Brown faces election test in Scotland

An election in a Scottish town yesterday was testing whether praise for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's recent handling of the financial crisis would translate into votes.

Britain's opposition Conservatives scored a 20-point lead in opinion polls over Mr Brown's Labour party a few months ago, putting them on course to win a parliamentary election due by 2010 and fuelling criticism of Mr Brown within the Labour party.

Since then Mr Brown has won praise internationally and at home for a £400-billion package of loans and guarantees to prop up the financial sector. Labour has cut the Conservatives' lead in opinion polls to nine points.

Yesterday's election in the small Scottish constituency of Glenrothes sees Mr Brown's party defending a large majority after the sitting Labour parliamentarian died.

Labour lost another big majority in July to the pro-independence Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) and the Glenrothes result could also go to the SNP.

"Labour made a short-lived fight-back to become joint favourites a few days back, but since then it has been one-way traffic, with all the serious money going on a SNP victory," bookmakers William Hill said.

A Labour insider also downplayed the chances of winning: "We are closing the gap but not fast enough for Thursday."

Britain faces recession and weak economic figures this week will not have helped Labour's standing although an unexpected 150-basis-point cut in interest rates yesterday could help lift the mood.

"It's time for change - send a message to Westminster," said Robert Todd, 77, a retired teacher who was voting SNP. "The economy has not been well managed, and the electricity and gas prices are out of control."

Mr Brown, a Scot, took the unusual step of campaigning in Glenrothes, a former coal-mining area next to his own Kircaldy constituency, suggesting he believes victory is possible.

"He's [Brown] doing okay. He'll get better as he goes along," said William Makie, 68, a retired forklift driver.

A big defeat in Glenrothes would not trigger a general election, as Labour still has a comfortable majority in the British parliament, but it may spark renewed speculation in the party about Mr Brown's ability to lead Labour to victory in 2010.

Some opinion polls have indicated that Britons see Mr Brown, a former finance minister, as a good leader during an economic crisis but not equipped to lead the country after 2010.

Polls in Glenrothes opened at 8 a.m (Malta time) yesterday and early voting was sluggish. Results are expected today.