Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election: Polls open as public cast votes to replace late MSP
Voters in South Lanarkshire will go to the polls on Thursday following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie. Sky News will be covering the count and result after voting closes at 10pm.
Thursday 5 June 2025 07:00, UK
The polls are now open in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
It comes following the death of SNP government minister Christina McKelvie.
The MSP died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.
Ms McKelvie, the minister for drugs and alcohol policy, had been an MSP since 2007 and represented the Central Scotland region up to 2011 before going on to serve Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
Follow our channel and never miss an update.
There are 10 candidates standing in 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
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
The contest takes place less than a year before the Scottish parliament election, with the result potentially offering a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border will look in 2026.
Polls will close at 10pm on Thursday, with the votes set to be verified and manually counted at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton.
Sky News will be covering the count and result.