Labour lose Glasgow East by-election

The SNP has pulled off a stunning by-election victory by winning Glasgow East, one of Labour's safest seats.

The Nationalists overturned a Labour majority of 13,507 to win by only 365 votes.

The SNP polled 11,277 votes in the contest, while the Tories came third with 1,639 and the Lib Dems, with 915 votes, came fourth.

Voter turnout was 42.25%, only slightly down on the 48% figure at the last election, with 26,219 votes cast.

BBC News

Very bad night for Labour... a very large majority overturned by the SNP. Their majority is small, and I suspect Labour will get it back at the next election, but it's a nasty turn of events for the Labour Party. Brown's future has become more uncertain... he might be ousted at the Conference after all if he doesn't placate the party over the weekend.

Very interestingly, the Conservatives decisively beat the Liberal Democrats to third place.

Now thats something. If that doesn't send a very very large message to the Labour party faithful that the party has gone way way too far down the same road the Tories did after Thatcher when they thought they were unassailable, then nothing will.

Its a massive majority to overturn.

Summer of discontent continues for Mr.Brown

I am very pleased that Mr Brown is getting on with the job!
Love hearing him keep saying that after these election results.

This unelected loser is on his way out,the Labour party is on its knees and hopefully we will have an election soon to tell all of the Labour party what we realy feel!

I dont want unelected Brown the clown acting as our PM for another two years,this arogant party has already done enough damage

I think he has two choices

1-call an election while he is still the PM

2-Be stabbed in the back by his cabinet and be forced to stand down

Either one of those choices will result in him not being the PM

AT least that will put a stop to his globe trotting

reply to post by noangels


Well, technically Brown was elected. Remember that we elect the party and not the Prime Minister in our electoral system. Brown won the vote in his constituency and hence is as legitimate as John Major, James Callaghan, Anthony Eden, Alec Douglas-Home or Harold Macmillan - all of whom became Prime Minister part way through a term of office before facing the electorate.

There certainly won't be an election this year - Brown has ruled that out just recently. It's conceivable that he might be pushed out by his Cabinet colleagues, however... if they're going to do it, though, I expect some strong indications to emerge within the next fortnight. The Labour Party Conference in September will follow one of two themes: unity or a leadership election.

If Brown doesnt hold an election then he is out,the labour party cant let him carry on as lots of them have unsafe seats.

For Brown to hold on to his own future he has to have the balls to hold an election,as his time is numbered-To do that will be dangerous to the party as in an election with him as PM the labour party vote will be terrible all over the UK
The trouble is replacing him would also have to result in another election and the vote will still be terrible!lol

IMO this summer will be the end of him,his personal reputation is worse than that of his party.I dont think the planned cabinet reshuffle around October is going to do a lot

Brown was never elected by the public or even his Labour party,Blair was elected(spit)and then when brown forced him to stand down before he wanted too the one eyed nail biting clown just took over without the labour party holding a contest!Thats why he is unelected mate!

At least other parties hold contests for their leadership rather than handing the crown to one person because of something two people said they would do!Two people(blair and brown)deciding their big enough to rule the labour party alone without the need to talk to the rest of them?

Its a joke when you stop and think about their actions

No 2 ways about it, it's been a horrific year for Labour.

I'm really not sure of the logic of those criticising & slamming Labour for being too alike to the tory party or in the pocket of big-business and not in tune with the majority of the public......

......who then threaten to vote tory, a party even more in the thrall of big-business and the narrow interests of an even smaller spread of our society.

Strange.

.....and whilst some might cling to the idea that removing Brown would guarantee a general election there is no such requirement under British law.

It might be interesting to see Cameron elected tho, I just wonder how a Scotland (with actually zero or almost zero tory representation) would go - break up of the UK?
With a global recession about to hit - tax raising torys, again?

I suspect they would find it a bit of a poisoned chalice and that the 'gloss' would very rapidly come off - you only have to look back over Brown's 1st year to see how swiftly fortunes can reverse.