Scottish Labour win by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse as SNP suffer shock defeat
Voters in South Lanarkshire went to the polls on Thursday following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.
Friday 6 June 2025 05:28, UK
Scottish Labour's Davy Russell has won the by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
Mr Russell took top spot with 8,559 votes. The SNP placed second with 7,957 votes, with Reform UK closely taking third with 7,088 votes.
The new MSP said he was "proud" to have been elected, adding: "I said in this campaign that I will put this community, our community first.
"I will work every single day to do that."
The by-election was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.
The Scottish government minister died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.
South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon had hoped to retain the Holyrood seat for the SNP, given her party's heavy losses to Labour at last year's UK general election.
First Minister John Swinney told Sky News on Friday morning that the election result shows the SNP has "made some progress" since the 2024 General Election, but that this is "not enough".
The SNP leader said: "We've got to make more progress, that's the blunt reality of the election last night."
He noted that Labour "suffered a calamitous fall in their share of the vote" but added that he is pleased "the poisonous politics of Farage have not won last night".
"There's a warning for all of us in the presence of Reform and the appeal that Reform has", Swinney said.
"That means that people like me have got to make sure we address the core priorities and concerns of members of the public in Scotland," he added.
All eyes were also on Reform UK and whether it would enjoy a "tartan bounce" in light of the party's recent slew of local election wins in England.
With Reform UK never having won an election in Scotland, party deputy leader Richard Tice said candidate Ross Lambie coming in third was a "massive boost for us".
He added: "It's a fantastic result, just a few hundred votes away from the SNP, nobody predicted that.
"I think that sets us up with excitement and momentum for the next 11 months into the Holyrood elections."
Mr Russell said the constituents had voted to "take a new direction" with his party.
He added: "Like the people here in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and right across Scotland, we all feel we have been let down by the SNP.
"They've broken our NHS, wasted our money, and after nearly two decades they don't deserve another chance."
Mr Russell said the community had also "sent a message" to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage "and his mob tonight".
He added: "The poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland, and we don't want your division here.
"Reform have no real answers to the issues we face, and they can't beat the SNP here or replace them across Scotland."
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Mr Russell said his party was ready to "fix" the NHS and "end the SNP's addiction to wasting your money".
He added: "The road to a new direction for Scotland in 2026 - with Anas Sarwar as first minister and a Scottish Labour government - begins right here. So, let's go and win it together."
Ten candidates went head-to-head in 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 at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton.
Campaigning became heated in the run up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of running a "racist" ad on Facebook against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Reform leader Mr Farage continued to double down, accusing his rival of "sectarian politics".
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In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a "poisonous little man" and accused him of running a "campaign of dirt and smear".
First Minister Mr Swinney had earlier warned it was a "two-horse race" between the SNP and Reform UK, urging voters to "defeat the gutter politics" of Mr Farage.
With less than a year to go before the Scottish parliament election, the result potentially offers a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border could look in 2026.
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Mr Sarwar told Sky News that he was "delighted" with the result, as it wasn't "guaranteed".
But, the MSP said Scottish Labour must listen to what voters told the party on the doorsteps and in the vote.
This is that they're "sick" of the SNP government, that "they've rejected the politics of Reform", and that "they do want a UK Labour government to move faster".
Mr Sarward added: "We proved the pundits wrong, the pollsters wrong, the commentators wrong, and the bookies wrong. And I think they have to reflect on where they're getting their information, because... they can't make that same mistake when it comes to the election next year."