Scotland SNP First Minister Swinney Refuses Resignation After Hamilton By-Election Loss

Following the shock loss of the formerly safe SNP seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse to Labour's Davy Russell, First Minister John Swinney has faced calls to resign but insists he will remain in his role and lead the party into next year's Holyrood election. Swinney acknowledged the defeat but highlighted ongoing policy progress and signaled an imminent cabinet reshuffle as part of efforts to recover. Former SNP Health Secretary Alex Neil publicly criticized the current SNP leadership, calling for urgent replacement, while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar hailed the victory as a major boost for his party's prospects and condemned the SNP's campaign strategy, which focused on framing the election as a contest primarily against Reform UK. The by-election saw the SNP's vote share collapse from over 46% in 2021 to under 30%, with Reform UK placing third. The loss has intensified scrutiny of the SNP's leadership and electoral approach amid rising momentum for Labour and questions about the party's future direction.