The result in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election came as a surprise to many pundits.

The Hamilton by-election has concluded, but the reverberations are just beginning. A night of unexpected turns has left political circles buzzing.

Scottish first minister John Swinney had earlier dismissed Labour’s chances, insisting the by-election was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Reform UK. That prediction proved inaccurate as Labour mounted an effective ground campaign, returning to a seat they had held before the SNP’s rise in the 2010s.