{"id":237888,"date":"2023-10-06T02:47:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T02:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=237888"},"modified":"2023-10-06T02:47:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T02:47:32","slug":"labour-trounce-humza-yousafs-snp-as-michael-shanks-wins-crucial-rutherglen-and-hamilton-west-by-election-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/world-news\/labour-trounce-humza-yousafs-snp-as-michael-shanks-wins-crucial-rutherglen-and-hamilton-west-by-election-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Labour trounce Humza Yousaf\u2019s SNP as Michael Shanks WINS crucial Rutherglen and Hamilton-West by-election | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
LABOUR has trounced Humza Yousaf\u2019s SNP in a crucial Westminster by-election.<\/p>\n
The new First Minister was dealt a hammer blow as Michael Shanks snatched the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat with 17,845 votes – a staggering 58% share of the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n \n<\/p>\n
And the margin of victory in the first major electoral test for Mr Yousaf is likely to spark fears of a General Election collapse for the Nats.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s Labour grabbed the seat won by ex SNP MP Margaret Ferrier in 2019, before she was ousted following her Covid lawbreaking.<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s Michael Shanks won 17,845 votes or 58.4 per cent of the vote share and SNP\u2019s Katy Loudon tallied up 8399 votes. <\/p>\n
The results put Labour 31 points ahead of the SNP, who won the seat in 2019 with a share of 27.9 per cent. <\/p>\n
Tory Thomas Kerr was in third with 1192 votes and failed to win back their deposit with just 3.9 per cent of the share. <\/p>\n
Following the result, Shanks said: "It is the honour of my life to have been elected as the MP for Rutherglen & Hamilton West.<\/p>\n
"Thank you to all those who helped deliver this result.<\/p>\n
"The largest thanks goes to all those who have put their trust in me. <\/p>\n
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"My promise in return is a simple one: I will be your champion."<\/p>\n
He added: "This isn't as good as it gets and under the leadership of Anas Sarwar, people are once again listening to the Scottish Labour Party and know from tonight that change is possible. <\/p>\n
"Across the UK, Sir Kier Starmer is showing a relentless focus on delivering for working people and offers a clear alternative to the morally bankrupt Tory party. <\/p>\n
"We've had more than enough of managed decline, more than enough of division and distracted, chaotic government. <\/p>\n
"It's time for change.\u00a0 That change can't come fast enough. <\/p>\n
"Labour can kick the Tories out of Downing Street and deliver the change that people want."<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party,\u00a0reacting to a Labour gain from the SNP in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, said: \u201cThis is a seismic result. <\/p>\n
"People in Rutherglen and Hamilton West have sent a clear message \u2013 it is time for change. And it is clear they believe that this changed Labour Party can deliver it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always said that winning back the trust of people in Scotland is essential. <\/p>\n
"Tonight\u2019s victory is the culmination of three and a half years of hard work in years of hard work and humility on that journey.<\/p>\n
"I am grateful to everyone who has put their faith in us today – we will work every day to repay it.<\/p>\n
\u201cVoters across Scotland and across Britain want a government determined to deliver for working people, with a proper plan to rebuild our country. <\/p>\n
"They want to move on from two SNP and Tory governments that offer only more division, more chaos and more infighting. <\/p>\n
"The country deserves a government firmly on their side and focused on their priorities \u2013 and Labour will deliver that for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prof Sir John Curtice called the outcome a "remarkably good result" for Labour and said "if this sort of swing was replicated north of the border Labour would become the dominant party" after the next General Election.<\/p>\n
There was a total turnout of 37.19 per cent with a total number of 30,531 votes cast from an electorate of 82,104. <\/p>\n
This is well below the 66.7 per cent at the 2019 election, but by-elections tend to have lower turnouts. <\/p>\n
The 2021 Airdrie and Shotts by-election which saw voters elect SNP MP Anum Qaisar had a turnout of 34.3 per cent.<\/p>\n
The loss comes as a major blow to Mr Yousaf, who earlier in the day had been celebrated on the front of the New York-based Time as one of ten \u201ctrailblazers shaping the future\u201d across the world.<\/p>\n
But back in Scotland, SNP chiefs crashed back down to earth with the long-awaited by-election.<\/p>\n
Fromer MP Margaret Ferrier was booted out after travelling to London from Glasgow while knowingly having the Coronavirus. <\/p>\n
At the time, mass vaccinations had not started and restrictions in Scotland included the \u201crule of six\u201d, with indoor household gatherings banned. The MP took a Covid test on September 26, 2020, due to a \u201ctickly throat\u201d.<\/p>\n
But while awaiting her results, she went to a church and gave a reading to the congregation, before spending more than two hours in a bar.<\/p>\n
She was suspended from the SNP, stood as an Independent and then suspended from the Commons for 30-days. <\/p>\n
Her constituents then signed a recall petition forcing her out and triggering a by-election. <\/p>\n
This by-election was the first test for First Minister Humza Yousaf who took over the job back in March this year. <\/p>\n
In the last few desperate hours of campaigning, Mr Yousaf and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar posed for pictures after dashing west to the key constituency to rally voters following First Minister\u2019s Questions at Holyrood.<\/p>\n
The scale of Labour\u2019s win will be pored over in the coming days \u2014 with polling experts saying it could signal how many of the 40-plus Nats seats they can grab at next year\u2019s General Election.<\/p>\n
As Nats chiefs admitted they had lost, the source pointed to issues including the Ferrier factor, and \u201cgeneral party difficulties\u201d – in an apparent nod to the police\u2019s SNP finance probe and the bombshell arrest of figures including Nicola Sturgeon – meaning it was \u201ca tough one for us\u201d.<\/p>\n
The by-election had prompted desperate efforts by the SNP to cling on the seat Ferrier won for them four years ago.<\/p>\n
But the party has been hit by a poll slump over the past year and the Rutherglen ballot was widely seen as a head-to-head fight with Labour, who only secured one of Scotland\u2019s 59 Westminster seats in 2019. <\/p>\n
Amid the cost of living crisis, Sir Keir\u2019s party tried to focus voters\u2019 minds on electing a change to the SNP and Tories.<\/p>\n
Polls closed at 10pm with bookies predicting Labour\u2019s Mr Shanks to win with 1\/20 odds to be elected MP, with the SNP\u2019s Ms Loudon rated a\u00a0 10\/1 outsider.<\/p>\n
Earlier today the betting firm\u2019s spokesman John Hill said: \u201cLabour are long odds-on to be celebrating. <\/p>\n
"Their price shortened over the past 24 hours from 1\/16 to 1\/20.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe SNP are tipped to be second but it would be a big shock if Labour were not to win this important by-election.\u201d<\/p>\n
We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at\u00a0scoop@thesun.co.uk\u00a0or call 0141 420 5200<\/strong> <\/p>\n
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