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 over 20%.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
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 over 20%.
But Yousaf added that the “circumstances of this byelection were always very difficult for us” – the contest was triggered after constituents voted for the Covid rule-breaking former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier to be removed from her seat.
During the campaign Shanks, a modern studies teacher at a local high school, said people were desperate for “a fresh start” following years of limbo with Ferrier, who sat as an independent after she was suspended from the SNP.
Both candidates centred their campaigns around the cost of living crisis, with Shanks attacking the SNP government at Holyrood’s record on public services and Loudon accusing UK Labour of “colluding” with Tory policies like the two-child benefit cap.
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.
The original article contains 654 words, the summary contains 219 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!