Elections in Scotland: the Labor Party celebrates the bell in the face of the decline of the independence movement

The Labor Party has inflicted a severe defeat on the Scottish Nationalist Party in Keir Starmer's first litmus test after the fall of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and in a clear sign of the decline of the independence movement in Scotland.

Labor candidate Michael Shanks humiliated Nationalist candidate Katy Louton by 17,845 votes to 9,446 in the special election held in Rutherglen and Hamilton the Rutherglen, with a 20% vote swing reflecting the SNP's collapse in the polls.

“You have blown up the doors,” declared Labor leader Keir Starmer on a brief visit to Scotland to capitalize on the victory. Starmer assured that the result demonstrates not only the decline of Scottish nationalism, but also voters' rejection of Rishi Sunak's Tory government.

The Labor leader arrives with the wind at his back to the national conference of the Labor Party in Liverpool, where he is expected to launch his platform for the 2024 elections. “The party has changed and that is why we are the party of change in Scotland,” he said.. “We will also be the party of change for change in everything in the UK.”

The election had been called to fill the seat vacated by Margaret Ferrier, the SNP MP fined and expelled for breaching Covid rules.

The result has also exposed the new leader of the SNP, Humza Yousaf, who took over the leadership of the party this year after the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon, following the scandal of the party's irregular finances that has plunged Scottish nationalism into its greatest crisis. of the last two decades.

The overwhelming result also represents a notable boost to Keir Starmer's aspirations for the 2024 general elections.. After a setback that dates back to the time of Tony Blair, the Labor Party aspires to be able to snatch the status of majority force in Scotland from the SNP.