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The biggest factor in bolstering Mr Brown, however, has been the banking troubles, where he has been seen to be in control and ahead of some of his fellow leaders abroad.

The SNP’s defeat will be seen as hugely significant because a big plank of Labour’s campaign was an attempt to show that an independent Scotland would have been unable to mount the rescue effort launched by the Government in London to shore up the Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS.

It is the first serious setback for Mr Salmond whose party has managed to defy political gravity despite running Scotland for 18 months. Fourth place for the Liberal Democrats is a blow for their leader, Nick Clegg.

The Prime Minister took an early decision to go to the constituency because he knew he would have been heavily criticised for ignoring a neighbouring seat. Although Labour was jubilant, ministers accept that holding a usually safe Scottish seat is hardly a sign that they are on the way to a fourth term.

GLENROTHES DECIDES

By-election 2008

Lindsay Roy (Labour) 19,946 (55.11%)

Peter Grant (Scottish National Party) 13,209 (36.49%)

Maurice Golden (Conservative) 1,381 (3.82%)

Harry Wills (Liberal Democrat) 947 (2.62%)

Jim Parker (Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party) 296 (0.82%)

Morag Balfour (Scottish Socialist Party) 212 (0.59%)

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