Labour’s Davy Russell just won the by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. Honestly, it was tighter than most people thought. He managed to beat both the SNP and Reform UK, but not by a huge margin. Russell got just over 8,500 votes, while SNP’s Katy Loudon was only a few hundred behind. And Reform’s Ross Lambie was right there too, which surprised quite a few people.
The turnout was around 44%, which isn’t bad for a by-election, but it kind of shows how unsure folks might’ve been. Some voters seem tired, others clearly want change, and a bunch just didn’t show up. But still, Labour pulled ahead — and they’re calling it a big step forward.
Reform UK’s rise is catching people off guard
Now here’s the bit no one can really ignore: Reform UK nearly took the seat. They got over 26% of the vote — way more than most expected, especially in Scotland. That’s kinda wild when you think about how new they are to the scene here.
They didn’t win this one, sure, but they’ve shaken things up. A lot of their support came from people who feel let down by the other big parties. It’s something both Labour and the SNP should probably take seriously. Reform might not be done yet — and this vote made that pretty clear.
Scottish Labour stun SNP to win crucial Hamilton by-election https://t.co/51aAgDnJgW pic.twitter.com/CgpVZnT1ZW
— STV News (@STVNews) June 6, 2025
SNP takes a hit, and it’s got them thinking
The SNP didn’t just lose the seat — their vote share dropped a lot compared to the last time around. Back in 2021, they had nearly 46% here. This time? Just over 29%. That’s a pretty big fall. The party’s leadership even admitted they need to regroup and find a way to win people back.
This loss stings more because this area was one of their strongholds. And it all happened after Christina McKelvie’s passing, which is what led to this by-election in the first place. Her name came up a lot during the campaign — people respected her and remembered the work she did. But even with that, the SNP couldn’t hold on.
What this result might mean going forward
Look, one by-election doesn’t decide everything, but this one feels important. Labour’s going to see this as a sign they’re gaining ground in Scotland again, especially with big elections coming up. Their leader, Anas Sarwar, said this shows people are ready for something different.
The SNP, on the other hand, has some thinking to do. Reform UK? They’ll probably feel like this was a big win, even if they didn’t take the seat. Honestly, the whole thing shows how up in the air Scottish politics is right now. Nothing’s certain anymore — and maybe that’s what made this vote so interesting.
