Labour cautious despite polls boost

11:43am Saturday 19th July 2008

Labour said it was "taking nothing for granted" after an opinion poll found the party was on course to win the Glasgow East by-election.

The Scottish Daily Mail poll put Labour on 52%, 17 points clear of the second place Scottish National Party on 35%.

The figures were disclosed as campaigning for the by-election entered its final weekend.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "We are not going to get carried away by this poll.

"We know this by-election will be a real fight. We are taking nothing for granted and fighting for every vote."

The poll, by Progressive Scottish Opinion, questioned 509 voters in the Glasgow East constituency between July 14 and July 17.

The Conservatives followed the SNP on 7%, with the Liberal Democrats on 3%.

Labour is defending a majority of 13,507 in Thursday's contest, triggered by the resignation of MP David Marshall on health grounds.

The loss of the rock-solid Labour seat would be seen as a disaster for Prime Minister Gordon Brown after the loss of the previously safe Crewe and Nantwich and the party's fifth place in Henley-on-Thames.

The poll found 29% of respondents had still not decided which way to vote.