Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election - live: Labour lands Scottish victory ahead of next general election

Labour has won the Rutherglen and West Hamilton by-election with a big victory over the SNP.

In the end, the party’s candidate Michael Shanks won 17,845 votes, out of a total of 30,531 cast and the margin of a 20 per cent victory was twice what pundits had predicted.

Out of an electorate of 82,104, some 37.19 per cent turned out to cast a vote.

The Rutherglen and West Hamilton contest was triggered by the ousting of former SNP Margaret Ferrier, who was found to have broken Covid rules when she travelled between Glasgow and London after testing positive for the virus during lockdown in 2020.

Ms Ferrier was ejected from the seat following Scotland’s first-ever recall petition — a mechanism that allows voters to remove an MP by signing a petition.

With his party commanding a large lead in national polling, Labour’s candidate Michael Shanks was expected to come out on top against the SNP’s Katy London and the Conservative Party hopeful Thomas Kerr.

The SNP was always likely to be heavily punished for the sins of Ms Ferrier, whose breach of Covid rules was a source of anger and frustration among locals who were unable to see or visit their loved ones during lockdown.

Key Points

• Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

• Scottish Labour congratulates Michael Shanks after win

• 14 candidates vying for seat vacated by Margaret Ferrier

• Voters go to the polls in Rutherglen and West Hamilton

Labour ‘not taking anything for granted’ after by-election victories

09:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party is still “not taking anything for granted” despite its Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Asked whether the result showed the Opposition had a win “in the bag” at the next general election, she told BBC Breakfast: “We’re certainly not taking anything for granted but it was a seismic result for Labour.”

She said the party had been “very bold” in its plans to deliver more homes ahead of a speech expected to focus heavily on housing at the Labour conference in Liverpool.

“It’s an absolute scandal that nearly £2 billion has been handed back to the Treasury when actually builders want to build, developers want to develop. So we’ve got to unlock that. Part of it is about having those local plans, and making sure we stick to that, and have that renewal we want on a national level.”

Angela Rayner says Labour would ‘support’ landlords

08:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party would “support” landlords who are giving renters a good deal and a secure home.

Ms Rayner, who is also shadow housing secretary, highlighted the “responsibility” of those renting their homes out when asked whether she had a “plan for landlords”.

Asked whether “landlords were part of the solution” but are “leaving the market” because of higher costs, she told LBC: “They are but also they’ve got responsibility landlords... I’m going to build the houses we need, that’s what we need, that’s the point I’m making.

“Landlords who are doing a good job who are making sure that renters have a good deal and a secure home, that’s great, we want those landlords and we can support them in doing that.”

Presenter Andrew Castle replied: “That’s a charity, that’s not a business.”

Ms Rayner said: “We need social housing. Landlords are not charities, I don’t accept that.”

Deputy Labour leader says party would hold developers to affordable housing obligations

08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party would hold developers to their affordable housing obligations, saying there was a “big gulf” between having “loads of profit” and having none.

The Opposition has said it would introduce a specialised unit to stop developers challenging so-called 106 rules unless there were genuine barriers to building homes.

Speaking to LBC, Ms Rayner, who is also shadow housing secretary, said: “There’s a big gulf of a gap between not having a profit and having loads of profit, and making sure we can have the affordable housing under section 106 which we’ve not been delivered currently - we’re going to make sure we have a specialised unit within government that will help local authorities to deliver that social housing and making sure that we’re using all of the affordable homes grant.”

Rayner on Labour MPs straying from party line

08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner would not be drawn on whether there was a strategy in place to allow MPs north of the border to stray from the party line on some issues in order to gain support.

Ms Rayner, who is also shadow levelling up secretary, was asked on Sky News about the concerns raised by Michael Shanks, who won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, about the two-child benefit cap, which Labour has said it would keep.

“One of the challenges we face because the Conservatives crashed the economy is that we won’t be able to reverse everything the Conservatives have done over the last 13 years, but we’re very determined to give Britain its future back, she replied.

More details of its plans, including the party’s vision for housing reforms and NHS reforms, will be detailed at its annual conference in Liverpool, she said.

Of the by-election victory, she said: “I think that result shows that we are on track to continue with the plan of listening to the public, seeing what their priorities are and delivering for them and that’s what the next Labour government will do if we’re fortunate to be elected at the next general election.”

Labour’s Angela Rayner dodges question on becoming Labour’s first female PM

07:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour’s Angela Rayner dodged a question on whether she has ambitions to be Labour’s first female prime minister.

When pressed on the topic, Ms Rayner told Sky News: “I would see it as an absolute honour and privilege to be the deputy prime minister for Labour.”

She added: “I want people to have the opportunities that the last Labour government delivered for me.”

ICYMI: Nigel Farage is the ghost at the Conservative Party feast – but he’ll do more than haunt Rishi Sunak

06:30 , Matt Mathers

The former Ukip leader was welcomed in Manchester like a conquering hero, writes John Rentoul. His reception shows large parts of the Tory party have given up on the election and are looking forward to an ideological civil war.

Read John’s full piece here:

The Tory embrace of Nigel Farage shows the depth of their problems

Editorial: Politicians are stoking ‘culture wars’ – with trans people caught in the crossfire

05:30 , Matt Mathers

Arguments about trans rights have become louder and more strident, with language that can be insensitive, insulting, hurtful – and, as has now come to light, directly harmful

Read the full editorial here:

Editorial: Politicians stoke culture wars – with trans people caught in crossfire

Smoking ban makes me fume – it’s bad for our health, but it’s our right to do it

04:30 , Matt Mathers

Nobody is seriously suggesting we make booze illegal to prevent alcohol-related deaths or outlaw Mars bars to combat obesity, writes James Moore. We ban too many things already, it’s time to debate how far the state should go in policing our bad decisions

Read James’s full comment piece here:

Smoking ban makes me fume: bad for health, yes! But our right to do it | James Moore

ICYMI: Sums don’t add up for Rishi, ‘the change candidate’

03:30 , Matt Mathers

The prime minister told the Conservative conference he wants to fix ‘30 years of broken politics’. But he ignored the inconvenient fact that his party has been in power for 13 years – and has run Britain for 17 of the last 30 years, writes Andrew Grice.

Read Andrew’s full piece here:

Sums don’t add up for Rishi, ‘the change candidate’

Starmer’s stonking by-election victory in Rutherglen shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

02:30 , Matt Mathers

It’s unclear why the SNP decided to gift Labour such a perfect battleground ahead of their party conference and indeed the next general election. Keir Starmer will certainly make the most of it, writes Sean O’Grady.

Read Sean’s full piece here:

Starmer’s stonking by-election victory shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

ICYMI: Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

01:30 , Matt Mathers

Sir Keir Starmer’s hopes of winning the keys to No 10 at next year’s general election were given a huge boost after winning a “seismic” victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Polling guru Professor John Curtice said the 20 per cent swing from SNP to Labour was a “remarkably good result” that put Sir Keir’s party on course to be the “dominant” force in Scotland again and win a clear majority in the Commons.

Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest report:

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

Labour’s Rachel Reeves drops flagship business announcement after Hunt intervenes

00:30 , Matt Mathers

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has dropped an announcement on a new business council from her Labour conference speech after an intervention by Jeremy Hunt and senior Tories.

The Labour frontbencher was planning to use her Monday speech at the party conference in Liverpool to reveal a new advisory body involving some of the UK’s biggest companies.

Adam Forrest reports:

Rachel Reeves drops business announcement after Hunt intervenes

Rape conviction rates are dismal – it’s no wonder women have lost hope

23:30 , Matt Mathers

In a damning assessment, the government’s ‘rape tsar’ says she has so little faith in the police’s commitment to investigating rape, she wouldn’t even report one herself. Where does that leave the rest of us, asks Charlotte Proudman.

Read Charlotte’s full piece here:

Opinion: Rape conviction rates are dismal – it’s no wonder women have lost hope

Pledge to ‘make work pay’

22:37 , Alex Ross

Angela Rayner has revealed her opening speech will set out a plan to make workers better off.

The shadow secretary of state for levelling up will also talk about the opposition’s plan for secure homes to “end the Tories’ housing emergency”

Angela Rayner to open Labour conference with pledge to ‘make work pay’

Government rape tsar quits over failures to hold attacker to account for breaching bail conditions

22:30 , Matt Mathers

A government rape adviser says she quit her job over the criminal justice system’s failures to hold her alleged attacker to account for repeatedly breaching his bail conditions.

Emily Hunt told The Independent her decision to step down from her role was also prompted by feeling like there was a lack of “will” and “drive” to improve justice for rape survivors.

Maya Oppenheim reports:

‘Life as I knew it ended’: Government rape adviser quits over failures

Revealed: Record number of rape suspects on Britain’s streets amid ‘absolute scandal’ in court delays

21:30 , Matt Mathers

The number of rape suspects out on bail has hit an all-time high as a huge backlog in the court system causes delays for tens of thousands of victims, figures uncovered by The Independent show.

Latest government statistics highlight a record 1,617 rape cases where the defendant was out on bail while their case was backlogged in the crown courts – up from 318 five years ago – while the number of alleged rape victims waiting more than two years for justice has also soared to new levels.

Andy Gregory reports:

Revealed: Record number of suspected rapists on Britain’s streets

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

20:30 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson has blasted Rishi Sunak‘s plan to ban smoking for future generations, branding it “barmy” and unworkable.

The ex prime minister said Mr Sunak’s proposal would “criminalise yet another variety of ordinary behaviour” with “no thought to the consequences for those who have to make it work”.

Jon Stone reports:

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

Sunak squirms on This Morning as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman’s ‘hurricane’ rhetoric

19:25 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak ducked awkward questions on whether he was “ashamed” of Suella Braverman’s rhetoric on immigration after she warned a “hurricane” on migrants was on the way.

The PM suggested multiculturalism was working in the UK “better than anywhere in the world” – contradicting his home secretary, who had claimed in a speech to a US think tank that it had “failed”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak squirms as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

18:25 , Matt Mathers

George Osborne has reignited speculation that the former Ukip chief could rejoin the Conservative Party and become its leader. Sean O’Grady weighs the likelihood of a new Brexit Tory takeover.

Read his full piece here:

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

Dale Vince switches funding from Just Stop Oil to youth vote campaign

17:12 , Matt Mathers

Green energy industrialist Dale Vince has announced he will stop funding eco-group Just Stop Oil and will instead focus on an anti-Conservative campaign to get the vote out among the younger generation.

The Ecotricity founder, who has donated to both climate activists and Labour, said continued disruption was “pointless” as the Government will not change its stance on oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

Full report:

Dale Vince switches funding from Just Stop Oil to youth vote campaign

John Rentoul answers your Tory party conference questions

16:00 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak has been under fire this week following his first Conservative Party conference speech.

Not one but two former Tory prime ministers attacked Mr Sunak’s plans to ditch the northern leg of HS2 and ban young people from ever being able to buy cigarettes.

While Liz Truss said she would vote against plans to eradicate smoking, David Cameron said that a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” had been lost in scrapping HS2.

In his keynote speech, the PM also set out plans to replace A-levels and make pupils study maths and English to age 18 and pledged to spend the £36bn saved from HS2 to boost transport projects across the country

But what has the conference taught us about the current state of the Conservative Party? And what do the prime minister’s plans mean for the future of Tories?

Chief political correspondent John Rentoul explains:

John Rentoul answers 6 burning questions on Tory Party conference

Watch: Rishi Sunak asked ‘aren’t you ashamed’ over Braverman’s remarks

15:30 , Tara Cobham

SNP leader has ‘days’ to save himself, says Alex Salmond

15:00 , Tara Cobham

SNP leader Humza Yousaf has only “days” to save his first ministership following the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election defeat, according to former leader Alex Salmond.

The Alba Party leader said the result was something the SNP had “been asking for”, telling the Press Association: “I don’t think that quite gets the enormity of what he’s facing. In my view, Humza’s got days to save his first ministership.”

Mr Salmond claimed Mr Yousaf was “making things much worse" and has "fallen on his face in spectacular fashion".

But Mr Yousaf said there would be no major changes. “We’re not thinking about standing on anything other than the SNP’s message. We will reflect, we’ll reorganise, we’ll regroup … We are the biggest key player in the independence movement, I think that’s without any shadow of a doubt from anybody.”

Labour could take 42 seats in Scotland, says polling expert

14:25 , Matt Mathers

An election expert has said that if the Rutherglen result was replicated at a general election it would see the Labour party win 42 seats in Scotland and SNP just six MPs.

Prof John Curtice said it has a momentum comparable with the run-up to the party’s 1997 landslide. “That potentially has implications for the overall outcome in the general election because if that were to happen, they would find it easier to get an overall majority.”

More comments from Curtice below:

Sunak saved ‘brilliant’ Beckham documentary for after conference

14:00 , Tara Cobham

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed he saved watching the “absolutely brilliant” David Beckham Netflix documentary until after the Conservative Party Conference.

Mr Sunak told This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary that he was thoroughly enjoying the new four-part series, which takes a look at the life of David Beckham.

He made the admission during a quick-fire quiz with the hosts when he asked if he preferred watching Big Brother or I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

Mr Sunak said: “I am watching the Beckham Netflix documentary right now.”

Alison Hammond asks: “Is it good?”

He replies: “I saved it for after the conference. It is absolutely brilliant, I am reliving my childhood.”

Lucy Leeson reports:

Rishi Sunak watching ‘brilliant’ Beckham Netflix documentary after Tory conference

Rachel Reeves drops flagship business announcement

13:30 , Tara Cobham

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has dropped an announcement on a new business council from her Labour conference speech after an intervention by Jeremy Hunt and senior Tories.

The Labour frontbencher was planning to use her Monday speech at the party conference in Liverpool to reveal a new advisory body involving some of the UK’s biggest companies.

But the chancellor and other senior Tories are thought to have contacted the firms involved to advise them against the move because it would be too political.

Adam Forrest reports:

Rachel Reeves drops business announcement after Hunt intervenes

Sunak squirms as asked if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

13:00 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak ducked awkward questions on whether he was “ashamed” of Suella Braverman’s rhetoric on immigration after she warned a “hurricane” on migrants was on the way.

The PM suggested multiculturalism was working in the UK “better than anywhere in the world” – contradicting his home secretary, who had claimed in a speech to a US think tank that it had “failed”.

Asked on ITV’s This Morning if he was “ashamed” when he heard Ms Braverman talk about a “hurricane” of mass migration, Mr Sunak said the debate “gets charged a lot”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak squirms as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

Watch: Starmer labels Tory conference a ‘circus’

12:45 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer labelled this week’s Conservative Party conference “a circus” as he hailed Labour’s by-election win in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

The Labour leader travelled to Scotland on Friday 6 October to celebrate with Michael Shanks, describing the win as a “seismic result” for his party.

Sir Keir also took aim at Rishi Sunak and the Tories as he addressed a crowd.

“Whilst we’ve been busy here, you’ll have seen the Tories have been in Manchester. What a circus,” he said.

“Rishi Sunak pretending that he’s going to do things differently? The nodding dog who passed all those decisions that he now says are a complete failure.”

Oliver Browning reports:

Starmer labels Tory conference a ‘circus’ as he celebrates Labour’s by-election win

Sunak ‘pretending he is going to do things differently’, says Starmer

12:30 , Tara Cobham

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was “pretending he is going to do things differently” in his address to the Conservative Party conference earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader told a victory rally in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency: “Whilst we have been busy here, you will have seen the Tories have been in Manchester. What a circus.

“Rishi Sunak pretending that he is going to do things differently. The nodding dog who passed all those decisions he now says are a complete failure.”

Starmer pitches Labour as ‘party of change’ at victory rally

12:15 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer pitched Labour as the “party of change” that voters could once again trust.

Speaking at a victory rally alongside Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Labour candidate Michael Shanks, the Labour leader said the electorate had “turned their back” on a Tory government “which didn’t represent them”.

He added: “But they also not so long ago saw a Labour Party that had drifted away from them.

“We’ve changed. And because we’ve changed we are now the party of change here in Scotland. We’re the party of change in Britain, we’re the party of change right across the whole country.”

Starmer says Labour ‘blew doors off’ in by-election

12:02 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour “blew the doors off” in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Speaking at a victory rally in Scotland, the Labour leader said to applause: “They said that we couldn’t change the Labour Party and we did it.

“They said that we couldn’t win in the south of England and the north of England, and we did it. They said ‘you’ll never beat the SNP in Scotland’ and Rutherglen, you did it.

“When I left here a week ago with the team, I said ‘you’ve got to win it’. You blew the doors off!”

He said he was “so proud” of Labour candidate Michael Shanks and his campaign.

Sarwar credits Starmer’s leadership with victory

11:45 , Tara Cobham

Anas Sarwar has credited Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of Labour with the party’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West victory.

The Scottish Labour leader told BBC Breakfast that Sir Keir’s campaigning in the seat was “hugely important”.

“The result that we had overnight would not have been possible if Keir Starmer hadn’t changed the UK Labour Party, if he hadn’t demonstrated that we can win the next general election, coming through the worst result in living memory to get us in a place where we can win that next general election.”

He also stressed that the party is not “complacent” and “the hard work is not done”.

Scottish Labour ‘targeting significant gains’ next general election

11:15 , Tara Cobham

Anas Sarwar has said Scottish Labour is “targeting significant gains” at the next general election.

The party’s leader told BBC Breakfast: “I’m very clear that, actually, Scotland will lead the way in delivering a UK-wide Labour government.

“I think what you’ve seen happen in Scotland overnight is people move away and reject the politics of division, of chaos and incompetence, and instead express a desire for the fresh start, express a desire for change. They can now see that Scottish Labour is the vehicle for that change.”

He said the result in Rutherglen and Hamilton West was seismic because “two years ago when I became party leader, we were 32 points behind the SNP”.

Mr Sarwar added: “Two years later, we are winning a parliamentary by-election, having gained more than 50% of the vote, double the vote share of the SNP and a swing of 20%.”

SNP cannot carry on with ‘business as usual’, says its Westminster leader

10:46 , Tara Cobham

The SNP cannot carry on with “business as usual” in light of its defeat to Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, the party’s Westminster leader has said.

Stephen Flynn MP told BBC Breakfast: “It is important for us now to reflect on the scale of the defeat that we have had, to look internally at what’s gone wrong and to see what we can do better in future to ensure that we win this seat back in the general election next year.

“We have lost by a significant margin, we know that our vote has not turned out and we know that we need to remotivate people to vote for the Scottish National Party.

“Ultimately the Scottish National Party has unfinished business … and I want to get on and ensure that we are an independent nation before too long.

“The party needs to recognise it can’t just be business as usual. I don’t think anybody is going to say it should just be business as usual.”

‘Big challenge on our hands’, says SNP chief

10:13 , Tara Cobham

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has told BBC Breakfast that the Rutherglen loss means “we have a big challenge on our hands”.

Nigel Farage could be future Tory party leader, says George Osborne

10:00 , Tara Cobham

Nigel Farage could be a future Conservative leader because of the shift to the right, former Tory chancellor George Osborne has said.

The hard-right ex-Ukip and Brexit Party leader was given a warm welcome at the Tory conference in Manchester earlier this week – raising the prospect he be brought into the party.

Mr Farage was feted by Tory members, seen dancing with former home secretary Priti Patel, while Mr Sunak left the door open to his membership.

Adam Forrest reports:

Nigel Farage could be future Tory party leader, says George Osborne

Watch: Humza Yousaf ordered to apologise three times

09:45 , Tara Cobham

Scottish Labour leader says party is ‘back on the pitch'

09:29 , Tara Cobham

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Labour Party is “back on the pitch”.

Speaking to Good Morning Scotland, Mr Sarwar said: “I think it’s no exaggeration to say we didn’t expect it to be as good a result as it was.

“And I think it demonstrates that people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West are tired of incompetence, the division, the chaos, and the vehicle for that change is Scottish Labour.

“The reason why I think it is a fundamental change is this wasn’t a result that was two months or six months in the making. It was years in the making. When I became leader two years ago, we were 32 points behind the SNP in the opinion polls. People were talking about Scottish Labour survival.

“For us two years on to win a parliamentary by-election for the first time in more than 12 years in Scotland, to get more than double the vote share of the SNP and to get a swing of more than 20%, is seismic, it is huge, it is significant.”

Labour’s victory could help it ‘get an overall majority’, says polling expert

09:15 , Tara Cobham

Labour’s victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election confirms the party poses “a serious challenge” to the SNP and could help it “get an overall majority” in the next general election, polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has said.

He said: “This result very firmly confirms the direction of travel indicated by the polls and that Labour do pose a serious challenge to the SNP’s continued dominance at Westminster.

“That potentially has implications for the overall outcome in the general election because if that were to happen, they would find it easier to get an overall majority.

“But also the kinds of increases that Labour have registered in their vote in this by-election, what they achieved in Selby, this is the kind of results that you see in advance of general elections when parties are on course to win.

“So, obviously, 12 months to go and all the rest of it, but I think one has to say that not only now are Labour clearly posing a serious, serious threat to the continuation of a deeply unpopular Conservative government south of the border, but they are now also posing a threat to a relatively unpopular – at least by its historical standards – SNP government north of the border.

“To that extent, I think they can reasonably claim to have done rather well.”

Labour win down to SNP – not us, says Tory minister

09:00 , Tara Cobham

The Tory transport minister has said the Labour win in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election was down to a “backlash” against the SNP.

Huw Merriman told Times Radio: “This was an election which is focussed against the ruling SNP government, so it’s no surprise to see a backlash.”

He added: “It’s a sort of natural consequence when there’s a backlash against a sitting government party and that was the SNP. So it’s no surprise at all to see them win it back.”

Sunak joins far-right Italian PM urging EU to act on illegal migrants

08:49 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak has joined forced with Italy’s far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni to demand EU leaders show the “same sense of urgency” in trying to crack down illegal migration.

The pair are believed to be angry at Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez for refusing to put illegal immigrantion on the agenda for the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Granada on Thursday.

Despite the European leaders agreeing an eight-point plan on the issue at the sidelines of the summit, Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni said the EU had to understand that “now is the time for action”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak joins far-right Italian PM urging EU to act on illegal migrants

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

08:40 , Tara Cobham

Keir Starmer’s hopes of winning the keys to No 10 at next year’s general election have been boosted after winning a “seismic” victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Polling guru Prof John Curtice said the 20 per cent swing from SNP to Labour was a “remarkably good result” that put Sir Keir’s party on course to be the “dominant” force in Scotland again and win a majority in the Commons.

Labour has been confident it would take the Scottish seat from the SNP after the disgraced former MP for the area Margaret Ferrier broke lockdown laws to travel from London to Glasgow with Covid.

Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest report:

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

Watch: Scottish Labour leader hails ‘seismic’ victory

08:30 , Tara Cobham

Watch: Rutherglen results announced as Labour triumph

08:20 , Tara Cobham

Why Scotland is so important for Labour to avoid a hung parliament

08:10 , Tara Cobham

Labour’s by-election victory in Rutherglen is a “remarkably good” result that puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party on course to be the “dominant” force in Scotland again, said polling guru Prof John Curtice.

The elections expert said the 20 per cent swing from the SNP to Labour was “well above the kinds of swings we’ve seen in the opinion polls in Scotland”.

So what does it mean for the 2024 general election? Labour had been hoping to win 15 to 20 seats in Scotland in a bid to boost its chances of avoiding a hung parliament and winning an outright majority.

Adam Forrest reports:

Why Scotland is so important for Labour to avoid a hung parliament

Labour on course to be ‘dominant’ force in Scotland again, says John Curtice

08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Labour’s by-election victory in Rutherglen is a “remarkably good” result that puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party on course to be the “dominant” force in Scotland again, said polling guru Prof John Curtice.

The party’s candidate Michael Shanks won over 17,000 votes, out of a total of 30,000 cast – a remarkable 58 per cent of votes cast.

Prof Curtice told BBC Scotland: “That means the Labour vote in the constituency is almost as high as it was in 2010 before the tsunami that swept the Labour party from virtually every constituency in Scotland.”

He added: “If this kind of swing were to be replicated across Scotland as a whole you’d be talking about the Labour Party quite clearly being the dominant party north of the border.”

Adam Forrest has more.

Labour on course to be ‘dominant’ force in Scotland again, says John Curtice

Labour ‘on course’ for majority at general election, says John Curtice

07:49 , Tara Cobham

Prof John Curtice said he was “absolutely” surprised by the size of Labour’s victory Rutherglen – saying it was almost as high as the 60 per cent Labour won in the constituency in 2010 before the independence campaign saw the party’s vote collapse.

The election expert told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that wins on that scale historically “on course for victory in a general election” he said – adding that you “cannot ignore the direction of travel”.

Scottish Conservatives face embarrassing defeat

07:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Scottish Conservatives came in third place, with Thomas Kerr polling 1,192 ahead of Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate Gloria Adebo, and Scottish Green Party candidate Cameron Eadie who secured 895 and 601 votes respectively.

A total of 30,531 votes were cast, with turnout standing at 37.2 per cent, well below the 66.5 per cent turnout in the last general election.

The loss of the seat to Labour will put further pressure on SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf – who has seen his party’s fortunes decline in the polls in the wake of the ongoing police investigation in SNP finances.

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

07:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Keir Starmer’s hopes of winning the keys to Downing Street next year have been boosted after winning the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Labour has been confident it would take the Scottish seat from the SNP after the disgraced former MP for the area broke lockdown laws to travel from London to Glasgow with Covid.

But victory was seen as a crucial step to prove the party was on course for victory next year, and avoid tough questions at its party conference which opens this weekend.

Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest report.

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

ICYMI: Ch-ch-ch-changes! Sunak kills off HS2, A-levels and smoking – and sets fire to his future

20:29 , Matt Mathers

Akshata Murty was charming and looked a million dollars, Barbie to Rishi’s dead-eyed Ken, writes Tom Peck. Unfortunately, all her husband had to trumpet was empty rhetoric and a fantasy world in which everything changes, and yet stays exactly the same.

Read Tom’s full piece here:

Sunak killed off HS2, A-levels and smoking – and sets fire to his future

Labour celebrates by-election win

06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Keir Starmer hails ‘seismic’ win for Labour

06:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Sir Keir Starmer has hailed a “seismic result” for Labour after his party overwhelmingly won Scotland’s first recall by-election.

Labour candidate Michael Shanks won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat after securing more than twice the votes of his SNP rival Katy Loudon.

The result will pile more pressure on SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf – who has seen his party’s fortunes decline in the polls in the wake of the ongoing police investigation in SNP finances.

More here.

Sir Keir Starmer hails ‘seismic’ win for Labour in Rutherglen and Hamilton West

‘Remarkably good’ result for Labour, says John Curtice

06:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Sir John Curtice told BBC Scotland News it was a “remarkably good result” for Sir Keir Starmer’s party that puts Labour on course to replace the SNP as the “dominant” force in Scotland once again.

“It’s well above the kinds of swings we’ve seen in the opinion polls in Scotland. The Labour vote is up to nearly 59 per cent, that’s 24 points,” he said.

He continued: “That means the Labour vote in the constituency is almost as high as it was in 2010 before the tsunami that swept the Labour party from virtually every constituency in Scotland.”

“If this kind of swing were to be replicated across Scotland as a whole you’d be talking about the Labour Party quite clearly being the dominant party north of the border.”

‘I will be your champion’, says Shanks after by-election win

05:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Scottish Labour’s Michael Shanks today said it was the “honour” of his life to have been elected as the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

Thursday’s by-election saw the SNP’s majority overturned by Labour after Mr Shanks won 17,845 votes.“Thank you to all those who helped deliver this result,” Mr Shanks said.

“The largest thanks goes to all those who have put their trust in me. My promise in return is a simple one: I will be your champion.”

‘Disappointing night for the SNP’, says Yousaf

05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Humza Yousaf said it was a “disappointing night” for the Scottish National Party following an embarrassing defeat in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

“Circumstances of this by-election were always very difficult for us,” he said in a social media post.

He claimed the collapse in the Tory vote, which “went straight to Labour” was a significant factor.

“We lost this seat in 2017, and like 2019 we can win this seat back. However, we will reflect on what we have to do to regain the trust of the people of Rutherglen & Hamilton West.”

Voices: Starmer’s stonking by-election victory shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

If Keir Starmer was at all worried about his party conference getting off to a good start, well, his fears may be said to be safely allayed now. Not only is this a clear victory, but the swing of 20.4 percentage points suggests a haul of 30 or 40 seats at the next general election.

That might well leave the SNP at Westminster next year with a mere handful of seats – crucial and huge progress for Starmer if it comes to pass.

In its way the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election is every bit as significant for Labour as the recent results in Uxbridge and in Selby.

It’s more than in line with general polling trends. It’s like a reset to the old days of Labour dominance. Labour will be making the most of it. So they should, writes Sean O’Grady.

Starmer’s stonking by-election victory shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

Labour leader Starmer says it is ‘time for change’

04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Labour leader Keir Starmer has hailed the “seismic result” for the party after Michael Shanks convincingly won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

He said the constituency had “sent a clear message” that it is “time for change”.

“I have always said that winning back the trust of people in Scotland is essential,” he said.

“Tonight’s victory is the culmination of three and a half years of hard work and humility on that journey.

“I am grateful to everyone who has put their faith in us today – we will work every day to repay it.”

ICYMI: The buck ‘stops with me’ if SNP fails to win, said Yousaf

04:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Before tonight’s result was revealed, Humza Yousaf said the buck stopped with him if the SNP failed to win Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

The Scottish first minister stated the contest could be determined by the party’s effort on polling day.

He conceded the SNP was facing “some very difficult circumstances” in the seat, which had been held by Margaret Ferrier.

“Ultimately, the buck stops with me as leader of the SNP. If you don’t retain a seat I will be answerable to my membership in that regard,” he said during the campaign.

More here.

Yousaf: The buck ‘stops with me’ if SNP fail to win key by-election

Scottish Labour congratulates Michael Shanks after win

03:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

“A huge congratulations to our fantastic candidate Michael Shanks,” Scottish Labour wrote in a social media post on X, following his victory in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election.

“You led a positive campaign focused on the priorities of people across Rutherglen & Hamilton West. We know you’ll do an amazing job representing this constituency.”

Labour celebrate by-election victory

02:12 , Graeme Massie

Scottish Labour leader welcomes victory

02:07 , Graeme Massie

“This seismic result shows Scottish politics has changed. Scots are tired of two tired, failing and incompetent governments. Scottish Labour is now the party of change and tonight demonstrates Scotland will lead the way in delivering a Labour Government,” tweeted Anas Sarwar.

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

02:00 , Graeme Massie

By-election was seen as a big test for Keir Starmer ahead of the next general election.

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

Labour plans for supervised toothbrushing in schools - but teachers aren’t happy

02:00 , Matt Mathers

Supervised toothbrushing could be brought into school classrooms across England under new Labour proposals to improve the nation’s oral health.

The party says the idea, along with providing an extra 700,000 urgent dentist appointments, would form part of a plan to fix the dentistry crisis.

Jane Dalton reports:

Labour plans for supervised toothbrushing in schools - but teachers aren’t happy

Labour wins Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election

01:49 , Graeme Massie

Labour has won the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election. More to follow.

Rise in hate crimes against trans people could be fuelled by politicians, Home Office admits

01:30 , Matt Mathers

A rise in hate crimes against transgender people may have been fuelled by politicians’ comments, the Home Office has admitted.

Transgender hate crimes rose by 11 per cent in the year to March 2023, to their highest rate since the figures were first recorded in 2012. Recorded crimes increased from 4,262 in 2022 to 4,732 this year, while religious hate crimes were also up by 9 per cent.

Holly Bancroft reports:

Rise in anti-trans hate crimes could be fuelled by politicians, Home Office admits

Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election: Key statistics

Friday 6 October 2023 00:30 , Matt Mathers

When voters went to the polls in Rutherglen & Hamilton West on Thursday, it was only the second time that the SNP has had to defend a seat at a Westminster by-election.

The first occasion was in May 2021, when the party successfully held the seat of Airdrie & Shotts – albeit with a reduced majority.

Here are some more key facts and figures from the constituency.

Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election: Key statistics

Turnout confirmed to be 37.19%

Friday 6 October 2023 00:17 , Graeme Massie

The turnout figures for the by-election have been confirmed by officials in Scotland, with an overall turnout of 37.19 per cent. A total of 30,531 votes were cast from an electorate of 82,104.

ICYMI: SNP win in Rutherglen by-election would ‘force’ Westminster to listen – Yousaf

Thursday 5 October 2023 23:30 , Matt Mathers

An SNP win in the key by-election would “force the Westminster establishment to listen” and take notice of Scotland, the country’s first minister has said.

Speaking ahead of a final weekend of campaigning in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Humza Yousaf also said that he believes Labour is taking people in the constituency for granted by believing they will vote for leader Sir Keir Starmer’s “pathetic offering of the Tory status quo.”

Lucina Cameron reports:

SNP win in Rutherglen by-election would ‘force’ Westminster to listen – Yousaf

‘Seismic’ by-election victory could launch Labour to Number 10, says Sarwar

Thursday 5 October 2023 22:30 , Matt Mathers

The leader of Scottish Labour has said a win in Thursday’s “seismic” Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election could springboard his party to victory in the next general election.

Mr Sarwar pointed to the election of SNP stalwart Winnie Ewing in Hamilton in a 1967 poll, as well as the Glasgow East by-election the party won in 2008.

“I believe this has the potential to be a seismic by-election and then as a launchpad as we head towards that next general election,” he added.

Full report:

‘Seismic’ by-election victory could launch Labour to Number 10, says Sarwar

Counting begins

Thursday 5 October 2023 22:05 , Matt Mathers

That’s it - the polls have closed and the votes are now being counted in the Rutherglen and West Hamilton byelection.

A result is expected early tomorrow morning, sometime between midnight and 2am.

Stay tuned for the latest updates.

How did the parties perform last time?

Thursday 5 October 2023 21:53 , Matt Mathers

Ferrier won the seat with a majority of 5,230 in 2019, picking up 23,775 (44.2 per cent) of the votes on a turnout of 66.5 per cent.

Labour’s Gerard Killen came second with 18,545 votes (34.5 per cent); the Conservatives’ Lynne Nailon third on 8,054 (15 per ceny) and the Lib Dems Mark McGeever on 2,791 (5.2 per cent).

Janice Mackay, the now defunct UKIP’s candidate, came last with 629 votes (1.2 per cent)

Who are the candidates?

Thursday 5 October 2023 21:52 , Matt Mathers

In total there are 14 candidates running in the Rutherglen and West Hamilton byelection.

You can view the full list here.

The election will be the first in Scotland to require voters to show photo ID before they are allowed to cast their ballot following a change in Westminster legislation that governs elections to the House of Commons.

Counting will be conducted at the headquarters of South Lanarkshire Council in Hamilton, with a result expected in the early hours of Friday.

Where is Rutherglen and West Hamilton?

Thursday 5 October 2023 21:40 , Matt Mathers

Rutherglen and West Hamilton is located southeast of Glasgow and has an electorate of 80, 918.

Ms Ferrier last won the seat at the 2019 general election, which saw Boris Johnson secure a landslide majority for the Conservatives.

Labour’s Ged Killen was the MP from 2017 to 2019 after defeating Ferrier in 2017.

Labour’s Tom Greatrex was the MP from 2010 to 2015 while his colleague Lord McAvoy represented the seat from 2005 to 2010.