Farage hails Reform’s ‘fantastic’ first election win in Scotland

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has won its first ever seat in Scotland, with the council by-election victory hailed as “historic” by the party.

David McLennan was elected as a councillor for the Whitburn and Blackburn ward on West Lothian Council.

With 1,177 first preference votes he came in ahead of the SNP, whose candidate polled 1,028, while Labour was third on 627.

Reform has a number of councillors across Scotland – and an MSP at Holyrood – but these have all come after defections to Mr Farage’s party and not through elections.

Mr Farage said the result in West Lothian was a “fantastic victory” for his party “in a seat we were not expected to win”.

After the result was declared, Reform Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr said the party is “just getting started”.

Posting on social media, he said: “It’s official, Reform UK has WON in Whitburn and Blackburn, gaining our first seat in Scotland. Historic.

“Scotland’s forgotten working-class communities won’t be silenced anymore.”

Mr McLennan described the result as a “vote of faith in Reform in Scotland”, claiming his party has “all the momentum in Scottish politics”.

He added: “I want to thank the people of Whitburn and Blackburn for putting their trust in me and in Reform.

“This is a clear signal from local residents that they want their community to take a new, positive direction.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton meanwhile hailed the result of another council by-election, which he said showed his party is “turning the screws on the SNP in the Highlands”.

Matthew Prosser was elected to represent the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward on Highland Council.

The Lib Dems won the by-election with 40.4% of first preferences votes, ahead of the SNP in second with 29.1% of the ballots.

The party hopes to win seats from the SNP in the Highland area in next May’s Holyrood election.

Mr Cole-Hamilton declared: “Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats can reverse years of SNP neglect in the Highlands.

“Matthew Prosser joins the flourishing ranks of Liberal Democrat voices who will deliver change with fairness at its heart for everyone up here.

“People are switching to us because they know we have a realistic plan to get them first-rate healthcare close to home, bring down bills, and get the Highlands moving again.”