Labour beats SNP in Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection
Scottish Labour’s Michael Shanks has won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection, in a resounding victory over the SNP that the party hopes will have a “seismic” impact across the UK.
In a win that UK Labour leader, Keir Starmer, predicted would be a “milestone” on his party’s “hard road back to power”, Shanks beat his closest rival, the SNP’s Katy Loudon, by 17,845 votes to 8,399 – a majority of 9,446.
Turnout on Thursday was 37.19% compared with 66.5% at the last general election in 2019, in the seat to the south-east of Glasgow that has now changed hands four times between the SNP and Labour since 2010.
A huge congratulations to our fantastic candidate Michael Shanks!
— Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) October 6, 2023
You led a positive campaign focused on the priorities of people across Rutherglen & Hamilton West.
We know you’ll do an amazing job representing this constituency.
Scottish Labour - the change Scotland needs. pic.twitter.com/AoDumtjaGS
The victory provides the UK Labour leader, Keir Starmer with a boost days before the party gathers for its autumn conference in Liverpool. Senior figures are convinced that revived fortunes in Scotland can send a message UK-wide about the party’s electability before the next general election.
“People need change from governments that have too often been distracted,” Shanks said, after the win was announced.
“People are once again listening to the Scottish Labour Party … Change is possible.”
During the campaign Shanks, a modern studies teacher at a local high school, said people were desperate for “a fresh start” after constituents voted for the Covid rule-breaking MP Margaret Ferrier to be removed from her seat.
Ferrier, who sat as an independent after she was suspended from the SNP, was convicted of breaking travel rules during lockdown and later suspended from the Commons for 30 days.
The Labour leadership considered this byelection a crucial test of an apparent turnaround in Scottish politics since Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation in February.
On the final day of campaigning the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, said: “I believe this has the potential to be a seismic byelection and then as a launchpad as we head towards that next general election.”
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Polls suggest the SNP’s dominance is diminishing as the party struggles with questions of transparency and governance linked to the police investigation into its financial conduct, with Labour the beneficiary.
With no clear route to a second independence referendum and the public overwhelmed by cost of living concerns, there are strong indications that Scottish voters are now less likely to choose which party to back based on their constitutional preferences.
Shanks’s campaign focused on the cost of living crisis, attacking the SNP government at Holyrood’s record on public services.