Reform UK first made history in Scotland after David McLennan secured victory in the Whitburn and Blackburn council by-election. Mr McLennan won the seat with 1,177 votes, narrowly beating the Scottish National Party candidate by 149 votes.
Callum Cox, representing the SNP, collected 1,028 votes, finishing in second place. Labour’s Samuel McCulloch trailed in third with 627 votes, while independent candidate Tom Lynch received 484 votes. The Conservative candidate, Reece Sinnott, gathered 129 votes, leaving the party behind several other candidates.
Douglas Butler for the Liberal Democrats received 102 votes, and Robbie Walker of the Scottish Greens took 101 votes. Eddie Millar, another independent, finished with 27 votes.
Voter turnout reached 22.2 per cent, with 3,719 ballots cast from a total electorate of 16,764. This represented a slight increase from the 20.7 per cent turnout during last year’s by-election in the same ward.
Mr McLennan, aged 65, had previously contested the ward last November but lost to Labour’s David Russell. Ahead of the recent vote, he said he entered politics to challenge what he called the unfairness of the SNP and Green policies affecting landlords. He added that Reform UK offered “common sense in many areas that affect everyday people.”
By winning this seat, Mr McLennan became the first councillor in Scotland directly elected under the Reform UK banner. Previously, all other Reform UK councillors in Scotland had been elected for different parties before switching their allegiance.
The victory highlights growing support for the party in local politics and signals its increasing influence in Scottish councils. David McLennan thanked voters and expressed his commitment to representing the interests of the Whitburn and Blackburn community. He emphasized that he intends to work closely with constituents while holding other parties accountable.
The by-election result has sparked discussion about the shifting political landscape in Scotland ahead of future local elections. Reform UK first achieving an elected seat underlines the party’s ambitions and its potential to expand beyond its existing strongholds. Observers note that close contests like this one could inspire other candidates to consider Reform UK in upcoming polls.
The election confirms that smaller parties can make significant breakthroughs when voters seek alternatives to traditional political options.
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