Labour have defied the odds to win a crunch by-election in a major boost for Keir Starmer .

The SNP had been the heavy bookies’ favourites to retain the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat in the Scottish Parliament.

But in a stunning upset, Labour candidate Davy Russell won with 8,559 votes, a majority of 602 votes over the nationalist party’s Katy Loudon on 7,957.

Reform UK’s Ross Lambie came third with 7,088 – 26% of all votes cast, in yet another sign that the right-wing party is making major inroads across the UK.

The by-election was held following the death of SNP MSP Christine McKelvie, who had won it at the last Scottish Parliament election with a majority of more than 4,500.

Labour’s victory suggests it is all to play for ahead of next year’s Holyrood election, when

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