Everything to know before the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election
Voters will head to the polls on Thursday in an election of "monumental significance"
Thursday’s by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West is the first time voters will be asked to bring ID with them.
The law was introduced by the UK government earlier this year and requires anyone coming to the polling station to bring an accepted form of ID, such as a passport or driving licence.
Anyone who needs different ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) on the government website.
Expired ID can still be used, as long as the photo is still a “good likeness” of you.
Why is there going to be a by-election?
It will also be Scotland’s first by-election following a recall petition for a sitting MP, which resulted in Margaret Ferrier losing her seat in the House of Commons earlier this year.
The MP broke Covid laws in 2020 by travelling from Scotland to Westminster while waiting for the results of a test, spoke in the Commons, and then returned to Scotland by train after receiving a positive result.
She admitted culpably and recklessly exposing the public “to the risk of infection, illness, and death” as a result of her behaviour, and has been ordered to complete a 270hr community payback order by a court.
Earlier this year, the Commons Standards Committee handed her a 30 day suspension, allowing the recall petition to go ahead.
Ms Ferrier will not be running for re-election, despite resisting calls to step down.
Who is in the race?
The seat was always set to be a keenly fought battle between the SNP and Labour.
Labour won it originally in the 2017 general election, before the SNP took it back with Margaret Ferrier in 2019.
Sir Keir Starmer is hopeful a win in Rutherglen will show Labour can make gains against the SNP as the general election looms, paving a way for them to return to power in Westminster.
He has called the by-election a moment of “monumental significance”, adding that it could be an “historic victory” for the party.
Humza Yousaf and other key SNP figures have also been in the constituency, with the First Minister saying recently he is “hopeful” of victory on Thursday.
After a turbulent year for the party, a win in Rutherglen would show it can still enjoy electoral success.
Polling so far suggests a Labour victory, though the size of the majority is uncertain.
Who is the SNP candidate?
Councillor Katy Loudon has lived in the constituency for 14 years and has been a councillor since 2017.
She was a primary school teacher for 10 years before coming into politics, and has recently been the chairperson of education resources at South Lanarkshire Council.
Who is Labour’s candidate?
Michael Shanks is also a teacher, working at a school in Renfrewshire.
He previously made headlines after running along all the streets in Glasgow, more than six thousand of them, starting in Scotland’s first lockdown and completing the challenge nearly two years later.
When can we expect a result?
Ballot counting begins at 10pm on Thursday evening, and a winner can be expected early on Friday.
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