Labour's Gordon McKee promises to work 'diligently' for Glasgow South

LABOUR'S Gordon McKee has promised to work "diligently and relentlessly" after gaining Glasgow South's seat from SNP's Stewart McDonald. 

McKee won the seat with 17, 696 votes, beating McDonald's 13,542 votes with Glasgow South having a voter turnout of  60.56%.

The result means McDonald will no longer be the constituency MP, after winning the seat from Labour in 2015 and holding it in the 2017 and 2019 elections.

(Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

Also standing for Glasgow South was the Green Party's Niall Christie who got 5554 votes, Haroun Malik for the Conservatives who got 1617 votes and Lib Dem Peter Michael McLaughlin who got 1316 votes.

Dhruva Kumar from the Alba Party got 444 votes, Danny Raja from Reform UK received 1736 votes and Brian Smith from the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition got 473 votes.

(Image: Newsquest)

Following his victory, McKee paid tribute to his predecessor Stewart McDonald and said the vote was a sign people want change.

He said: "I say to you Stewart while this result will no doubt be disappointing it is part of a national trend and you shouldn’t take it as a reflection of your character.

"I’d also like to thank Stewart for contesting and my fellow candidates for showing the utmost respect to each other at every point and while this result may not be a reflection of my opponents it is a reflection of a great desire for change among the people of Glasgow South.

"Later this morning the country is going to wake up with a Labour government one hundred years on from the election of the first Labour government in 1924.

"The people of Glasgow have chosen to elect a Labour government once again."

(Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

He continued: "I will work diligently and relentlessly on behalf of the many people in this wonderful constituency.

"I thank the people of Glasgow South. I will work day and night to retain your trust.

"It is the honour and privilege of my life to serve as your member of Parliament."

(Image: Colin Mearns, Newsquest)

Speaking ahead of the results, McDonald said: "I think in my own seat I can see Labour have come first and I congratulate Gordon McKee on securing that election.

"He has just won the best job in the world in this campaign and any support I can give him he’ll have despite us being political opponents.

"I care about the Southside just as much as he does so it's in everybody’s interest that he does well."

He added: "I got this on every single doorstep I went to, the desire to kick the Tories out of office was palpable.

"People are furious with the way the Tories have governed not just over the past five years since the last election but since 14 years and it’s well understandable why people see Labour as the alternative to that."

It comes after we previously reported that Scottish Labour has gained all six seats in Glasgow.

The results are as follows:

Glasgow North East   Maureen Burke

Glasgow East  John Grady

Glasgow South  Gordon McKee

Glasgow West    Patricia Ferguson

Glasgow South West   Dr Zubir Ahmed

Glasgow North   Martin Rhodes