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Episode details

News,06 Oct 2023,7 mins

What Labour's by-election win means for the UK

5 Questions On

Available for over a year

Many were expecting Labour to win the by-election triggered in the constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West by the resignation of the sitting MP Margaret Ferrier – but not by this margin. It took 58% of the vote, miles ahead of the SNP on 27%. It leaves Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and the party's national leader Sir Keir Starmer in buoyant mood: they say they’re back in Scotland and are in with a better chance of forming the next government at Westminster. The polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has suggested it could mean Labour win more than 40 seats in Scotland – crucial for the party to have a chance of winning a majority at the next general election. For this episode of the 5 Questions On podcast, the BBC's political correspondent Nick Eardley and Scotland producer Natalie Higgins examine the reasons for Labour’s triumph and consider what the win means for the rest of the UK. (Image: PA)

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