Brown’s Labour facing damaging election defeat

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing the prospect of another damaging setback in a by-election in Scotland today.

Analysts believe a recent turnaround in the polls will not be enough to prevent the seat going to the Scottish Nationalist Party.

Brown’s poll ratings have improved significantly recently, reducing the once 20 point lead enjoyed by the opposition Conservatives to 9 points. That has been put down to his handling of the financial crisis.

Labour has a large majority in the Glenrothes constituency and a heavy defeat would be seen as reversing the gains made in recent weeks.

The party lost a safe seat to the Scottish Nationalists in another by-election in Glasgow East in July.