THE SNP "still have work to do" to turn around their electoral fortunes after they lost to Labour in the Hamilton by-election, John Swinney has said.
The SNP had held the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat since 2011 but a by-election was called after the sad death of Christina McKelvie, who had been receiving treatment for breast cancer.
However, Labour won the constituency in a surprise result on Friday morning, securing 32% of the overall vote share.
The vote share had barely changed since 2021, however the SNP were on 29% - down 17 points on their 2021 result.
Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has said the result indicates the SNP have made "very little progress" in regaining support since their poor performance at the 2024 General Election.
Responding to the Hamilton by-election, Scotland's First Minister gave his congratulations to new Labour MSP Davy Russell.
He went on: “This by-election was called in circumstances that nobody wanted, and during the course of this campaign we heard so much from voters about the work that Christina McKelvie did on their behalf.
“Katy Loudon fought a superb SNP campaign, and clearly I am disappointed that we did not win tonight. Labour won by an absolute landslide in this area less than a year ago – we came much closer tonight but the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have made clear that we still have work to do. Over the next few days we will take time to consider the result fully.
“When I became leader of the SNP last year I made clear my intention to bring the party together and focus more than ever on standing up for the people of Scotland. During this campaign we heard a lot of anger about the cost of living – and it is clearer than ever that Westminster control is making Scotland poorer, whether that is the damage of Brexit, the hike in energy bills or the betrayal on the winter fuel payment.
“Between now and May’s election, I and the SNP will set out a vision of hope and optimism. We will show people in Scotland that a better future is possible by taking decisions for ourselves – and that is how we will win in 2026.”
Meanwhile one SNP source pointed out that independence support is doing well, reaching 54% in a recent poll, while the party's vote share stays around the 30%.
The topic was notably absent from the party's campaign in Hamilton.
"Time to hit the independence button," the source told The National while discussing the SNP's 2026 campaign plans and reflecting on the Hamilton result.
The full result is detailed below:
Davy Russell (Lab) 8559 (31.57%, -1.99%)Katy Loudon (SNP) 7957 (29.35%, -16.84%)Ross Lambie (Reform UK) 7088 (26.15%)Richard Nelson (C) 1621 (5.98%, -11.47%)Ann McGuinness (Green) 695 (2.56%)Aisha Mir (LD) 533 (1.97%, -0.82%)Collette Bradley (SSP) 278 (1.03%)Andy Brady (SFP) 219 (0.81%)Marc Wilkinson (Ind) 109 (0.40%)Janice MacKay (UKIP) 50 (0.18%)
