Brown's eve-of-poll by-election blunder

Commenting on official statements that were released last night by the UK Government, and which show that Gordon Brown gifted silverware worth over £140 to Margaret Thatcher at the time of her visit to Number 10 Downing Street, the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson said it was an enormous blunder by the Prime Minister on the eve of the Glasgow East by-election.

Mr Robertson said:

"Folk in Glasgow East would dearly love the chance to give Margaret Thatcher a piece of their mind - yet Gordon Brown gives her a piece of expensive silverware! What extraordinary conduct by a Labour Prime Minister - nothing better illustrates how out of touch Labour are.

"Maybe Gordon Brown thought he could slip this out in the blizzard of other summer recess announcements, but it will backfire badly in Glasgow East.

"This statement will only remind the many disaffected Labour voters that only the SNP are their side.

"Labour pretend they are an anti-Tory party when in reality they agree on so much - the illegal Iraq war, Trident nuclear weapons, the hated Council Tax - but the facts speak for themselves. This is yet more evidence of Gordon Brown's cosiness with Margaret Thatcher.

"People across this constituency are turning to the SNP for the first time ever, as they realise that it is only the SNP who are on the side of people in Glasgow East and Labour are out of touch."

Notes:

1. In a letter by Jimmy Reid, former trade union leader, to the voters of Glasgow East he wrote:

"Any doubt I had about that was cast aside forever when I watched Gordon Brown cosying up to Margaret Thatcher in Downing Street last year."

2. On Sky News - 27th February 2008 - Gordon Brown surprised many by praising the former Tory leader as a "conviction politician" and comparing himself to her.