AN ultra-Unionist party has taken a seat from the Tories in a devastating upset for Douglas Ross’s party.
The British Unionist Party (BUP) has gained its first elected seat in North Lanarkshire, unseating the Conservatives.
John Jo Leckie has taken the seat held by the Tories Sandy Thornton since 2017.
The BUP was founded in 2015 by Better Together activists as A Better Britain – Unionist Party. The name changed in 2019.
The party is opposed to devolution and opposes any new powers being granted to Holyrood.
Jo Leckie received 859 first preference votes in the Fortissat ward compared with just 512 votes for the Conservative candidate Ben Callaghan.
The area – which includes the town of Shotts, Harthill and Salsburgh – will now be represented by Margaret Hughes for the SNP, and Martin McCulloch and Kenneth Stevenson for Labour.
North Lanarkshire was previously ruled by an informal coalition by Labour and Tory councillors.
No overall result had been declared at the time of writing.
