Labour has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election for a seat in the Scottish parliament in Holyrood. Polling results were as follows:
- Labour – 8,559 (31.6%)
- SNP – 7,957 (29.4%)
- Reform – 7,088 (26.1%)
- Conservatives – 1,621 (6%)
- Green – 695 (2.6%)
- LibDems – 533 (2%)
Labour’s performance likely came as a surprise to its own activists, in a closely fought contest where the ruling Scottish National Party was expected to win. Yet the underlying story is one where Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is displacing the Conservatives—who on 6% of the vote barely retained their deposit—while eating into Labour’s electoral base.
“It’s a three-horse race for Holyrood next year,” declared Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice.
