SWINNEY FACES BACKLASH AS 'STAGNANT' SNP LOSE SAFE SEAT

Call for FM to resign after disastrous by-election defeat to Labour alongside Reform UK surge

- By Ben Borland

JOHN SWINNEY is facing the biggest crisis of his leadership to date after a disastrous defeat in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

One former Holyrood Cabinet Secretary even called for him to resign and a former Nationalist MP described the party as “stagnant” and in need of a “major rethink”.

Meanwhile, pro-Scexit hardliners are demanding the First Minister “hit the independence button” in the wake of the humiliating defeat. The SNP were expected to comfortably retain the Holyrood seat they had held ever since it was created in 2011 but saw Scottish Labour overturn a majority of more than 4,500.

There was also a huge surge of support for Reform UK, with many disgruntled former SNP voters turning to Nigel Farage's party in protest at the way Scotland is being run.

The First Minister put his own reputation on the line by campaigning heavily in the constituency even skipping a national defence briefing in order to do so and has been left eating humble pie.

Labour's Davy Russell, the lord lieutenant of Lanarkshire and former Glasgow City Council operational services boss, will now head for Holyrood after claiming 8559 votes a share of 31.6%, down 2% on 2021.

Katy Loudon for the SNP was in second place with 7957 votes, a share of 29.4% and down a massive 16.8% on four years ago. Meanwhile, Reform's Ross Lambie garnered 7088 votes (26.2%) making it almost a three-way split between the three leading parties.