Labour’s By-Election Triumph in Rutherglen Marks a Turning Point

In a resounding victory, Labour “blew the doors off” the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, reclaiming the seat from the SNP. Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, hailed this triumph as “the first step on a very important journey” in Scotland and across the UK. Michael Shanks, Labour’s newly elected Member of Parliament (MP), secured victory with a remarkable 17,845 votes. This represented more than double the number achieved by the SNP’s Katy Loudon, marking a significant swing of 20.4% from SNP to Labour in the Westminster poll. The by-election was necessitated by the ousting of former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier for violating COVID-19 rules.

Addressing a rally in the constituency, Sir Keir acknowledged the disillusionment of voters with both the SNP government in Scotland and the Conservative government in Westminster. He remarked, “Scottish voters looked at the Tory government in Westminster and saw something that didn’t represent them – they turned their backs on that. But they also, not so long ago, saw a Labour that had drifted away from them. We’ve changed, and because we’ve changed, we are now the party of change.” He emphasized that this change was not just about the SNP’s recent turmoil but years of non-delivery.

Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, admitted that several challenging issues surrounded this by-election, contributing to a challenging night for the SNP. He cited the “reckless actions” of their former MP during COVID-19 and police investigations into SNP finances as factors in the disappointing result. However, he affirmed his party’s commitment to reflection, re-grouping, and bouncing back stronger. Katy Loudon, the SNP candidate, received 8,399 votes, representing a 27.6% share, a decline of 16.6% from the SNP’s 2019 general election result.

Michael Shanks, the victorious Labour candidate, secured an impressive 58.6% of the votes cast, describing the result as “remarkable” and expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to engage with thousands of voters during the campaign. Notably, the voter turnout was 37.19%, a significant drop from the 66.5% in the last general election. Meanwhile, Conservative candidate Thomas Kerr garnered a mere 3.9% share, marking an 11% decline since 2019.

Craig Hoy MSP, the chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, downplayed the significance of Labour’s win, attributing it to the expected outcome of being the third party in a contest between Labour and the SNP.

Keir Starmer outlined Labour’s plan to present a “positive case for change” at the upcoming annual party conference, underlining the desire to earn every vote in Scotland by offering a compelling vision for change. He aspired to transform both the party and politics itself, expressing the need to challenge Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on issues such as the cancellation of HS2 and the proceedings of the Conservative conference in Manchester.

Several voters in the constituency shared their perspectives on the election. Douglas Macdonald, a Salvation Army volunteer from Rutherglen, voted tactically to oust the SNP and expressed satisfaction with the result. Conor Campbell, who voted for the SNP, was not surprised by the loss, citing recent party issues and a loss of faith among voters. Kieran Paterson, a 26-year-old security worker, abstained from voting, emphasizing the need for politicians to prioritize crime prevention to encourage participation.

Labour’s victory in Rutherglen by-election marks a significant turning point and reinforces their commitment to delivering meaningful change for Scotland and the UK.