Catastrophe for Labour as SNP triumphs in Glasgow East

Gordon Brown suffered his most severe byelection setback in a summer of electoral routs early this morning as the Scottish National party won a dramatic victory in the Glasgow East contest, taking the once staunch Labour seat with a majority of 365 votes.

In its third byelection humiliation in nine weeks, Labour saw its majority of more than 13,000 evaporate in a swing of more than 22% to the SNP, a reversal even more chastening than the loss of Crewe and Nantwich in May on a 17% swing.