Davy Russell: Who is the newly-elected Scottish Labour MSP from the Hamilton by-election?

“Can you see me now?”. Those were the words of Davy Russell, the newly elected Scottish Labour MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

Mr Russell managed to clinch victory in Thursday’s by-election with 31.5 per cent of the vote, ahead of the SNP on 29.4 per cent and Reform UK on 26.2 per cent.

During the campaign, both Scottish Labour and Mr Russell were criticised for being “invisible” after the party’s candidate repeatedly refused to do broadcast interviews and declined invitations to attend televised hustings.

Labour candidate Davy Russell wins the by-election and celebrates alongside party leader Anas Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie. | Lisa Ferguson

But he will be invisible no more - he is now one of the 23-strong group of Scottish Labour MSPs in Holyrood.

Who is Davy Russell?

So what do we know about Mr Russell?

The 63-year-old grandfather has never stood for election before, with party leader Anas Sarwar branding him a community candidate.

Mr Russell lives in Quarter in South Lanarkshire, the small former mining village where he was born and grew up.

LIVE Hamilton by-election results: Labour in stunning win after bitter campaign against SNP, Reform

As a child, Mr Russell went to school in Hamilton and went on to gain a civil engineering certificate from Motherwell Technical College.

He started off as an apprentice fixing roads, and eventually became a senior manager at Glasgow City Council, looking after roads, transport and waste.

Mr Russell is deputy lord lieutenant, making him King Charles III’s local representative in South Lanarkshire. He also likes to raise money for charity and is a charity trustee.

Why did Russell win the by-election?

Others within the Labour Party say he manages to connect with the voters because he is one of them. In fact, much has been made of his working-class roots during this campaign.

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Brian Leishman, the Labour MP for nearby Alloa and Grangemouth, congratulated Mr Russell and said: “What a result for Scottish Labour and a community champion in Davy Russell.

“People want change and believe Scottish Labour can provide it next May.

“Credit to Davy for being dignified in a horrible classist campaign from some opponents. He’s a credit to the working class.”

Mr Sarwar added: “In Davy Russell we had a candidate and now an MSP who cares about his community and understands his community and is a champion for his community.

“That is ultimately what people have voted for.”