Overview
- David McLennan took Whitburn and Blackburn with 1,177 first-preference votes, ahead of the SNP on 1,028 and Labour on 627.
- The contest followed the September resignation of Labour councillor David Russell, which triggered the by-election.
- West Lothian remains under a minority Labour administration, so the result does not change control of the council.
- Reform UK framed the win as momentum toward the 2026 Holyrood election, with its Scotland branch calling it a "momentous day."
- The victory comes as former Tory minister Malcolm Offord joined Reform as its first peer in the House of Lords, while Nigel Farage’s recent comments on Glasgow schools drew criticism.