REFORM UK have won a council by-election in South Lanarkshire.
Fiona McDermott was elected to represent Larkhall at the fourth stage of vote counting, returning 1150 preference votes.
The turn out for the by-election was 20.9%.
The SNP’s candidate Leigh Payne came in second place with first preference votes, with 975 votes, and Scottish Labour’s candidate Chris Roarty returned 799 first preference votes.
Gary Burns, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party candidate, received 342 first preference votes.
Burns was excluded from the second round of vote counting, followed by Roarty.
Reform have just won our second by-election victory in Scotland. Across the central belt our forgotten working-class communities have finally found their voice. Congratulations Councillor Fiona McDermott who will be an amazing local champion for Larkhall 🏴 pic.twitter.com/XGZ4VW1zWe
— Thomas Kerr MSP (@ThomasKerrMSP) July 9, 2026
Following the results, Glasgow Reform UK MSP Thomas Kerr said on Twitter/X: “Reform have just won our second by-election victory in Scotland.
“Across the central belt our forgotten working-class communities have finally found their voice.
“Congratulations Councillor Fiona McDermott who will be an amazing local champion for Larkhall.”
The by-election was called after Labour councillor Lesley McDonald passed away after a short illness in April this year.
McDonald was chair of the Finance and Corporate Resources committee at the time of her death.
She had represented Larkhall from 2007 to 2017, and was reelected again in 2022.
