New MSP says by-election win can be ‘springboard’ for Labour Holyrood victory

Scottish Labour’s newest MSP has said his dramatic by-election victory could be a “springboard” to his party winning power at Holyrood next year.

Davy Russell secured a surprise win in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat last week, defeating the SNP candidate there.

His victory came despite SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney repeatedly declaring the contest to be a two-horse race between his party and Nigel Farage’s Reform.

Welcoming Mr Russell to Holyrood, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar insisted that voters in the constituency “have led the way in the pathway to electing a Scottish Labour government next year”.

Mr Sarwar said: “Next year we are going to remove the SNP from office and we are going to elect a Scottish Labour government.”

With the SNP having been in power in Scotland since 2007, Mr Sarwar said voters in the by-election had “recognised 18 years of failure from the SNP, wanting to change the government here in Scotland” while at the same time also “rejecting the poison of Reform in the process”.

He insisted that Labour’s MSPs and “fantastic candidates” for the May 2026 Holyrood elections would go on and “demonstrate how we win that election, demonstrate how we improve the lives of people here in Scotland”.

Mr Sarwar added: “The choice facing the people of Scotland is a third decade of the SNP with John Swinney as first minister or a new direction for Scotland with a Scottish Labour government and me as first minister.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was joined by his party’s MSPs as they welcomed Davy Russell to Holyrood. (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Meanwhile, Mr Russell said he was “honoured and humbled” to have been chosen as the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

The seat had been held by Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie, with the by-election called after her death earlier this year at the age of 57.

Mr Russell said he was at Holyrood to “fight” for people from the area, saying: “I have listened to them for weeks and now I am going to take their case forward, so it is the springboard for Scottish Labour to take the reins and be in charge of the Scottish Government come next May.”