Glasgow loss deals crushing blow to Labour

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Defeat in Thursday's poll in the Glasgow East constituency, which Labour won with a huge 13,500 majority at the 2005 election, will fuel Labour discontent with Brown's leadership and could lead to moves to oust him, some analysts believe.

The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) scored a dramatic victory by a slim 365-vote margin as voters in Britain's third-largest city turned against Labour in droves.

The result, following a series of other recent Labour election defeats, will strengthen expectations that Labour's 11 years in power may be nearing an end and that it could lose the next general election, due by 2010.

"This SNP victory is not just a political earthquake -- it is off the Richter scale," jubilant SNP candidate John Mason said.

The defeat in what was considered Labour's third safest seat in Scotland was particularly galling for Brown because he is Scottish.

The result adds to the deepening sense of crisis enveloping Brown, whose popularity has slumped since he took over as prime minister from Tony Blair 13 months ago.

Brown and Labour have been hurt by the credit crisis, which has hit economic growth and sent house prices sliding, as well as by rising food and energy bills.

He has also made blunders, pulling back from calling a snap general election last year and pushing through tax reforms that hit low earners before he was forced into concessions.

"BAD RESULT"

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