Scottish Labour victory rally after by-election win
Anas Sarwar holds a rally celebrating Scottish Labour and Davy Russell’s by-election victory in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
Hamilton by-election results: Labour pulls off stunning victory over SNP as Davy Russell set for Holyrood
Labour have secured a shock victory against the SNP in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Scottish Labour has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election - snatching a stunning victory from the SNP in a huge shock for Scottish politics.
Davy Russell has been elected to the Scottish Parliament as an MSP after securing 8, 559 votes, ahead of the SNP’s Katy Loudon who won 7,957 votes, with Reform’s Ross Lambie narrowly behind on 7,088.
Scottish Conservative candidate Richard Nelson came in fourth place with 1,621 votes. The turnout was 44.2 per cent - much higher than anticipated but far below the 60.9 per cent at the 2021 Holyrood election.
The result is a huge boost for reviving Anas Sarwar’s chances of becoming the next first minister of Scotland at next year’s Holyrood election, a victory despite national polling suggesting Labour were flailing behind the SNP.
‘Game on’ for 2026 Holyrood election Mr Sarwar told The Scotsman it was “game on” for next year’s election.
He added that the by-election victory had “laid the first stone in that pathway to a Scottish Labour government next year”.
READ MORE: Huge ramifications on the line for SNP, Labour and Reform after Hamilton by-election dirty campaign
The election, held after the sad and untimely death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, was took place amid a bitter campaign which involved Mr Farage attacking the Scottish Labour leader with online adverts inaccurately claiming he would “prioritise” the Pakistani community.
First Minister John Swinney had stressed the seat, which the SNP won by more than 4,500 votes at the 2021 Holyrood election, was a straight fight between his party and Reform - having initially claimed it was a “three-way contest” including Labour.
Mr Sarwar had insisted that Reform could not win the seat as he claimed his Scottish Labour was the only party that could deny the SNP of retaining the seat.
Meanwhile, Reform had played down expectations ahead of polling day with Mr Farage, during a chaotic visit to Scotland, warning victory was “improbable”.
READ MORE: Hamilton by-election: Polls close in crucial Scottish Parliament battle that will shape party fates
As polls closed at 10pm, Scottish Labour deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, claimed that the “race is too close to call”, adding that “there is real hope for change”.
At the verification stage, before votes were counted, a senior Labour source said that their party and the SNP had been successful in their campaign to “get out the vote” but insisted the result was too close to call.
Speaking after his victory, Mr Russell said that the public “feel we’ve been let down by the SNP”.
