 | 'The blow was particularly hard for Gordon Brown, who had campaigned strongly in the seat, which adjoins his own. It will raise questions over the chancellor's ability to win swing voters if he were to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister.' Andrew Bolger, Scotland Correspondent in the Financial Times, 10 th February 2006. |  |
The government suffered an unexpectedly crushing defeat last night in the by-election for Dunfermline and West Fife, when the Scottish Liberal Democrats overturned a Labour majority of 11,562 and won the seat by 1,800 votes.
The blow was particularly hard for Gordon Brown, who had campaigned strongly in the seat, which adjoins his own. It will raise questions over the chancellor's ability to win swing voters if he were to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister.
The Lib Dem candidate, Willie Rennie, won the seat with 12,391 votes, while the Labour candidate, Catherine Stihler, polled 10,591 votes.
The result was also very disappointing for the Scottish National party, which had hoped to challenge Labour but remained in third place with 7,261 votes.
The 16 per cent swing came on a turnout of 49 per cent - down from last May's general election figure of 59.9 per cent, but very respectable for a by-election, which was caused by the death of Labour's Rachel Squire in January.
The campaign was lively, but dominated by local issues. Mr Brown's attempts to intervene over tolls on the Forth Road Bridge and the case for a new road bridge highlighted tensions between him and the devolved Scottish executive.
Of his victory, Mr Rennie said: "I think Gordon Brown may be a little bit worried himself. This by-election will send shockwaves through Westminster.''
The Lib Dems' campaign was boosted by a visit from Charles Kennedy, its deposed leader. He described last night's win as "a seismic event in Scottish and UK politics". A visit to the constituency by David Cameron, the new Tory leader, failed to lift his candidate from fourth place, as in the last general election.
Meanwhile today Tony Blair will order Labour MPs to back the government on key anti-terror measures to be voted on by the Commons next week, believing the party must highlight the Conservatives' ambiguous stance on the defence of national security.
In a speech to Labour's spring conference in Blackpool, Mr Blair will warn MPs that, in its third term, the party must focus on the public's needs - be they improved public services or improved security - rather than the demands of vested interests or pressure groups.
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