Why Reform was the other big winner in the Hamilton by-election

The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election is a surprise win for Labour – giving the party a much-needed boost with less than a year until a full Scottish Parliament vote.

But the other big winner was Reform UK who finished third behind the SNP. They recorded their best ever parliamentary election result in Scotland – with a 26% share of the vote.

The party’s deputy leader Richard Tice said the result was a “massive boost” going into the May 2026 vote.

If John Swinney is to remain as Scotland’s first minister, it seems he cannot rely on presenting the SNP as the only alternative to Nigel Farage and Reform UK.

Both the SNP and Labour lost vote share in this by-election but the punishment for…