The Glasgow East By-election 2008

'The Scottish nationalists tonight dealt a massive blow to Gordon Brown's leadership as the party pulled off an historic victory over Labour in the Glasgow East byelection. In a devastating knock back for the prime minister, SNP leader Alex Salmond delivered the "earthquake" result he had predicted. Against the odds, and after a full recount, the SNP candidate John Mason overturned Labour's 13,500 majority to win the Westminster seat. He won 11,277 votes, 365 more than Labour's Margaret Curran's 10,912' Deborah Summers, politics editor in the Guardian, 25 th July 2008.

SNP shocks Labour with 365 majority

By Deborah Summers, politics editor in the Guardian, 25 th July 2008

The Scottish nationalists tonight dealt a massive blow to Gordon Brown's leadership as the party pulled off an historic victory over Labour in the Glasgow East byelection.

In a devastating knock back for the prime minister, SNP leader Alex Salmond delivered the "earthquake" result he had predicted.

Against the odds, and after a full recount, the SNP candidate John Mason overturned Labour's 13,500 majority to win the Westminster seat. He won 11,277 votes, 365 more than Labour's Margaret Curran's 10,912.

Earlier, Labour believed they would narrowly hold on to its third safest seat in Scotland, albeit with a dramatically reduced majority.

Turnout was about 42.25%, down on the 48% figure at the 2005 general election.

Labour put 400 activists into the constituency to help their supporters get to polling stations, desperate to avoid an embarrassing defeat by the SNP in a previously rock-solid seat.

Labour sources admitted their vote was "soft" and feared the summer holidays and anger over rising food and fuel costs could have led many supporters to stay at home, allowing the SNP to snatch the seat. The SNP expected its core supporters to have turned out in large numbers to secure the 22% swing to win.

Salmond, who paid 11 visits to the constituency, claimed vesterday that voters wanted to use the poll to protest against Brown's government, and rising fuel and food prices. He added: "The ground is shaking and shuddering. I think the earthquake is coming and it will arrive on time and on schedule."

He claimed the SNP's expected success in demolishing Labour's majority during the campaign was proof that Labour's historic dominance of many parliamentary seats in Scotland was over.

He claimed even a narrow Labour victory meant Gordon Brown's seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath was now vulnerable.

"Nobody has a title to any constituency in Scotland any more," he said. "This seat is even safer than Gordon Brown's seat on paper, and it's not safe now. This is a seat we intend to win. The impact of an SNP victory would be totally extraordinary."