Plot to oust Brown risks Glenrothes by-election disaster, angry MPs warn

LABOUR MPs plotting against the Prime Minister risk wrecking the party's chances of avoiding defeat in the crucial Glenrothes by-election, it was claimed last night.

The warning came as a number of Scottish MPs told The Scotsman of their anger at the latest attacks on Gordon Brown and their fear at the harm it was doing to the party.

It came after Mr Brown sacked junior whip Siobhain McDonagh for requesting leadership ballot papers and as other minor Blairites went public with calls for the Prime Minister to face a challenge.

Jim Devine, the MP for Livingston, said a recent opinion poll showed 79 per cent of respondents were turned off Labour because the party was divided.

He said this had cast a shadow over the election of a new leader in Scotland, Iain Gray, and would make it more difficult to get activists to canvass during the by-election. He said: "We launched a new leader yesterday. We have the Glenrothes by-election. This is unacceptable behaviour. I think they have been self-centred and very selfish."

Many MPs spoken to yesterday by The Scotsman believed that more critics of Mr Brown were likely to emerge as part of an orchestrated campaign. "Siobhain McDonagh doesn't go to the toilet without asking somebody," Mr Devine said.

But they believed that Mr Brown would survive – saying that the time for a leadership challenge had been a year ago when Mr Brown was elected unopposed.

Jim Hood, MP for Lanark and Hamilton East, said he was sure the outbursts against Mr Brown were being orchestrated. "The only result of continuing with this is going to be a disaster for the party and for the government."

Another MP normally critical of the government said backbenchers and activists were "looking on in horror" at what she saw was the continuation of the Blair vs Brown "soap opera".

Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said: "There is nothing to be gained by this continued debate about leadership. I don't think there is going to be a challenge and I don't think there should."

MP SACKED AS BROWN ENVOY

A LABOUR MP has lost his post as Gordon Brown's representative after calling for a challenge to his leadership, it was confirmed today.

Barry Gardiner was axed as the Prime Minister's special envoy on forestry after joining other backbenchers in asking for nomination papers to trigger a leadership contest to be sent to MPs ahead of next week's party conference.

Mr Brown's spokesman told reporters that the Brent North MP had been removed from his post "by mutual consent" over the weekend.

Glenrothes, centre of the political universe

THERE was a joke – though not a very funny one – circulating in Holyrood on Friday that perhaps the Scottish Parliament should officially relocate to Glenrothes this week.

Apart from hill farming and tourism, the only real highlight will be to see whether new Labour leader Iain Gray can survive First Minister's Questions on Thursday without being mangled by Alex Salmond.

The reason why business should be relocated to Glenrothes may have something to do with the fact that there is a good chance many MPs will be doing "constituency work" there – ie, campaigning for the as-yet-uncalled Glenrothes by-election.

Nationalist MSP Sandra White was accused of taking her duty to constituents a little too far last Wednesday when she was spotted in Methil (which is part of the Glenrothes constituency) handing out leaflets – about 60 miles from her own constituents in Glasgow.

While there, she missed a riveting announcement on the Scottish Futures Trust by John Swinney, but she did make it back to Edinburgh in time for the real business of the day – to join friends at the Canon's Gait pub to watch the Scotland game.

Tavish Scott, the Liberal Democrat leader has already been out canvassing in Glenrothes too, and more will doubtless make the trip this week.

And even those in Holyrood had Glenrothes in mind, as was witnessed in a "passionate outburst" by Labour's MSP, Helen Eadie, directed at Nicola Sturgeon, in the C diff debate.

"The constituents whom I represent in Cardenden form part of the Glenrothes constituency," she shouted. "Unless you give us an absolute and categorical assurance that you will go ahead with a public inquiry, I will print every word that you have said on the leaflets that I will put out in the Cardenden and Kinglassie part of my constituency, to say that you are not taking the case seriously."

"Bring it on," was Ms Sturgeon's comment – for which she appeared to be speaking for everybody.