'Difficult night' for Tories, admits Ross
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Moray's MP says the failure to deliver Brexit hampered his party at the Euro elections.
Douglas Ross was commenting after the result of the European election was declared in Moray at 12.45am.
Mr Ross said: "There is no doubt these were difficult elections for Conservatives across the country because we had told the public they would not have been required as we would have left the EU in March of this year.
"The inability of Parliament to deliver the Brexit result from the 2016 referendum has led to both the main parties at Westminster understandably being punished at these elections.
"In Moray the Brexit party received thousands of votes from people who want to see us leave the EU and we have to listen to that message.
"That said, on a disappointing night for the party I’m grateful to thousands of Conservative voters across Moray who remained with us, ensuring we re-elected our MEP for Scotland.
"While the SNP had a good result across the country, it’s interesting that when their share of the vote was up across Scotland, in Moray it remained static from the 2014 EU elections and of course this result confirmed the majority of voters in Moray supported parties who oppose the SNPs plans for independence."
Final figures for Scotland:
SNP - 37.8% (+8.8)
Brex - 14.8% (+14.8)
Lib Dem - 13.9% (+6.8)
Con - 11.6% (-5.6)
Lab - 9.3% (-16.6)
Green - 8.2% (+0.2)
ChUK - 1.9% (+1.9)
UKIP - 1.8% (-8.7)
Ind (Edgar) - 0.4% (+0.4)
Ind (Parke) - 0.1% (+0.1)
Moray (changes vs 2014):
SNP - 34.1% (+0.2)
Brex - 21.9% (+21.9)
Con - 17.5% (-6.7)
Lib Dem - 10.1% (+4.8)
Green - 7.2% (+0.1)
Lab - 3.6% (-9.5)
UKIP - 2.5% (-11.1)
ChUK - 2.2% (+2.2)
Inds x2 - 0.8% (+0.8)
