Labour has won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, securing the Westminster seat with 17,845 votes, more than double the number polled by the SNP candidate, Katy Loudon.

This victory marked a significant swing of 20.4% from the SNP to Labour. The by-election was called after the former SNP MP, Margaret Ferrier, was removed from office for breaking Covid rules.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described it as a "seismic" night and emphasized the importance of winning back the trust of the people in Scotland. The SNP's Katy Loudon received 8,399 votes, representing a 27.6% share of the turnout, which was down by 16.6% from the 2019 general election.

This result is seen as a test for the SNP's new leader, Humza Yousaf, and the SNP acknowledged that the circumstances were challenging, with Labour benefiting from a collapse in the Conservative vote. However, SNP leaders expressed their determination to regain the trust of the constituents in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

Labour's winning candidate, Michael Shanks, hailed it as the "honour of my life" and pledged a "fresh start" away from divisiveness. Turnout for the vote was 37.19%, significantly lower than the 66.5% recorded in the last general election.

The result is considered a remarkably good outcome for Labour and may have implications for the SNP's strategy as it positions itself in a changing political landscape in Scotland. Photo by User:BrainiacBlink, Wikimedia commons.