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Brown: By-election win shows voters trust me to tackle crisis
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor07.11.08
GORDON Brown today hailed Labour's triumph in the Glenrothes by-election as a public endorsement for his leadership on the economy.
The Prime Minister headed to Brussels to ram home his recession-fighting message after the personal satisfaction of defeating the Scottish National Party in his own backyard.
The Glenrothes victory, by a healthy majority of nearly 7,000, was seized on by Mr Brown as a vote of confidence in the Government's response to the global downturn and banking collapse.
Amid euphoria among Labour MPs, Mr Brown was keen to kill off speculation that he was considering a snap general election, stressing repeatedly that he was giving his "undivided attention and focus" to the economy.
Speaking in Downing Street before he left for an EU summit, Mr Brown said: "What I have learned from this by-election is that people are prepared to support governments that will help people through the downturn."
In a clear dig at both the SNP and the Tories, who lost their deposit, he said: "They are less willing to support people who have no idea about how to solve the problems we have got."
Number 10 sources revealed that even Mr Brown had gone to bed last night "fearing an SNP victory", although a high turnout gave Labour hope that they could clinch the seat.
Labour claimed that the result was the first time that an incumbent Labour government had increased its share of the vote in a by-election since the Second World War. The Prime Minister also hinted that tax cuts could form the next part of his anti-recession package in the Chancellor's pre-Budget report this month. He pointed to tax cuts for the low-paid in the 10p band and freezes in fuel duty and said a rise in borrowing was sensible to combat recession.
"We will take the necessary action in monetary policy on interest rates, and in the action we've taken on taxes and spending, to ensure that we can come through this downturn. All the decisions we are taking are to be fair to hard-working people. In other downturns, hardworking families on lower and middle-incomes have not had the support that we are now prepared to give," Mr Brown said.
A clearly dejected SNP leader Alex Salmond admitted that the Labour victory had been a "considerable" win.
Party sources said the by-election campaign, which combined aggressive attacks on SNP cuts with appearances by Mr Brown and his wife Sarah on the stump, was a model of how Labour could win the next election. Central to the victory was the Prime Minister's repeated message that only he had the experience and judgment to lead the country out of recession.
Labour candidate Lindsay Roy secured a majority of 6,737; the SNP came second. Although the margin was down a third on the 10,000 majority at the 2005 general election, Labour increased its share of the vote.
The win ended a series of by-election defeats for Mr Brown and removed any lingering doubts about a leadership challenge. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy today said Mr Brown's decision to break with convention to campaign twice in the seat, as well as Mrs Brown's seven trips to the constituency, had been vindicated.
"We had two Browns campaigning in the constituency and we had a remarkable victory," Mr Murphy told GMTV.
Tory leader David Cameron played down the significance of the result for England, but stressed he was pleased that the SNP had been defeated.
Reader views (28)
As an extremely hard worker who has just been made redundant, I can categorically say... I do NOT trust Gordon Brown.
- Sarah, London
You're living on another planet if you think the people trust you
As mentioned earlier,if your so confident then call an election and see where the votes go then.
- Malc, London, England
Gordon deserves this victory after all his efforts to destroy this country,it's Scotland's revenge on the English.To recap;Gold worth 5,6 billion pounds at today's rate sold for 1.8 billion! Pensions,once the envy of the world like the NHS are in ruins .Employment by the government at a record high with inflation proof pensions for people passing pieces of paper to each other,all at our expense.School kids given 100 million pounds last year to ensure they stay at school! this keeps the unemployment figures down,this man is a complete hypocrite, a worthy successor to Phony Tony, if this sounds as if I am a Tory supporter then you're wrong, I voted three times for this crown of idiots. What does that make me? He feels our pain! Even when he scrounges the cost of his light bulbs and his Sky subscription from us. He will cling on to this job because he wouldn't get work anywhere else. He constantly re promises the same things as if they are additions to the original promise, whereas it's the same thing being promised all over again. Blair was hated and despises but this clown has lowered the bar.
- G Graeme, London
I cannot believe how many deluded souls there are in the UK. Then again, a lot of them voted for this shower three times. Please let Broon have the guts to go to the country. Then we will find out which way the wind blows.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
I like the way this victory has been portrayed in some papers, one referring to a 3% increase in the share of the vote, only the Mail gave actual figures,Labour's vote was done by nearly 6000. And the BBC hardly mentioned the election at all yesterday,when there was a fear of Labour loosing, but today its all triumphalism. Independent? Ha Ha Ha
- Jeremiah, London
Crash Gordon cannot claim to know anything about finance (the UK is in effect bankrupt), economy (heavy taxation and no oversight has led to a recession) or this country (this election was in a small Scottish village only).
- Georgie, Islington, London
Lets us not forget this was a local election fought on local issues with Labour the opposition party.
Even so in a seat the equivalent of Henley for the Tories their majority was halved.
- Simon, London
The only point this by-election proves is that the Scots deserve Gordon Brown! The English, Irish & Welsh do not!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Let's hope the good people of England have more sense and bring Brown and his bunch of fourth-raters crashing down to earth at the General Elections.
- Tom, St. Albans
Another 5 years of gloating Brown? Please spare us. It was Brown that supported the Iraq war and who was supposedly running a prudent economy whereas in fact he was encouraging the housing bubble so he could milk property taxes to keep 40% of the North dependant upon government handouts. I don't care who wins the next election as long as it isn't Brown's Labour.
- Charles, London
McBroon will no doubt claim a victory here.
I think trounce, rather than bounce comes to mind.
- Brian Hughes, wales
Lets be realistic here. Glenrothes was a two horse race, Liebour and the Socialist Nutter Party.
With the near collapse of Scotland’s banking system a couple of weeks ago, it has become pretty obvious that Scotland would never survive independence, making the isolationist SNP superfluous.
Given that the people of Glenrothes seem to have a penchant for socialist dictatorship (and, of course, lots of benefits handouts), it was a foregone conclusion that Gordon Clown's chum would sail home to victory.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
This is a triumph for Sarah Brown. She is proving to be a tremendous political asset and is breaking "the seen but not heard" tradition for a Prime Minister's spouse. Good for her. Cherie Blair took steps in this direction, but she didn't seem to find her voice.
- Bloke, London
Come on then Gordy, if you're so sure, why not ask the electorate by calling a general election? What's that? No, you don't want to do that right now? Oh, okay, then carry on ruining the country for us until the last minute instead.
- St, London
"Brown is a decent man Jonathan" He iS incapable of telling the truth about anything.In all his actions he can best be descried as devious.He constantly repromises the same things dressing them up as additional offerings,gives 300 million of our money to India and the same to China,two countries that are able to afford space exploration and also nuclear technology.Read Tony Benn's diaries to discover what a bunch of thugs Brown and his crew are,Benn is hardly a bitter Tory. Brown in a British version of Caucescu and should be treated the same,this once great country with a pension scheme and national health service were the envy of the world until this idiot systematically destroyed it.
- G Graeme, london
".. man for the job .." Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
So the other by-elections didn't count then?
Typical, when everything is going right, he takes the credit. When everything goes wrong, it is everybody else's fault. Bit like the economy and the crash then.
If he's so confident, let's have a general election.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
What a phyrric victory! He's many thousands down on what he had before in the General Election and the Scots have been bought off with English money. Bottler big-ego Brown can now contemplate calling another snap General Election. I hope he does and I shall revel in him losing it - which he will.
- Judith C, London, UK
Stand by for a spring 2009 election ...by autumn 2009 economic woes will have turned seriously queer-big time
- William Grierson, Kimpton, UK
A massive victory coming over Cameron and Osborne! Bring it on! First, the Blair Decade, now the Brown Decade! If I were Gordon, I'd bring on the election now! No one can see Cameron and Osborne leading the country in these troubled times. It takes a man of experience and exceptional abilities. Another Churchill!
- Phil Jones, London UK
Yet another fine example of Brown cutching at Straws! One by-election doesn't prove a thing! He's still a liability and the longer he and the Labour Party are in power, the worse the damage!
- Max, London
I would say that the electorate voted in a perfectly logical manner. The SNP have done a terrible job locally while on a global level Brown has shown the world how to deal with the financial crisis. You may not like him as he's certainly not the most fashionable or charismatic politician but when there is an emergency or a crisis he does an excellent job. Cameron might think Obama-like "we need a change" rhetoric will see him through but at this point in time the country needs action and Brown delivers on that point. Brown is a decent man and he wants to do what he thinks is best to improve the lives of normal people. He should be praised for that and the very logical voters in Scotland clearly came to the same conclusion.
- Jonathan, London, United Kingdom
One backwater constituency in a labour stronghold in his own backyard doesn't constitute a come back. It is a significant victory for Brown but of little importance to the big picture. However it is of great importance to Salmond. Independence is a waste of time and a lost cause. I would like to see how Sarah Brown will visit every contituency seven times in a General Election?
- Albert Swift, Aberdeen, Scotland
General election will be proof!
- Steve, london
Once again i have been proven right that Gordon Brown is the man to lead us. The Tories were counting their chickens before they 're hatched. I hope Brown should keep the momentum going and not to rest on his laurels.
- Alex Lisinge, Putney London
Man for the job up there maybe.The Scots certainly like to stick together but at our expense I fear.
- Steve, London
Good for Labour,the best Tory Government this country has had for years.
- Raymond, London
Dream on!
- Marianne, SW France
Clearly the cold weather and dark nights have caused otherwise logical people to have voted labour. If Labour get in again then the middle classes might as well pack up and leave.
- Fly, london
