Michael Shanks — ©AP
The Labor Party has won a crucial by-election to the UK Parliament in the Scottish constituency. The Social Democrats’ victory over the Scottish National Party (SNP) was not only a blow to the independence movement, but also a further indication that Labor would overthrow the Conservative government in London at the next election. Labor leader Keir Starmer spoke of a “seismic moment”.
A by-election on Thursday in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West borough of Glasgow was necessary after a former SNP MP lost his seat for misconduct. Labor candidate Michael Shanks won over SNP candidate Katy Loudon by almost 10,000 votes, it was announced on Friday evening after the votes were counted. This ensured that Labor got a second Scottish MP in the Westminster parliament.
Since the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the SNP has dominated the political landscape in Scotland, until then a stronghold of the Labor Party. This made it almost impossible for the Labor Party to gain an absolute majority in the British Parliament. If recent successes prove to be a trend, Labor will have a greater chance of winning a majority at Westminster, election expert John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow told the BBC. General elections will be held in England next year. Labor leads the polls so far, far ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.
Labor leader Keir Starmer said voters had “sent a clear message” that the “time for change” had come.
The Labor Party holds a conference in Liverpool from Sunday. Starmer, 61, has reorganized his forces with one goal in mind: victory at the next election.
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