2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election
The 2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election is expected to take place on a date to be announced, following the recall of the sitting MP, Margaret Ferrier, who has confirmed she will not stand for re-election.[1]
Setting the date
As the party that last won the seat, it is for the SNP to start the process of a by-election.
The party's chief whip at Westminster will submit a motion to the House of Commons requesting an election in a process known as moving the writ.
The request is put to MPs in a vote. If backed, the writ is sent to South Lanarkshire Council's Returning Officer.
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has committed to moving as fast as possible to hold the by-election.
If the writ is moved on the first day of Parliament after summer recess, the earliest possible date for the election would be Thursday, 5 October 2023.[2]
Candidates
Candidates who have declared they are standing in the by-election are (in alphabetical order):
- Gloria Adebo (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
- Bill Bonnar (Scottish Socialist Party)
- Cameron Eadie (Scottish Greens)
- Ewan Hoyle (Volt UK)
- Thomas Kerr (Scottish Conservatives);
- Katy Loudon (SNP);
- Chris Sermanni (Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
- Michael Shanks (Scottish Labour)
- David Stark (Reform UK)
No contest
On 26 August 2023, former First Minister Alex Salmond announced his Alba Party will not contest the forthcoming Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election. Speaking at a meeting of the party’s national council in Rutherglen, the Alba leader said:
- “The SNP leadership seem to think they can go it alone in Rutherglen and in the next General Election.
- “We have decided to stand aside at this by-election to give them the maximum opportunity to prove they can successfully fly solo.
- “We believe that four pro-independence candidates already in a first past the post election risks handing the seat to the unionist Labour Party.”
- “We are also fundamentally opposed to this by-election taking place at all.
- "By combining with the Labour Party to treat Margaret Ferrier with such disproportionate disdain the SNP have created their own problem in Rutherglen and should be now left to face it.
- “However, for this to succeed they will have to reclaim their own party from a leadership who have lost their way on both governance of Scotland and strategy towards independence.
- “ALBA still stand ready to move forward with a Scotland United approach but now are also making preparations for a wide scale intervention across Scotland at next year’s General Election.
- "To that end we have formally opened our General Election candidates’ list today.”[3]
