Newspapers are crediting Gordon Brown with Labour’s surprise win in the Glenrothes by-election and says it has ended any talk of a cabinet coup.
They say his gamble to break with the convention that a prime minister does not campaign in by-election polls succeeded. Brown visited the seat twice, while his wife Sarah was on the local trail at least half a dozen times.
“This was a high-risk strategy, but it paid off. Now, as a result, it looks as if Mr Brown himself won the by-election,” said the Scotsman.
“Gordon Brown’s political renaissance continues apace after an astonishing result on his home turf that was beyond Labour’s wildest dreams and neither side predicted,” said the Daily Telegraph.
“Lindsay Roy is the new MP. But Glenrothes is Gordon Brown’s triumph,” said The Times. “Two months ago it looked as if this contest could seal the end for Mr Brown. Now it has confirmed a truly remarkable comeback. Labour’s general election majority was halved but, because of the way expectations had developed, this result had all the feeling of a landslide.”
Brown’s frequent appearances on national television as he tackled the financial crisis also helped prevent a repetition of the Scottish National Party’s crushing victory in Glasgow East in July, the Times added.
For the Financial Times it was “a result that confirms Gordon Brown’s political revival and is likely to ignite speculation over a possible early general election.”
The Guardian said the victory would “put a spring in Brown’s step” and said he was now secure from a leadership challenge. “The retention of Glenrothes protects Brown still further: there is no way that future Labour activists will chant “Remember, remember the 7th of November” as they recall an attempted 2008 plot.”
But The Independent reminds readers that retaining what was after all a safe Labour seat does not mean the next general election is in the bag. “The remarkable turnaround will lift the spirits of Labour’s MPs and activists. But, as they breathe a sigh of relief, they will be under no illusion about the electoral mountain Labour still has to scale to win the next general election.”
(Photo: Labour candidate Lindsay Roy celebrates after winning the Glenrothes by-election. REUTERS/Stephen Hird)
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3 comments so far
That a stronghold of socialism and dependency on publicly funded lifestyles returns one of its own is hardly surprising. There isnt a cigarette papers thickness between the Nats and Labour in their approach to life,they exist on the principle of handouts creating a client base who will always vote for more of the same.
- Posted by John NaylorEarly general election in the air,you must be joking Gordo wont go any near a contest in England he’s toast and good riddance.
The Scots could afford to play with the idea of an imagined independence when times were good but the credit crunch brought them back to earth with a bang.
Billions of pounds of English taxpayers’ money used to bail out Scottish banks and Scottish jobs, plus the last minute bribe of a 1.5% cut in interest rates has shown them which side their bread is buttered on.
An English government made up of Scotsmen is a free meal ticket for Scotland and the voters of Glenrothes could see it.
- Posted by JasonLets be realistic here for a moment. What would you expect of the ’sweaty socks’ (Jocks) as Brown literally ‘lives next door’ to Glen something or other. All the reports seem to be suggesting that Brown and his cohorts are all goodness and light. Does anyone-other than the peope of Glen something or other-care about this by- election? I certainly don’t and as far as I can ascertaiin none of my friends or work colleagues care about it either. I was astonished at the coverage given to it by the BBC this morning, SKY made a slight reference to it.The sooner we send Brown and his lot back over the border the better.
- Posted by malcolm davis