SNP not necessarily the favourite to win Holyrood by-election, admits Swinney

Scotland’s First Minister has said his party may not necessarily be the favourite to retain the seat subject to a Holyrood by-election.

The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency is vacant following the death of Government minister Christina McKelvie last month, with voters due to go to the polls on June 5.

The contest is expected to provide a snapshot of the political landscape in Scotland ahead of the Holyrood election next year, with polls showing a rapid decline in the fortunes of Labour since taking power at Westminster last summer and a potential Reform surge.

Ms McKelvie held the seat since 2011 for the SNP, but John Swinney said the party cannot count itself as the favourite to win it.

Appearing on the Daily Record’s Planet Holyrood podcast, the First Minister was asked if the seat is the SNP’s to lose.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

Acknowledging the poll will take place in “really sad circumstances”, the First Minister added: “I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination is the by-election outcome clear.

“We’ll have to work incredibly hard in the SNP to retain the constituency.”

The SNP, he said, has “faced a tough time” in recent years, alluding to the shifts which saw the party change leader three times in just 15 months and the police investigation into its finances which has seen former chief executive Peter Murrell appear in court charged with alleged embezzlement of party funds.

It's important that we all recognise the scale of the challenge that we face in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse

There was also the crushing defeat in last year’s general election, which saw the party fall from 48 MPs in 2019 to just nine in the first few weeks of Mr Swinney’s leadership.

“I’ve got to rebuild the Scottish National Party, I’m doing that step-by-step,” he added.

“But it’s important that we all recognise the scale of the challenge that we face in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.”

The party announced this week that South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon would be vying for the seat after two failed attempts at the Rutherglen and Hamilton West Westminster constituency.

Scottish Labour will put up deputy lord lieutenant of Lanarkshire Davy Russell in the seat.