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Catastrophic Loss for Brown in Scottish Vote

Separatists win one of Labour's safest seats; PM may not survive

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 25, 2008 6:43 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Gordon Brown suffered a potentially fatal blow to his leadership when Labour lost a once rock-solid seat to the Scottish National Party in a special election early this morning. In one of the most stunning upsets in years, the separatists seized the constituency of Glasgow East as more than 22% of voters who went Labour at the last election abandoned the party.  "We are in trouble," one minister admitted to the Guardian.

"This SNP victory is not just a political earthquake, it is off the Richter scale," said the winning candidate. If the swing away from Labour were replicated in a general election, Brown would lose his own parliamentary seat and the party would be decimated. Parliament is currently on its summer break, however, and calls for Brown to resign have thus far been muted.

Scottish National Party candidate John Mason celebrates his win at the Tollcross Park Leisure Center in Glasgow after polls closed in the Glasgow East, Scotland by-election late Thursday July 24, 2008.
Scottish National Party candidate John Mason celebrates his win at the Tollcross Park Leisure Center in Glasgow after polls closed in the Glasgow East, Scotland by-election late Thursday July 24, 2008.   (AP Photo)
Labour candidate Margaret Curran arrives for the count at the Tollcross Park Leisure Center in Glasgow after polls closed in the Glasgow East, Scotland by-election late Thursday July 24, 2008.
Labour candidate Margaret Curran arrives for the count at the Tollcross Park Leisure Center in Glasgow after polls closed in the Glasgow East, Scotland by-election late Thursday July 24, 2008.   (AP Photo)
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks in the House of Commons in London, Tuesday July 22, 2008.
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks in the House of Commons in London, Tuesday July 22, 2008.   (AP Photo/PA )
Scottish National Party candidate John Mason overturned a big Labour majority to take the seat of Glasgow East, a working-class area that is longtime Labour territory. The Scottish nationalists say the result of Thursday's vote is a political earthquake.
Scottish National Party candidate John Mason overturned a big Labour majority to take the seat of Glasgow East, a working-class area that is longtime Labour territory. The Scottish nationalists say the...   (AP Photo)
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Cameron challenges Brown to call a snap election
Telegraph (UK)

'No one can possibly overestimate the scale of the disaster'
Times (UK)

 
United Kingdom • Gordon Brown • Scotland • Labour Party • Scottish National Party • special election

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