Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Labour wins Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election in surprise result

"People in Scotland have once again voted for change," Starmer said on X. "Next year there is a chance to turbo charge delivery by putting Labour in power on both sides of the border," he added.

Labour Scotland

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and deputy Jackie Ballie react after Davy Russell, Scottish Labour candidate, won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election on June 06, 2025.

Getty Images

LABOUR won a surprise victory in a Scottish parliament by-election on Friday, defeating the Scottish National Party (SNP) in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. The result delivered a rare boost to prime minister Keir Starmer and his government, who have seen a decline in support since taking office last July.

The by-election was triggered by the death of SNP lawmaker and government minister Christina McKelvie in March. Labour’s candidate Davy Russell secured 8,559 votes, overturning the SNP’s 2021 majority of 4,582. The SNP, who were favourites to retain the seat, received 7,957 votes, while Reform UK finished third with 7,088 votes.


"People in Scotland have once again voted for change," Starmer said on X. "Next year there is a chance to turbo charge delivery by putting Labour in power on both sides of the border," he added.

The Labour win came after what was described as one of the most bitter election campaigns in Scotland in recent years. Race became a central issue after Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, repeatedly referred to the ethnicity of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who is of Pakistani heritage. Farage visited Scotland on Monday, shortly after a row erupted over an online video from his party that falsely claimed Sarwar would "prioritise" the Pakistani community.

Labour called the video “blatantly racist,” and SNP leader John Swinney urged voters to reject Reform’s “gutter politics”. In response, Farage accused Sarwar of bringing sectarianism into Scottish politics.

Despite securing the seat, Labour’s share of the vote fell slightly compared to 2021, ending at 31.6 per cent. The SNP’s vote share dropped by nearly 17 per cent. Reform UK gained 26.1 per cent, making a significant entry into Scottish politics. The Conservative party finished with just six per cent of the vote.

The betting odds before the by-election had predicted a comfortable SNP victory, with Labour expected to come third behind Reform.

After his win, Russell addressed supporters and said the result had “sent a message to Farage and his mob, the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here”.

(With inputs from agencies)

More For You

David Lammy arrives in India for trade and security talks

Foreign secretary David Lammy. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

David Lammy arrives in India for trade and security talks

FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy arrived in Delhi on Saturday (7) for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening economic and security ties with India, following the landmark free trade agreement finalised last month.

During his visit, Lammy will hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and is scheduled to meet prime minister Narendra Modi, as well as commerce minister Piyush Goyal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Seema Misra
Seema Misra was wrongly imprisoned in 2010 after being accused of stealing £75,000 from her Post Office branch in Surrey, where she was the subpostmistress. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Seema Misra says son fears she could be jailed again

SEEMA MISRA, a former sub-postmistress from Surrey who was wrongly jailed in the Post Office scandal, told MPs that her teenage son fears she could be sent to prison again.

Misra served five months in jail in 2010 after being wrongly convicted of theft. She said she was pregnant at the time, and the only reason she did not take her own life was because of her unborn child, The Times reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
bradford-murder

Habibur Masum pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Bradford stabbing: Husband pleads guilty to manslaughter, denies murder

A MAN has admitted killing his wife as she pushed their baby in a pram through Bradford city centre, but has denied her murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article. He denied the charge of murder. The victim, 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter, was stabbed multiple times on 6 April last year. The baby was unharmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham bin strike to continue as rubbish mounts

Bags of rubbish and bins overflow on the pavement in the Selly Oak area on June 02, 2025 in Birmingham, England.(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Birmingham bin strike to continue as rubbish mounts

MEMBERS of the Unite union voted by 97 per cent on a 75 per cent turn out in favour of continuing the industrial action in Birmingham, which began intermittently in January before becoming an all-out stoppage in March.

At the centre of the dispute is a pay row between the cash-strapped city council and workers belonging to Unite which says some staff employed by the council stand to lose £8,000 per year under a planned restructuring of the refuse service.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eid ul Adha 2025

Worshippers are strongly encouraged to walk to the mosque if possible

Getty Images

Eid ul Adha 2025: Birmingham’s Eid in the Park cancelled due to rain, prayers moved indoors

A major change has been announced regarding Birmingham’s Eid ul Adha 2025 celebrations, with the annual Eid in the Park event cancelled due to bad weather.

Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC), which organises the city’s large outdoor Eid prayer, confirmed that this year’s gathering at Small Heath Park will no longer go ahead. The decision was made following heavy rainfall and a forecast of continued poor weather across Thursday and into the morning of Eid ul Adha, which falls on Friday, 6 June.

Keep ReadingShow less