The SNP’s Stuart McMillan has declared that he and his party colleagues are “bursting with enthusiasm to get started” after his re-election to the Scottish Parliament.
The politician, chosen by the electorate to represent the Inverclyde constituency, fought off competition from Scottish Labour’s Francesca Brennan to secure the seat.
Mr McMillan, who was MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde in the last two terms at Holyrood, won 14,193 votes at the count at Greenock Town Hall on Friday.
Writing on social media on Saturday evening, he said: “A great day meeting colleagues, new and old, in Edinburgh.
“We are all bursting with enthusiasm to get started and parliament starts back next week.
“The Scottish National Party (SNP) election win provides the opportunity to deliver the manifesto policies to help drive Scotland forward.
“Thank you once again to all my Greenock and Inverclyde SNP team for their magnificent efforts over the last eight months and my staff for the last five years.”
Ms Brennan, a councillor on Inverclyde Council, was second in the constituency after amassing 8,876 votes and Lord Malcolm Offord, Reform UK’s leader in Scotland, followed in third with 5,649 votes.
Mr Offord, however, was ultimately elected on the West Scotland regional list. He was joined by Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer, Scottish Labour’s Neil Bibby, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, Reform’s David Smith, Scottish Labour’s Katy Clark and Scottish Green Cara McKee.
Overall, the SNP won 58 seats, Scottish Labour and Reform secured 17 each and the Scottish Greens picked up 15, while the Scottish Conservatives finished on 12 and the Scottish Liberal Democrats on 10.
