Keir Starmer won't campaign in Hamilton by-election

The Herald Scotland

07-05-2025

He was speaking at a rally to launch his bid to put Labour into power at Holyrood as the main political parties ramped up their campaigning a year out from the next Scottish Parliament elections on May 7 2026.
Mr Sarwar made the comments at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall in Glasgow after he was asked by The Herald if the Prime Minister would be visiting the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency in the coming weeks, and if so what type of reception the Prime Minister would get on the doorstep.
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"I'm sure people will be delighted we have a UK Labour Prime Minister," said Mr Sarwar as he encouraged Labour MSPs, activists and members sitting in the audience at the Scottish Labour event to head out to the area to campaign.
"I'm doing our campaign here in Scotland. I'm the candidate for First Minister. I'm the one that wants to beat the SNP and change our country direction. I hope that starts in Hamilton house in four weeks."
He added: "So we don't expect the Prime Minister do the campaigning in Hamilon, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
"He wasn't in the by elections down the road. We are leading this campaign in Scotland. It's a Scottish labour campaign to elect the Scottish Labour MSP, as part of a pathway of delivering a Scottish Labour government next year."
The Herald pointed out to Mr Sarwar that the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was planning to campaign in the Hamilton by election and asked him if he was worried about the rise of Reform.
Mr Farage's party last week won the previously Labour held seat of Runcorn and Helsby, won a second mayoral contest, and took control of a string of local councils in England.
"We can't be complacent about that style of politics anywhere," he said.
"But ultimately, if we are going to stop pushing people towards divisive politics and divisive politicians, then we need a Scottish Government that's actually going to deliver for people and the answer to people's challenges, whether about the inability to get a house, whether it be inability to get a hospital appointment, inability to get a job and the answer to those issues is to confront those challenges cusing the powers we have, rather than deflecting from those issues and talking about politicians like Nigel Farage.
"John Swinney is obsessed with him. [Nigel Farage] doesn't care about Scotland. I'm focusing on the issues that matter, and ultimately, the next choice is a third decade of the SNP, or me as First Minister, the SNP have destroyed our NHS. They're ruining our public services. A vote for Reform only helps the SNP. If you want to get rid of the SNP, the way we can do that is by voting Scottish Labour."