Glenrothes by-election: Labour confident of win as polls close

Published on Friday 7 November 2008 00:07

THE polls have closed in the Glenrothes by-election with the declaration expected from about 0030 – barring recounts.

Turnout was later announced to be just over 52%.

There were growing indications that the Labour vote had turned out strongly, with Lib Dem and Tory officials at the count saying they were convinced the party had held the seat.

One Lib Dem suggested the majority could even be as high as 5,000, while an SNP official also said he believed it had lost.

Gordon Banks, Labour's campaign manager in Glenrothes and MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, indicated the party's growing sense of optimism.

"We are very happy with the way the whole campaign has gone, and we are very happy with the way things seem to be progressing," he said.

"We have run the best campaign with the best candidate, and we are hopeful that the result is going to reflect that."

Labour MSP John Park, a spokesman for the campaign, said: "My sense is that we have won, but I don't know by how much.

"It looks like we have performed well in areas where there has not been a traditional Labour vote in the constituency.

"I think we have performed quite well."

Angus Robertson, the SNP's leader in Westminster, effectively admitted defeat, saying: "The SNP vote has gone up in this election although it would appear not to be enough to win the seat.

"A message goes out to the UK Labour Government that there is deep unhappiness about issues ranging from the cost of heating and fuel to growing economic uncertainty as we all into a recession. I hope Gordon Brown listens to this – after all, his majority in Glenrothes has been halved."