Polls close and count begins to replace late MSP in Holyrood by-election

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The polls person closed and counting is nether mode successful the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

Ten candidates are going caput to caput successful a bid to regenerate precocious MSP Christina McKelvie.

The SNP authorities curate died successful March astatine the property of 57, having past twelvemonth taken aesculapian permission to acquisition attraction for secondary bosom cancer.

The contention takes spot little than a twelvemonth earlier the Scottish parliament election, with the effect perchance offering a snapshot of however the governmental scenery northbound of the borderline volition look successful 2026.

SNP Leader John Swinney joins parliamentary campaigner Katy Loudon and enactment activists extracurricular the party's run bureau successful Hamilton, Lanar

Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar (right) joins parliamentary campaigner Davy Russell (left) and enactment activists extracurricular the party's campaig

The SNP volition beryllium seeking to clasp connected to the seat, fixed the heavy losses to Labour astatine past year's UK wide election.

However, each eyes are connected Reform UK and whether it volition bask a "tartan bounce" pursuing the party's recent slew of section predetermination wins successful England.

SNP and Reform UK predetermination billboard posters successful Larkhall, Lanarkshire, connected the past time of campaigning for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stoneho

The 10 candidates lasting successful the Holyrood by-election:

• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP)
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Campaigning became heated successful the run-up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of moving a "racist" advertisement connected Facebook against Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar.

Reform UK person Nigel Farage continued to treble down, accusing his rival of "sectarian politics".

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner with Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar and Labour enactment campaigner Davy Russell during a locomotion astir successful Q

In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a "poisonous small man" and accused him of moving a "campaign of ungraded and smear".

Mr Sarwar added: "Frankly, it's h2o disconnected a duck's back, due to the fact that I'm warring to alteration our country, helium wants to disagreement it."

While Reform UK is yet to triumph an predetermination northbound of the border, First Minister John Swinney earlier said the by-election was a "two-horse race" betwixt the SNP and Mr Farage's party.

The SNP person urged voters to get down his enactment and "defeat the gutter politics" of Mr Farage, warning: "Or they volition extremity up with a Reform MSP."

The votes are being verified and manually counted astatine South Lanarkshire Council office successful Hamilton. The effect is expected successful the aboriginal hours of Friday.

This quality communicative volition proceed to beryllium updated arsenic the number continues. Please refresh the leafage for the fullest version.

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