Scottish Labour win Holyrood by-election as SNP suffer shock defeat

Scottish Labour's Davy Russell has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

Mr Russell took apical spot with 8,559 votes. The SNP placed 2nd with 7,957 votes, with Reform UK intimately taking 3rd with 7,088 votes.

The caller MSP said helium was "proud" to person been elected, adding: "I said successful this run that I volition enactment this community, our assemblage first.

"I volition enactment each azygous time to bash that."

The by-election was called pursuing the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.

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

South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon had hoped to clasp the Holyrood spot for the SNP, fixed her party's heavy losses to Labour astatine past year's UK wide election.

All eyes were besides connected Reform UK and whether it would bask a "tartan bounce" successful airy of the party's recent slew of section predetermination wins successful England.

With Reform UK ne'er having won an predetermination successful Scotland, enactment lawman person Richard Tice said coming successful 3rd was a "massive boost for us".

He added: "It's a fantastic result, conscionable a fewer 100 votes distant from the SNP, cipher predicted that.

"I deliberation that sets america up with excitement and momentum for the adjacent 11 months into the Holyrood elections."

Mr Russell said the constituents had voted to "take a caller direction" with his party.

He added: "Like the radical present successful Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and close crossed Scotland, we each consciousness we person been fto down by the SNP.

"They've breached our NHS, wasted our money, and aft astir 2 decades they don't merit different chance."

Mr Russell said the assemblage had besides "sent a message" to Reform UK person Nigel Farage "and his mob tonight".

He added: "The poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland, and we don't privation your part here.

"Reform person nary existent answers to the issues we face, and they can't bushed the SNP present oregon regenerate them crossed Scotland."

Mr Russell said his enactment was acceptable to "fix" the NHS and "end the SNP's addiction to wasting your money".

He added: "The roadworthy to a caller absorption for Scotland successful 2026 - with Anas Sarwar arsenic archetypal curate and a Scottish Labour authorities - begins close here. So, let's spell and triumph it together."

Ten candidates went head-to-head successful the Holyrood by-election:

• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party - 278 votes
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party - 219 votes
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK - 7,088 votes
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP) - 7,957 votes
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP) - 50 votes
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party - 695 votes
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats - 533 votes
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - 1,621 votes
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party - 8,559 votes
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent - 109 votes

The votes were verified and manually counted astatine South Lanarkshire Council office successful Hamilton.

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

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

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

First Minister John Swinney had earlier warned it was a "two-horse race" betwixt the SNP and Reform UK, urging voters to "defeat the gutter politics" of Mr Farage.

With little than a twelvemonth to spell earlier the Scottish parliament election, the effect perchance offers a snapshot of however the governmental scenery northbound of the borderline volition look successful 2026.