UK-Politics
Britain's ruling Labour Party has suffered a by-election defeat in one of its safest Scottish seats, renewing doubts about Prime Minister Gordon's future after being in power for just over a year.

The Scottish National party (SNP) won a dramatic victory in Glasgow East constituency, wiping out a Labour majority of more than 13,000 votes in a swing against the government of more than 22 per cent, according to the surprising result announced in the early hours of Friday.

The defeat is Labour's third in a by-election in the last nine weeks and was seen as a more severe reversal that when it lost one of its safest seats at Crewe and Nantwich in north-west England in May on a 17 per cent swing to the main opposition Conservatives.

"Brown will on Friday face a shell-shocked party high command to try to explain how Labour came to lose its third safest seat in Scotland and how he plans to reverse the party's plummeting fortunes," the Financial Times said.

"The result leaves virtually every Labour MP in the country fearful they could also lose their seat at the next election, fuelling unrest over Gordon Brown's leadership and ensuring a torrid summer for the prime minister," the daily said.

The defeat is seen as having implication not only for the future course of the British government but for Scotland, where there has been a revival of the SNP, defeating Labour at last year's elections to the Scottish parliament.

SNP leader Alex Salmond, who is also Scottish First Minister, described the result of an "earthquake" but suggested that Brown would hang onto power.

"I don't think we will see an immediate exit for Gordon Brown from Downing Street. I think it is more likely he will change policy rather than change himself," Salmond said.

With parliament adjourned for 10 weeks, the prime minister is expected to use the summer break in an attempt to improve his party's fortunes with the next crunch coming when Labour holds its annual conference at the end of September.