If government's performance was likened to that of a board of directors and answerable to shareholders then an extraordinary general meeting would be demanded and the directors would be thrown out - the electorate, unfortunately, have to wait for these incompetents to call an election!

Maggie's Disciple, Winchester, UK

"Why is this man in power anyway?! Nobody would and nobody did vote him to be our Prime Minister" ~ No one votes directly to elect a PM. It is not like the USA. He's an elected MP, Labour was in power and was chosen by his party to lead. The Queen later met him. That's how it more or less works.

Bob, London,

Hutton says who elected them/what is their mandate ?
Does he say the same about Brown ? No because we know the answer - no body did !!!

Martin Briggs, Heversham, England

Poor Gordon, he's off on holiday soon, i remember the days of being able to afford long holidays, employment , having a roof over your head. DON'T BOTHER TO UNPACK ON YOUR RETURN ! ! !

Axlbon, Mansfield, UK

It is time for Gordon Brown to call a General Election. He is an un elected by the public as prime minister, and it is absolutely clear the country is wanting a change of government. Gordon Brown said he is listening, why does he not act and accept the feeling of the electorate.

David Rumsby, Croydon, U.K.

It is time for Gordon Brown to call a General Election. He is an un elected by the public as prime minister, and it is absolutely clear the country is wanting a change of government. Gordon Brown said he is listening, why does he not act and accept the feeling of the electorate.
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David Rumsby, Croydon, U.K.

Does anyone in Labour still think it was a good idea to oust Blair in favour of Brown? Curran would not have lost Glasgow East if Blair had still been P.M.

James Fraser, Vancouver, Canada

Watching Brown today squirm out of questions about the loss to the SNP just made me realise how this government has lost its grip - the way he was talking, it came across that he expected us just to sit back and take all the rubbish this leadership has thrown our way. Argh!

Oli, London,

Hutton is right,, but his words should be directed at Brown "Who is he? What is his mandate? Who elected him to the Job?” It looks like it will be another stch up with the electorate not having a say. As for the unions they should go with Brown aswell.

james, southampton, england

Gordon Brown, a dead man walking. Anyone from Labour following him will be in his shoes.

Scott, Bangkok, Thailand

It doesn't matter who wins an election, the government still gets in

david, New York, United States

Peter in Devizes ,
He doesn't get it because he hasn't been told how to. Just as he HAS been told "to feel our pain ".
The civil service are to blame for much of Brown's lack of leadership because that is all Brown and Blair have ever done , listened to "Focus group's".

Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England

My concern is that the loss of this seat marks the beginning of the end for a united Britain. The SNP with all their vitriol, bigotry and anti-English attitude will gain momentum. If the Labour party had more integrity then we would not be having this discussion.

graeme, Kent, Britian

What a mess Brown and his cohorts in Labour have made!
I can guarantee that within one day of the future defeat of Labour in general elections, their new leader will immediately blame the Conservative Party for the state of the British economy. Will any bookie in England take a bet on that?

J. Arroyo, Silver Spring, MD, USA

I do not understand all of the fuss! New Labour never was anything other than Tony Blair and his personal popularity. New Labour stood for nothing other being in power. It was always going to disappear with the demise of Tony Blair. The only supprise is that New Labour never understood this.

John, London,

Every government has its day!! Policies and ideals within government have a life plan of 10 years. This government with it current structure has out lasted its use. People are now looking to a new party, whether this will bring the 'happiness' that they expect will be another matter.

simon saunders, Coventry, UK

It is an embarrasement that Brown leads this big country. Time to conclude his unelected period and let people decide.

Ferdie Roberts, London, UK

Brown or no Brown; frankly, it makes no difference: the whole New Labour gang needs to go!

Robert, Hull, UK

It's no use moaning now.You had your chance 12 months ago and nobody put up against him.
Don't say you weren't warned.
What has it got to do with a Trade Union. They only exist to look after the rights of employees and seeing as how the majority are in the public sector,Unions are an irrelevance.

james allen, manchester, england

All I want for christmas is Harman as PM.
Please, please. please.
And then annihilation of NuLabour is guaranteed.

antony Graham, southport, England

as usual Brown studiously refuses to face facts just as in the 10 pence tax rate fiasco he just doesn't get it- combining arrogance with stupidity

peter c, devizes, wessex

General Election then:-
Independent Scotland
Independent Wales
United Ireland
All three join te Euro leaving England buried under a mountain of debt and bureacracy with little in the way of wealth creating capacity to rebuild our divided & culturally confused communities.
Maybe its ime to leave

Steve Marchant, Newton Abbot, UK

Labour's mission at the next election is made even harder now that David Cameron has turned the Conservatives into a neo-new Labour pastiche. Only, the Tories promise to fix our "broken society"- what, by being 'green'?

Richard Whitney, Pewsey, England

To John Hutton: Who elected Gordon? Give us a chance to show our appreciation of all he's done for us!

James Buffy-Maun, london,

Well done SNP.

R Chatterjee, Dollar, Scotland

If labour continues on its unfair and unjust road, I suspect the damage to the party will be similar to that done to the liberal party nearly a century ago. Discrimination due to class, race, gender, nationality and sexuality now run rife through Britain. Good riddance to the worst government ever!

Herny Adams, manchester, UK

David Cameron is right. It is time for an election. The Conservatives should rename their party to display total unity with The Englishman. If they did perhaps they would be suitably rewarded with 75 percent of the vote.

P Habgood, Blandford Forum,

For labour to lose one of its safest seats shows that the sands of time are running out for Labour. Labour should call a snap election to see if the people want them in, or is that being democratic a thing that New Labour despises in this country.

Carl, West Midlands,

What do the Scots want? They have a Scottish Prime Minister. Why don't they support him . Was devolution a good idea?

gerry, merseyside, U.K

john stein, inverurie, scotland
The issue of waste disposal policies are governed by EU directives, which our government blithely signed up to. Failure to comply leads to swingeing fines on local councils. Of course no one in government will own up to this, as it will reveal their negligence.

DaveP, Beverley, UK

I think we have to consider why Mr Brown should be defrocked. Is it his personality or because of objective reasons? And then we must consider who could do a better job as PM. Let the PM serve for 18 months. And then hold General Elections. And if you'd like, you can have Obama.

Kenneth, Washington, NC, USA

We do not want a "Coronation" of another un-elected New Labour Prime Minister.
Call a General Election now!

Stephen Holmes, Withington, UK

I agree with David Cameron on this issue.
Gordon Brown was not elected by the people.
It is time for him to offer his resignation to Her Majesty the Queen and call a General Election!

Stephen Holmes, Withington, UK

Brits should begin concerted campaigns on the Internet to demand a vote of "no confidence" in this shambles of a Government. Maybe enough Labour MP's will recognise that it is their duty to put the Country before themselves and allow the Public to have an early General Election, before it's too late

Jason Sutcliffe, Leeds, England.

This result was to be expected: Scotland is Scotland and England is England and England should have a Prime Minister, from an English constituency.

England needs an English parliament and let this be a nail in the coffin of McBrown's meaningless "Britishness".

Roll on SCO & ENG independence!

Peter GODDARD, Epsom, England, EU

If you really can feel our pain, Gordon, you're going to need plenty of Morphine to get you through to the General Election.

If Glasgow East can fall, so can your own constituency.

As can those of Balls, the Millibands, Straw, Harman, Blears and, particularly, Jacqui Smith.

Brian Drury, London Colney, England

Cameron should be careful what he wishes for! On the other hand, the longer NuLabour stays in power, the bigger the mess will be. Yes - true - the situation we're in was precipated by external factors, but our capacity to cope has been severely limited by NuLabour's policies over the last 10 years

Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk

I haven't heard Hazel Blears telling us that the Government will listen, isn't that the new tradition now, they wheel her out to tell us all is well, so where is she? Why haven't we had her usual weasel words?

Mark Jones, Cardiff, Wales

I can forgive Labour for the wreck it has made of the economy, education, NHS etc. This is what socialists do, and there is no suprise there.
What I can never forgive them, is that by having open door immigration, they have put the very existence of Britain as a cultural historic nation, at risk.

DaveP, Beverely, UK

A number of comments from the working class here. There is no such thing anymore. You have either become welfare class or in-debt middle class and thats why Labour's losing votes big-time. They are representing a dying breed.

David, Doncaster, England

Easier to kick a man when he is down. Calm reflection on labour's achievement is like speaking against the wind. Nobody wishes to listen and that I think is the problem for labour. Hope Brown learns and becomes a bit daring and challenges Cameron on some policy issues

Ruben Turner, London, UK

Labour has turned against the electorate-hitting struggling families in the pocket at every turn.They represent the interests of private landlords & property speculators.Those who can't get their kids into local schools,afford descent housing,motorists etc have turned against labour & rejected them

Leonard, London ,

The job of ALL M.Ps is to help ron this place,if Camaron cant help I think he should jack it in. All we hear from him is BLUEand RED . Help or get out.

TOM ARCHER, dagenham, england

Only one thing to say to David Cameron, 'On yer Bike!!!'

Alan Walters, Odiham, england

What can the SNP offer that is different, except that panacea for all ills, independence? To paraphrase what Callaghan said in 1979 when Labour lost a vote in the Commons to force a General Election, "...turkeys have been known to vote for an early Christmas", and look what happened after that.

G.Beattie, Worcester, UK

If Labour is to have any chance of another Gen Election win, it needs a new leader. Brown is discredited. And tell the cabinet ministers that the party's internal affairs are hardly internal. But: PLEASE Labour don't do anything - that way, we'll have a Cameron in number 10!

thomas lee, Maidenhead, UK

Why oh why do they not listen, how dare they ignore the voice of the people and try to blame it on "World wide economic downturns"

We the people are sick and tired of subsidising the unemployed and the scroungers......

Go now, you had your chance and you blew it!

Tony Croft, Leeds,

Why is this man in power anyway?! Nobody would and nobody did vote him to be our Prime Minister and it's obvious why!

Henry, Glos, England

Time's run out for the failed nuLabour ideology of big, centralised, homogenising state control.

People are empowered and their potential realised in environments of autonomy and responsibility.

Liberate the regions and watch both them and the Union flourish!

nathan, Cambridge, UK

The country does NOT want Gordon Brown and his useless
government to either :-
Learn Lessons
Get on with the job.
Feel our pain.
Take difficult long term decisions.

We want an election - NOW.

L

Morag, Cheshire, UK.

for those "anti brown" commentators. would you rather being run by brown and his ludicrous idea, money spending, fat cat lifestyle government or have independce and tax varying powers at a local level run by SNP!? i know which i want. roll on general election, i'm getting all my friends to vote SNP

Liam, Aberdeen, Scotland

As a one-time resident of Scotland, (and with two children born in Stirling), it cheered me up to see this result. I just feel sorry for the folk of Glasgow East who have had to endure visits by all the self-serving politicians over the last few weeks.

An independent Scotland ? Could be.

JoJo, Lincoln,, U.K.

Labour will not win, a general election, with Gordon Brown as the leader. Surely they must realise this by now. Even with a new leader it is unlikely they will gain power.

steve dennis, bromley,

Max, It must be a typo because I think you have missed a nought off of the number of years Labour need to spend in the wilderness.

Bob, London,

You will have to pack much more than your bucket and spade now Gordon. PS I will enjoy the bet I had on against you. Thanks.

albert hall, hove, england

Even fairly blind members of the SNP know that this is more of a vote against Brown & NuLabour than a vote in favour of their Party's narrow-minded independence agenda.
However they dealt this blow to themselves both by being unelectable & by encouraging the breakup of the UK with regional assembly

PP, UK,

We will now face two years of a lame duck Prime Minister - how can that be good for the country? The Labour Party should have a uniform - smart grey suits for both men and women with plenty of room at the elbow to allow for flexing. The only consolation is that now we know for sure that he will go.

C Richards, Bristol,

I like the UK. There is no need for anything to break up. Labour government policies are hurting every single person in this land, and when a result like this appears where is our PM? On holiday. Hopefully he will take the time to reflect and plan a future without us.

Andy Bland, Leek, UK

The people of Glasgow East have had to put up with the humiliation of being the clearest outcome of Zanulabor politics: welfare bribery to destroy a working class and convert it into a welfare-class designed to perpetuate Zanulabor hegemony. They have to be stopped, now.

Kamal Akhbar, Edinburgh,

Brown must surely now be doomed

richard platt, Bridlington, UK

God help us all. An SNP win. The only thing worse for this country than Labour. As predicted the residents of Glasgow East blame someone else for their failure.

Hugh, Dundee, UK

Labour need 10 years in the wilderness to remember who they are supposed to represent and get rid of their dead wood.

Max
http://theerrorlog.blogspot.com/2008/07/after-glasgow-east.html

Max, London,

Gordon can't get anything right. Time to go

George, glascow, uk

R Istbear - the only job Brown was elected to do is to represent the people of Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath at Westminster. He hasn't been elected as leader of the Labour Party, nor as Prime Minister.

I think there is much to be said for Mr Brown doing the job he was elected to do.

D Murphy, Skipton,

As a supporter of the break-up of the union, I fully welcome Glasgow East's decision. Hopefully this is the beginning of a fairer place to live.

olivia, Oxford, UK

Brown will go down in history as one of the least popular PMs in British history....quite rightly as he was not elected by the people....and he has taken Labour to new depths of unpopularity. Roll on the General Election...soon please.

Fraser Williams, Saffron Walden, UK

Des Browne, the Scottish Secretary of State (who also happens to run the Ministry of Defence?!), was on the radio this morning saying that the Labour party had to listen to the people of Glasgow East who were telling them to sort out the economy.
I thought they were telling them to "Get out".

NM, London,

All woman shortlists for candidates, open door immigration and taxing people to poverty to pay for it, anti-car retoric so called green taxes, greedy MP's milking the gravy train, etc, etc people are fed up with main stream politics and want a change of direction.

A Seymour, Peterborough, UK

SNP were very clever ,They didnt mention the word Independence once on the doorsteps,labour did!
Scotland .Is taking giant steps to Independence.And who can blame them.

Eric Reynolds, Glasgow, Scotland

Couldnt have happened to a nicer party, i am delighted.

Peter Mansell-Jones, London,

The defeated New Labour candidate has insisted that the Prime Minister's credibility doesn't turn on the result of a single by-election.

But it is not a question of one by-election defeat: New Labour also has lost both Henley and Crewe & Nantwich; also, Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of London in place of Ken Livingstone.

Within hours of this latest defeat in Glasgow East came the usual assurances from ministers about how lessons have been learned and messages heard. I wonder, what lessons or messages coiuld ministers possible have learned and heard within a couple of hours of a by-election defeat that they failed to learn or hear in eleven years of government?

Well done, Glasgow. I've seldom felt so fond of the Scots.

Robert, Hull, UK

Good. That's another message Labour can't fail to hear. Whether they take any notice of course is another matter. Roll on the European elections next year - when Gordon will be punished for reneging on the Referendum he promised and then just one year to go before Labour are destroyed. I can't wait.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

If New Labour were listening they would: 1. Fire Brown. 2. Call a general election. However, Brown will simply say the electorate are saying they want him to get on with the job he was elected to do. The men in the grey suits must be meeting already.

R. Istbear, Warwick, UK

Serves Brown right - a new dawn is near !!!!!

ian payne, walsall,

Next step independence for Scotland. And who would bet against it now? The SNP have shown Scotland what can be done and should be done. UK RIP.

Robyn, Aberdeen, Bonnie Scotland

No lie can last forever

The betrayal of the working class throughout the country is now coming home to roost - The Labour Party has betrayed us! The recent actions of Purnell and his cronies, the constant 'County Hall' speak from Blears and the glaringly disengaged manner of the leadership.

You have lied to your core supporters, you have adopted Thatcherite policies, and speak! And you have been disloyal to the core supporters, and hard working local workers!

Go back to your consituents and apologise, then prepare for Opposition - You will never be trusted again! You have failed the working classes, and the Laboour Party by adopting the politics of spin and waffle - You are the Lie, and no lie can last forever! The worry is that all politicians have indeed become the same - self-serving, and interested in their expenses rather than the impact of blantant profiteering of fuel companies.

Shame on You ALL,

Adrian, Leicester, England

This vote was not for Nationalism in Scotland but for a better life for the families of Glasgow East, whom have watched their male mortality rates decrease to 53 in some parts.


Ian Robertson the L/D candidate understood what was at stake and will one day become an M.P. in Scotland.Well done Ia

Cllr Patrick Smith, E4 6TA, UK

It's very depressing to realise that this government's finished but the majority of voters won't have the opportunity to replace it for another 18 months. Before then we'll see more ill-thought-out legislation and vacuous "initiatives" in lieu of good government.as they try to ingratiate themselves.

Jacques Francis, Westcott, Surrey

Labour's all-too-obvious disdain and contempt for Britain and all things British made this result... all too predictable!

Brown cannot lead because he has neither self-confidence nor any passion or vision for Britain and its future. He clearly believes in neither. He should resign forthwith.

John Peel, New York, USA

As historic a victory as when Jim Sillars won Govan 20 years ago, which led to Scotland 'free by '93' in Salmond's words, or not as the case turned out. So let's not get too carried away, this was an anti-Labour and especially anti-Brown vote, more than a pro-independence one.

Paul, Coventry,

Wasn't it a bit odd to produce welfare reform proposals in the week of this bye-election?

David HS, Hucknall, UK

If this result was replicated at the next general election Labour would have just one seat left in Scotland!!!!

martin, dundee, Scotland

Another nail in GBs coffin and we wake up to the GMTV headline that Labour are to make us pay each time our bin is collected .If an issue is unpopular the people dont want it ,as you represent the people you shouldnt be following it ,it is a basic tenet that the insularised politicians soon forget .

john stein, inverurie, scotland

As a constituent of Glasgow east I welcome your thanx

Theres still core support here for Labour since this is a working class area and a working class city, always was and always will be.
But the Labour government in Westminster does not represent the Labour values which Glasgow east demand

Willie, Glasgow, East!, SCOtLAND

Labour risk being third in the next Parliament, leaving LibDems as HM Loyal Opposition. Harman has the Party's confidence as Deputy Leader and it's time Labour returned to normal. They've got till 3 June 2010 to save the Party from extinction . They must start today. Brown must go this morning.

Gerard Mulholland, Paris, France

The voters of Glasgow East know where the power lies that will affect their future. The Scottish Assembly. That a Labour MP at Westminster is a sop. SNP is in control of the Scottish Assembly; it pays to vote in those in authority. The hydra head of devolution destruction of the Union by Labour.

M. Butcher, W-s-M, England

This may not be the end of Labour in Scotland but it sure looks like the end of the beginning. Let's hope so. Scotland (especially Glasgow East) requires drastic and radical change. Nobody can deny that.

James, Jeddah,

Congratulations to the SNP and, although I do not support the break up of the United Kingdom, this result heralds the impending demise of this appalling Labour government which has to be in the best interests of England and Scotland, whether united or separated.

William Epps, Broadstairs, UK

Labour MPs may well blame Brown for this debacle but he did not get here on his own,all the labour sheep that backed his policies are to blame for their plight.I look forward to seeing them in the streets on litter patrol.From john lewis to netto,real world here you come.Thankyou Glasgow East.

JohnP, Newcastle, UK

Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!

Best laugh I've had all day. I just hope Broon stays in No10 for longer as he can - the longer he stays, the worse NuLab look. Keep it up fella.

Mark Bullen, Kiama Downs, Aus NSW

While I personally loathe much of what the SNP stands for, I am extremely happy that this disgraceful and degraded Labour party are so obviously on the way out. I can only wonder how much more damage they can do in the next 2 years before they disappear from the political landscape for the next 20.

Matthew, Leicester, UK

Well this is just the beginning of Scotland's demise

A, Glasgow,

I'm just over the moon, at last the people have realised just how the labour party have treated them as fodder for all those yrars, well done Alex just keep delivering and the people will follow all the way to Independence.....

Ian Hendry, Boston, US

Things can only get .... worse and worse and ....

Steve Buckel, Braunau-am-Inn, Austria

Did New Labour get up to any negative class knocking pranks here or do they just save that for the Tories.

No real matter, the main thing is that they lost again and must surely know they are on their way out.

How many more problems will they cause before they have gone, that's the worrying thing.

John Moore, Paphos, Cyprus

Hahahahahahaha
Good bye Nu Labour with swings like this there will be no Labour party afte the next general election.
By the way where are you Gordon?

Peter Andrew, Montreal, Canada

the curse of Magna Carta strikes again, bye bye Gordon

Peter c, Devizes, Wessex

As part of the Scots diaspora, my ancestors having received the boot out of Scotland a long time ago, I am delighted with the SNP result. More power to them and by all means continue on to full independence some day. Onwards, and don't fail to ask for international support for a terminal reckoning.

John Smith, Nowhere, Canada

I'm pleased that Labour have been beaten, but sad that it was by the SNP. I only hope that this has no major implications for the Union.

I'm personally rather looking forward to the European elections next year, and punishing Brown for his betrayal on the Lisbon Treaty.

Jon, Tokyo, Japan

The People have lost trust in Labour because Labour have lost trust in the people.

Every aspect of peoples' lives is taxed and monitored - please get off our backs.

Russell, Austin, Texas

Brilliant result. This should consign Labour to the dustbin of British politics at the next general election. Of course we will all have to suffer from Brown's wreckless fiscal policy for many years.

Edward, London,

:-) Well done SNP

Thank you and well done the people of Glasgow East.

Doug, Ramsey, Isle of Man