Glenrothes by-election: Salmond accuses Brown of 'running scared'

SCOTTISH First Minister Alex Salmond today accused Gordon Brown of "running scared" by breaking with convention to join Labour's candidate in Glenrothes, Fife.

Mr Salmond, on his sixth campaigning visit to the area, said: "It strikes me that he's a worried man."

He said the Prime Minister refused to visit Glasgow East where Labour dramatically lost to the SNP in a by-election in July.

Mr Salmond added: "In Glasgow East, he spent the whole time saying he wouldn't break convention and join the campaign.

"Now he's running scared – and he has good reason to be.

"On the issues that matter, jobs, and with energy bills thudding through letter boxes, Labour are losing."

The Westminster seat was made vacant by the death of John MacDougall, a Labour MP who won a 10,644 majority at the last election.

The SNP unveiled their own Gordon Brown to support the party – a 28-year-old namesake from Glenrothes, who pledged to vote for the Nationalists.

SNP candidate Peter Grant, leader of Fife Council, said: "Every vote takes us one step closer to overturning Labour's majority and giving the people of Glenrothes a voice to speak up for them in London, not another MP to prop up the Prime Minister."

The SNP comments came as Mr Brown made his first by-election appearance to support Labour candidate Lindsay Roy.

Mr Brown talked to families in the town over topics such as the economy and health services.

Accompanied by his wife, Sarah, he visited a cafe in a car service centre next door to the Labour campaign headquarters on an industrial estate.

Mr Brown said: "I wanted to come and explain to people what we are doing in this global financial crisis to make sure people are properly protected."

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie, campaigning with candidate Maurice Golden, accused the Prime Minister of "cosmetic campaigning".

She said: "Gordon Brown has been embarrassed into campaigning in Glenrothes, but his cosmetic campaigning, with a handful of hand-picked voters was a total sham.

"He was not meeting real people, real businesses, and hearing the real concerns about the real everyday worries that the people of Glenrothes have."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott joined party candidate Harry Wills at a football match in Fife.

The pair watched East Fife take on Arbroath at Bayview Stadium, Methil.

The visit was part of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, a drive to rid the national game and society of racism.

Mr Wills said: "The Liberal Democrats are pushing Labour right to the final whistle in this by-election.

"Gordon Brown may suffer a double disappointment. What a result that would be."