Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused First Minister John Swinney of running a 'dishonest and disgraceful' campaign in the recent Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Sarwar claimed the SNP's 'two-horse race' rhetoric, which highlighted Reform UK, was an attempt to push voters towards Reform and away from Labour. Labour ultimately won the seat, previously held by the SNP.
Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign
Hamilton, Larkhall and StonehouseScottish governmentScotlandJohn SwinneyScottish LabourAnas SarwarSNP (Scottish National Party)
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused First Minister John Swinney of running a 'dishonest and disgraceful' campaign in the recent Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Sarwar claimed the SNP's 'two-horse race' rhetoric, which highlighted Reform UK, was an attempt to push voters towards Reform and away from Labour. Labour ultimately won the seat, previously held by the SNP.
Trending- 1 2011: Christina McKelvie held the seat since this year.
- 2 March: Christina McKelvie died.
- 3 Last May: John Swinney sworn in as first minister.
- 4 Last week (Thursday): Holyrood by-election held in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse; Davy Russell won for Labour.
- 5 Sunday: Anas Sarwar accused John Swinney on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show.
- 6 May 2026: Next vote.
- Labour victory in a previously SNP-held seat
- Calls for cabinet reshuffle in Scottish government
- Increased political tension between Labour and SNP
- Debate over campaign ethics
What: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused Scottish First Minister John Swinney and the SNP of running a 'dishonest and disgraceful' campaign in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood by-election. Sarwar alleged that Swinney's 'two-horse race' narrative, which emphasized Reform UK as the main alternative, was a tactic to divert votes from Labour. Despite this, Labour's Davy Russell won the seat, prompting Swinney to consider a cabinet reshuffle.
When: Last week (by-election), Thursday (by-election result), Sunday (BBC Scotland's Sunday Show programme), March (Christina McKelvie died), May 2026 (next vote), Last May (Swinney sworn in as first minister).
Where: Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse (constituency), Scotland, Holyrood (Scottish Parliament).
Why: Sarwar claims the SNP's campaign tactics were designed to push voters towards Reform UK to undermine Labour's chances. Swinney justified his comments by citing Labour's 'collapsed' vote share and internal data showing a Reform surge.
How: Sarwar made his accusations on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show. Swinney defended his party's strategy in the same program. The by-election was held, and votes were counted, resulting in a Labour victory.