalists, would be a major scalp for John Swinney's party.

Tactical voting recommendation: Glen Reynolds, SNP

TORY TARGET SEATS

Perth and Kinross-shire
Notional 2019 winner: Pete Wishart, SNP. Majority: 2364 (4.2%)

Perth is a long-term target for the Tories and they came close to winning the old seat in 2017. Boundary changes could be a major advantage to the Conservatives. SNP veteran Pete Wishart has a fight on his hands to keep the seat yellow.

Tactical voting recommendation: Pete Wishart, SNP

Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey

Notional 2019 winner: Laura Mitchell, SNP. Majority: 2906 (5.2%)

What was mostly Douglas Ross's old seat has undergone a substantial boundary change, meaning it is now a constituency notionally held by the SNP. The old Moray seat was one of the most marginal in the country, and it looks set to be a close two-horse race between the Tories and SNP.

Tactical voting recommendation: Graham Leadbitter, SNP

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

Notional 2019 winner: Allan Dorrans, SNP. Majority: 2329 (5%)

Of the three SNP-Conservative marginals, this seat is the one most likely to see Labour gain votes. But sitting MP Allan Dorrans has the advantage of incumbency and won 44 per cent of the vote at the last election.

Tactical voting recommendation: Allan Dorrans, SNP.

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