'This shows people are with us'

JOHN SWINNEY suffered a nightmare as the SNP plunged to two by-election defeats in a bad omen for the upcoming Holyrood election.

- BY DAVD WALKER Scottish Politics Reporter

There was joy for Reform — led by Nigel Farage, right — as the party now has an elected councillor in Scotland for the first time.

Both votes saw a collapse in nationalist support in seats belonging to senior Scottish Government ministers in Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Justice Secretary Angela Constance and Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes.

Despite being ahead in the Scottish Parliament opinion polls, the SNP are failing to win the majority of council by-elections, and lost a seat in Fort William.

Reform UK celebrated as David McLennan secured victory in Whitburn and Blackburn in West Lothian after winning 1,177 of the first-preference votes.

The win was hailed as a "historic result" for the party by Reform's sole MSP in Holyrood. The SNP recorded the second highest number of first preference votes with 1,028.