Labour celebrates ‘seismic’ byelection victory
Libby Brooks
Scottish Labour’s Michael Shanks has won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection in an overwhelming victory over the SNP that the party leadership declared “seismic”, and a clear demonstration that Scotland could lead the way in delivering a Labour government at Westminster at the coming general election.
In a result that exceeded Scottish Labour expectation, Shanks beat his closest rival, the SNP’s Katy Loudon, by 17,845 votes to 8,399 – a majority of 9,446 and a resounding swing of more than 20%.
The result marked a “seismic night in Scotland”, and proved that “Scottish politics has fundamentally changed”, said the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar. Voters were sending “a very clear message that they are sick of two tired, failing, incompetent governments”, he added.
Key events
Here is a graph from our visuals team showing the difference between the 2019 vote in Rutherglen and Hamilton West and the results from last night.
The Scottish Conservatives lost their deposit in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection after securing less than 5% of the vote.
Thomas Kerr, the Scottish Conservative candidate, won 3.9% of the vote, below the 5% needed to retain his deposit. In 2019, the party won 15% of the vote.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster told BBC Breakfast: “We have a big challenge on our hands” after the party’s loss in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said voters in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West have “sent a clear message, it is time for change”.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Starmer said: “Congratulations, [Michael Shanks], Labour’s new MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. This is a seismic result.”
Congratulations, @mgshanks, Labour’s new MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
This is a seismic result. Voters have sent a clear message: it is time for change.
Labour will deliver. https://t.co/ijp6sjipBp
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 6, 2023
Severin Carrell
Our Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, has done an analysis of what this result means for the SNP and UK politics.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, had used the word “earthquake” last week to foreshadow Labour’s remarkable victory in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, where its 30% winning margin exceeded even its predictions.
He did it cheekily, stealing one of the favourite lines often used by the former Scottish National party leader Alex Salmond when the nationalists were crushing Labour at repeated elections in the past. That theft of Salmond’s phrase has additional resonance. It points to a change in Scottish political alignments that spells danger for the SNP and its current leader, Humza Yousaf.
Labour won with a crushing 58.6% vote share by shifting itself rightwards, moving much closer to the political centre in Scotland. That positioning was key to Salmond’s victories in the run-up to 2014, when he won and held power by freezing council taxes and small business rates Scotland-wide.
This time, Labour ran its campaign attacking the SNP for allowing councils to raise council tax rates, for a planned congestion charge mooted by SNP councillors to enter neighbouring Glasgow (ignoring the implicit rejection of Labour’s support for London’s congestion charge), and for suggestions income tax might go up again.
Labour celebrates ‘seismic’ byelection victory
Libby Brooks
Scottish Labour’s Michael Shanks has won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection in an overwhelming victory over the SNP that the party leadership declared “seismic”, and a clear demonstration that Scotland could lead the way in delivering a Labour government at Westminster at the coming general election.
In a result that exceeded Scottish Labour expectation, Shanks beat his closest rival, the SNP’s Katy Loudon, by 17,845 votes to 8,399 – a majority of 9,446 and a resounding swing of more than 20%.
The result marked a “seismic night in Scotland”, and proved that “Scottish politics has fundamentally changed”, said the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar. Voters were sending “a very clear message that they are sick of two tired, failing, incompetent governments”, he added.
Labour crushes SNP in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection
Good morning, I’m Sammy Gecsoyler and I’ll be here to keep you updated on today’s political developments.
Overnight, Labour has won a “seismic victory over the SNP in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection.
Labour’s Michael Shanks beat his closest rival, the SNP’s Katy Loudon, by 17,845 votes to 8,399 – a majority of 9,446 and a resounding swing of more than 20%.
The result marked a “seismic night in Scotland”, and proved that “Scottish politics has fundamentally changed”, said the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar.
