Scottish Labour scores surprise Hamilton by-election win over SNP and Reform
Davy Russell won the seat despite First Minister John Swinney having declared the contest a "two horse race" between the SNP and Reform UK.
Last updated 6th Jun 2025
Labour's newest MSP declared his shock by-election victory has sent a message to Nigel Farage and "his mob", after he defeated both the SNP and Reform UK to win the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat.
Davy Russell won despite Scotland's First Minister John Swinney having declared the contest was a "two horse race" between the SNP and Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
But when the votes were counted Mr Russell polled 8,559, with the SNP's Katy Loudon coming second on 7,957, ahead of Reform's Ross Lambie, who secured 7,088 votes.
With Reform never having won an election in Scotland, party deputy leader Richard Tice said coming third in the contest was a "massive boost for us".
He insisted: "We're thrilled to bits, absolutely delighted."
However Mr Russell, who won the seat with a swing of 7.4% from the SNP to Labour said the community had "sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight - the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here".
Speaking at the count in Hamilton the new MSP said he was "so proud" to be elected to represent his local community.
He added: "I said in the campaign I will put this community, our community first. I will work every single day to do that."
He continued: "Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse has voted tonight to take a new direction with Scottish Labour.
"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 have broken the NHS, wasted our money and after nearly two decades they don't deserve another chance."
The by-election took place after the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie, and comes less than a year before next May's Holyrood elections.
In the final weeks of the campaign, the First Minister said it was a "two-horse race" between the SNP and Reform, but party leader Anas Sarwar asked what it says about a Government that has been in power for 18 years and "all it has to offer in a campaign is vote SNP to stop Farage".
Mr Russell had faced criticism for his perceived lack of media appearances, but Mr Sarwar said such arguments were borne of "an element of classism and elitism".
Speaking from the stage after his win, Mr Russell said: "Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse has voted tonight to take a new direction with Scottish Labour.
"Like the people here in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and right across Scotland, we all feel we have been let down by the SNP."
The newly-minted MSP also hit out at Reform, saying the win "sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight - the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here".
While Mr Tice says he was "thrilled to bits" with the result.
"It's a fantastic result, just a few hundred votes away from the SNP, nobody predicted that that," he said.
"We're the disrupters, we're the story in town."
"Onwards and upwards. (We) keep working hard, keep pushing forward different results and ideas."
While First Minister John Swinney said Ms Loudon had "fought a superb SNP campaign" and that he was "clearly disappointed" they were unable to win.
"Labour won by an absolute landslide in this area less than a year ago - we came much closer tonight, but the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have made clear that we still have work to do," he added.
"Over the next few days, we will take time to consider the result fully."