The SNP has overtaken Scottish Labour to be named the "solid" favourite to win the Hamilton by-election on June 5. Bookmakers told the Record that punters were tipping the Nationalists to see off Scottish Labour and a surging Reform UK when local voters head to the polls next month. Polling experts had previously described the electoral race in South Lanarkshire as "too close to call" and Labour was named narrow favourites last month. Ladbrokes is now offering odds of 8/13 on the SNP winning the by-election after the party opened at 11/10. Labour is second favourites on 13/8, with Reform UK priced at 8/1. Labour's drifting odds comes despite their candidate Davy Russell being endorsed by Sir Alex Ferguson . A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "It seems as though Fergie's endorsement hasn't helped Labour much here, as we've seen the SNP backed into solid 8/13 favourites. "The betting would indicate though that Reform still have a way to go to challenge the top 2, with Labour now 13/8 vs Reform 8/1." Anas Sarwar yesterday described the by-election as a two-horse race between Labour and the SNP. “This is a by-election that is going to be very close," he said. “Ultimately, it’s going to result in either a Labour MSP or an SNP MSP. “The message we’re getting across to people is that after 18 years of SNP failure, where our NHS has record long waiting times, where more and more people are forced to go private, where our schools are falling down the international league table, and we have an SNP Government that’s addicted to wasting your money, that we have got to get change here in Scotland. “That means removing the SNP from office and, ultimately, only Scottish Labour can do that.” Voters in the South Lanarkshire constituency will go to the polls on June 5 following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie last month.‌ The contest for the seat - which includes the neighbouring settlements of Stonehouse and Larkhall - is viewed as a dry run between the Nationalists and Labour ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament elections. To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here