The Scottish Conservatives have done something they haven't managed in over half a century: win a Westminster by-election. Douglas Lumsden, a Tory MSP, took Aberdeen South from the SNP, which had vacated the seat when Stephen Flynn decided he'd rather be Scotland's economy secretary than an MP.

Lumsden's victory comes with a twist, however. Thanks to Holyrood's ban on dual mandates, he must resign from the Scottish Parliament just six weeks after being re-elected as a North East MSP. That's roughly the political equivalent of winning the lottery and immediately being told you have to give the ticket back.

The by-election was triggered when Flynn and his SNP colleague Stephen Gethins resigned from the House of Commons after being elected to Holyrood. The SNP did manage to hold Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, where Lara Bird kept the seat for the party, but they'll have to live with the sting of losing Aberdeen South.

Lumsden, a former oil and gas worker, framed his win as a message to the UK government: "The destruction of the oil and gas industry must stop now." He defeated SNP candidate Richard Thomson by more than 6,000 votes, with the Tories taking almost half of all ballots cast. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the result "significant," particularly because some voters had "never voted Conservative before." She added that her party "is working to earn the trust of the country again," which is a bit like saying you're working to get back together with an ex who dumped you in 1967.

Down south, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, which is apparently his ticket to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. Because nothing says "I'm ready to lead the country" like winning a by-election in a safe seat.

The Aberdeen South defeat comes just six weeks after the SNP won a comfortable victory in the Scottish election. Within weeks, the party was rocked by a scandal surrounding former chief executive Peter Murrell, who admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 of SNP funds over a 12-year period. So, you know, rough week.

Flynn took the loss with the grace of a man who's seen it before: "A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily." He noted that the SNP lost and regained the seat in 2017 and 2019, respectively, adding, "I've no doubt that we can do so again."

Lumsden has 49 days to resign as an MSP, after which his Holyrood seat will go to the next candidate on the Conservatives' North East Scotland list, Fraserburgh councillor James Adams. The last time the Tories won a Westminster by-election in Scotland was 1973, and the last time they gained a seat in one was 1967. So, baby steps.