Nightmare for SNP after yet another by-election defeat as Reform makes steady progress

The SNP has been dealt a fresh blow after losing a council by-election in what was formerly an stronghold – to Labour.

This comes after a series of challenging election results for the party, with .

recently revealed that the party would rather help Labour get into power in Scotland because “anything’s better than the “.

The right-wing party is expected to win as many as 14 seats at the Holyrood elections in 2026 – which could prove crucial if the party ends up holding the balance of power.

Labour’s James Adams took the Glasgow’s Partick East and Kelvindale seat with 37.5% of first-preference votes compared to the ‘s 23.1%.

The Green Party came third with 18.2%, while the and Liberal Democrats saw small increases in their vote shares, winning 13.8% and 7.4%, respectively.

The vote was triggered by the death of councillor Kenny McLean, and the turnout was just 21.7%. Despite the Reform party not fielding a candidate in this particular by-election, they are making big gains elsewhere, including in Scotland.

Following the election, Adams, Labour’s new councillor, said: “I’m really happy the people of Partick East and Kelvindale have put their trust in me to act as their local councillor.”

He added: “Glasgow wants change, and it’s about time the stood up and took notice. Public services have been eroded, and they are not as functional as people in Glasgow demand.”

This result further narrows the ’s majority in Glasgow City Council, leaving them with 36 councillors compared to Labour’s 33 and the Greens’ 11.

However, it wasn’t all bad news for the . The party managed to secure a victory elsewhere in Stirling East, where Willie Ferguson was elected with 34.6% of the vote after Labour Cllr Chris Kane became the area’s MP in July.

Labour came in second with 25.5%, a rise of 3.9%, while Reform continued its progress, winning 14.1% of first-preference votes.

The Conservative vote, meanwhile, fell sharply by 11.1% to 12.2%.

First Minister and leader John Swinney congratulated Ferguson, saying he was “delighted” with the win.

Ferguson, a local business owner, promised to focus on tackling anti-social behaviour, calling for a dedicated taskforce to address the issue.

Nonetheless, it was Reform’s performance in Stirling East that stood out the most as the party continued to make gains in Scotland.

The by-election saw them secure third place, showing a growing trend of support in recent local elections.

By-election results:

Partick East and Kelvindale (Glasgow City Council)

Labour: 1723 (37.5%, +5.3) – elected at stage four

: 1062 (23.1%, -5.2)

Scottish Green: 837 (18.2%, -2.7)

Conservative: 632 (13.8%, +0.4)

Liberal Democrat: 339 (7.4%, +3.6)

Stirling East (Stirling Council)

: 650 (34.6%, -4.1) – elected at stage seven

Labour: 480 (25.5%, +3.9)

Reform UK: 265 (14.1%, new)

Conservative: 230 (12.2%, -11.1)

Independent: 106 (5.6%, -2.3)

Scottish Green: 95 (5.1%, +0.3)

Liberal Democrat: 55 (2.9%, +0.6)