Hamilton by-election results: Labour pulls off stunning victory over SNP as Davy Russell set for Holyrood

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”.

Victory sends a ‘message to Farage and his mob’

He added: “They’ve broken our NHS, wasted our money and after nearly two decades, the.y don’t deserve another chance.

“This community has also 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.

“Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour are ready to fix our NHS and end the SNP’s addiction to wasting your money , restore our public services.

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“Only Scottish Labour can beat the SNP across Scotland. The road to a new direction across Scotland in 2026 with Anas Sarwar as first minister of a Scottish Labour government begins right here.”

Mr Russell, who said he dedicated his victory to his newborn grandson Adam, insisted he “will be the local champion I promised”.

Asked what his first priority will be, he said he will focus on Hamilton town centre.

He added: “We have to get investment in there.

“The council are really trying hard but it needs a bit of help with public. It’s not all about public money. I’m sure there are lots of investors.”

Mr Sarwar branded the victory “an incredible night” as he paid tribute to “a fantastic local candidate”, who he stressed “has had to put up with pretty elitist and classist comments about him”.

He said: “This man lives here, he is from here. The other candidates are going to leave this constituency tonight.”

The Scottish Labour leader added: “The conversations we’ve been having on the doorstep and the result tonight is a demonstration of a few things. First, people want a UK Labour government to go faster and further on improving their lives and they want to feel that improvement in their lives. I think that’s a clear message to them.

“Second, they’ve had enough of this SNP government after 18 years they have let Scotland down, they’ve left communities across the country down. Third, they have rejected the politics of Nigel Farage and Reform.

“Today, the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have laid the first stone in that pathway to a Scottish Labour government next year.”

Mr Sarwar told The Scotsman it was “absolutely game on” for next year’s election.

He said: “We have proven the pundits wrong, we’ve proven the pollsters wrong, we’ve proven the political commentators wrong and the bookies wrong - and we’re going to continue to do what we need to do to change the lives of people in Scotland.

SNP left ‘disappointed’

SNP MSP Mairi McAllan said she was “disappointed” with the result, but added: “We will regroup and we will come back to win.”

The First Minister said: “Katy Loudon fought a superb SNP campaign, and clearly I am disappointed that we did not win tonight. 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.

“Over the next few days we will take time to consider the result fully.”

Mr Swinney added: “When I became leader of the SNP last year I made clear my intention to bring the party together and focus more than ever on standing up for the people of Scotland.

“During this campaign we heard a lot of anger about the cost of living - and it is clearer than ever that Westminster control is making Scotland poorer, whether that is the damage of Brexit, the hike in energy bills or the betrayal on the winter fuel payment.

“Between now and May’s election, I and the SNP will set out a vision of hope and optimism. We will show people in Scotland that a better future is possible by taking decisions for ourselves - and that is how we will win in 2026.”