GLASGOW – British prime minister Gordon Brown’s ruling Labour Party enjoyed an unexpectedly comfortable win yesterday in a byelection in one of its Scottish strongholds, probably the last such test of public opinion before a national election due by next June.
Labour candidate Willie Bain polled almost three times as many votes in Glasgow North East as second-placed candidate David Kerr of the Scottish National Party, maintaining Labour’s grip on a seat it has held for 74 years.
The win, although widely predicted, gives some welcome respite for Mr Brown before an election which opinion polls suggest he will lose to the Conservatives.
With Labour’s share of the vote up by six points to nearly 60 per cent, Scottish secretary Jim Murphy said it was a “remarkable victory” that vindicated Mr Brown’s handling of the economy.
“It is a really strong endorsement of Gordon Brown and what he is doing to get the country through this international recession,” Mr Murphy told Sky News.
However, only a third of voters went to the polls, down from nearly half at the last election in 2005. “It was very much a Scottish byelection fought on local issues,” said John Curtice, politics professor at the University of Strathclyde. “It is not a trick that can be repeated south of the border.”
Labour, in power since 1997, has seen its support suffer during a deep and enduring recession and with a rising death toll among British troops in Afghanistan.
Mr Bain (36) sought to play up the vote as a springboard for a Labour revival. The party currently trails the Conservatives by upwards of 10 points in polls.
“The message for the general election is clear – game on,” Mr Bain told cheering supporters. “It was a resounding No to [Conservative leader] David Cameron.”
Labour needs to maintain its strong position in Scotland if it is to retain power or limit the Conservative majority. Scotland elects 59 members to the 646-seat British parliament – and 39 of them are from Labour.
The election was caused by the departure of speaker Michael Martin after criticism of how he handled an expenses scandal earlier this year.
Glasgow North East is blighted by crime, poor educational results and the worst unemployment rate in Scotland. However, voters have stayed loyal to Labour. Commentators said Mr Bain, who grew up and still lives in the area, fought a strong campaign. – (Reuters)