Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election: Who are the candidates?

BBC News

27-05-2025

Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse are to elect a new MSP following the death of the SNP's Christina McKelvie.The result is keenly awaited as the vote takes place less than a year before the Scottish Parliament election.The ballot will be held on Thursday 5 June. Here are all the candidates in alphabetical order:
Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) candidate Collette Bradley, 46, says she comes from a staunchly socialist family with a tradition of trade union activism going back decades.The mother of two daughters also has two grandsons and is a member of the support staff for further education colleges in Lanarkshire.Ms Bradley, from Rutherglen, is the elected chair of the SSP's Scotland union branch and has led campaigns for decent pay, equality and job security.She has pledged to remain on the average worker's salary if elected rather than an MSP salary so she remains in touch with the realities of the cost-of-living crisis.She says she supports a massive redistribution of wealth from millionaires to the millions who need it.The SSP did have representation from Central Scotland following the 2003 Scottish Parliament election but their fiery socialism was extinguished at the next election.
Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party
Andy Brady, from Uddingston, says he's a happily married man with four children.He says he felt the devastating effects of being a child going through his parents' divorce.Mr Brady says it's his personal experience that a strong family helps to build strong lives.He says he cannot see any other party that truly has that as a core value.Mr Brady adds that through open and honest dialogue, listening to people's needs and with no hidden agenda, Scotland can be a better place to live and grow. The Scottish Family Party opposes abortion and assisted dying, as well as calling for an end to identity politics. It has been contesting elections in Scotland since 2017.
Ross Lambie, Reform UK
Ross Lambie was born and raised in a small mining village in South Lanarkshire to working-class parents from Larkhall.He graduated as an architect and set up his own practice, and now also teaches architectural students at various universities across the UK.After starting his career in London, he moved back to the local area to raise kids, a dog and cows.He says he got involved in politics to try to improve his area. Lambie was a Conservative councillor but defected to Reform UK, saying he believes that urgent and impactful changes are needed to arrest economic, cultural and societal decline.He says that only Reform has the policy platform to make the big decisions needed.All eyes are on Reform in this by-election following the momentum the party built up in the English local elections.Political watchers are wondering how far they can advance and the potential damage they could inflict on other pro-union parties.
Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party
Katy Loudon, 45, is originally from North Ayrshire and moved to South Lanarkshire in 2009.She has been married for 20 years and her husband is originally from Hamilton. They have two children.Loudon has been a South Lanarkshire councillor since 2017 and had been a teacher for 10 years before that.She says Labour have let down the people of the constituency and Scotland, while her party is offering hope at this election and is focused on delivering.Loudon says the SNP has a strong track record, citing moves to scrap peak rail fares, deliver 150,000 extra NHS appointments and procedures, reverse the UK government winter fuel payment cut and mitigate the two-child benefit cap.This is a critical test for the SNP. If it retains the constituency it demonstrates that leader John Swinney has steadied the ship of state after the general election upset last year.
Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party
Janice MacKay, 63, lives in South Lanarkshire. She spent 35 years working in financial services and then a number of years in the retail industry.Now retired now, she has two grand-daughters.Ms Mackay says she is offering the electorate the opportunity to vote for a unionist candidate who views the Scottish Parliament as nothing more than an additional local authority tier, while regarding Westminster as sovereign.She is urging voters to back UKIP if they abhor "draconian" rules and has pledged to give 40% of her salary to veterans' charities.UKIP has a long political history but has faded from public view in the post-Brexit world, being rather eclipsed now by its descendant, Reform UK. However, it still has its committed followers here in South Lanarkshire.
Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party
Ann McGuinness is the director of a charity which promotes rural connections and champions rural diversity. The mother of two says her own lived experiences of poverty and disability give a valuable insight into the challenges faced by many whose voices are often unheard.She says that as a dedicated feminist and environmental justice campaigner she has promoted climate education and has a strong track record of working across party lines to support women in politics.She says every vote for her party will be a positive vote for a fairer and greener Scotland and a brighter future for the constituency. The Greens didn't stand here in 2021 but they will be planning ahead for the Holyrood election next year in an area which is part of the Central Scotland list region.
Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Aisha Mir was raised in Edinburgh and is the daughter of immigrant parents.She was the first in her family to attend university, graduating from the University of the West of Scotland.A career in business and finance then followed and she continues to live in this part of the country.Ms Mir has been an unpaid carer for her mother through several serious illnesses over many years and says that is a big part of why she is putting local health and care services at the heart of her campaign. She first joined the Liberal Democrats in 2013 and served as spokesperson for human rights and older people.Ms Mir says she is a passionate and experienced local champion and fights hard to give communities representation.The Lib Dems received little more than 1,000 votes in the constituency in the 2021 election.
Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Richard Nelson has worked in the NHS for 25 years, with most of that time spent in forensic mental health. He has also been a Conservative councillor since 2017, representing Larkhall. He says he has seen first hand the dedication of frontline NHS staff and the strain they are working under. Nelson says he is also a committed trade unionist and was motivated to step into politics when the issue became personal - after his wife was left lying on a hospital trolley for over 50 hours without access to a toilet or washing facilities.Nelson says the SNP has failed to support the frontline for too long and this by-election is an opportunity to give a voice to the people and services.This constituency has been described by some as a three-way split - with the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives in contention.However, Reform UK is now part of the dynamic and a lot of attention is being given to how Nigel Farage's party will impact on the Tory vote.
Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party
Davy Russell, 63, was raised and still lives in the village of Quarter in the constituency.He started out as a local apprentice, fixing roads, and went on to work at a senior level in local government. Mr Russell is a charity trustee, raises money for a hospice and has served as deputy lord lieutenant, representing the King at local events. Russell says his top priority is fixing the NHS and bring down waiting lists. He says he will campaign to end the 08:00 rush for GPs and fight Scottish government plans to downgrade Wishaw neonatal unit. He also says he will work hard to revitalise towns and villages, with investments in high streets, road and leisure facilities.Like the SNP, this by-election is a critical test for Scottish Labour after almost a year of Labour rule at Westminster. Speculation continues about the potential impact of Reform UK on the Labour vote and whether that will allow the SNP to retain the seat.
Marc Wilkinson, Independent
Marc Wilkinson is a pizza shop owner from Morningside in Edinburgh who was in the news two years ago after an overwhelming take-up of his free pizza offer.The businessman established the Edinburgh People party and is now setting up the South Scotland People party – as part of an attempt to establish regional parties across Scotland for the Holyrood list vote next year.Mr Wilkinson's aim is for "the people of Scotland to choose to vote for themselves". He says he would take instruction directly from members of South Scotland People from within the constituency, establishing direct democracy and giving people on-going control.He's also initiated a petition calling for political parties to stop block voting and the party whip.