Rutherglen

A potential by-election defeat in Rutherglen and Hamilton West would require “soul-searching” for Labour ahead of the general election, Jackie Baillie has said.

But the result in Rutherglen could be a watershed moment for the SNP, a chance for the party to reflect and reset.

Council-run premises in Rutherglen and East Kilbride are among those on the table.

He will address Labour’s conference in Liverpool on Monday, where he will hail his party’s win in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

His gruelling start to the job included fallout from the police investigation into the SNP’s finances, the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election, losing an MP to the Tories and suspending an MSP.

His party’s electoral recovery starts in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, he said.

HUMZA Yousaf has said he is “confident” the can hold the constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West but admitted his party would face a “tough” challenge if a by-election is held there.

It is a prospect that just a year ago, would have seemed unimaginable to the 25-year-old, who is originally from Rutherglen but is now based in Loughborough.

Labour’s huge majority in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West result has also led to an SNP MP warning his party should not turn into a “fundamentalist tribute act”.

Ms Baillie said a by-election should be held at the earliest opportunity so that "Rutherglen and Hamilton West can get the representation it deserves as soon as possible".

Partly because of that Rutherglen result, pro-union parties are resting a bit easier thinking the party here in Aberdeen is on the backfoot.

She is said to have warned senior SNP officials that she would publicly resign on the eve of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election if they did not put Robert Innes forward.

The 10-week class is being held in the Number 18 venue in Rutherglen.

The family are not insisting on staying in East Kilbride and are happy to move closer to Gail’s parents in Rutherglen or her sister in Cambuslang to enable Carly to be cared for if Joseph gets rushed into hospital.

The latest allegations come after we revealed Labour activists have written to UK leader Sir Keir Starmer demanding an investigation into claims of rigging in the race to fight disgraced MP Margaret Ferrier’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat.

The Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election is polling across the South Lanarkshire constituency today, October 5, 2023.

THE SNP have been accused of “clutching at straws” in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection after implying their Ayrshire-born candidate is more “local” than Labour’s.

The SNP risks a repeat of its drubbing in Rutherglen at the next general election unless it wakes up and "smells the coffee", a former depute leader of the party has warned.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were aware of a protest outside Rutherglen Town Hall during the morning of Monday, 8 January.

A primary school pupil from Rutherglen scaled Scotland’s highest peak to raise money to help his classmates enjoy an outdoor camp.