Labour will lose Glasgow East, says survey

Labour will lose the Glasgow East by-election, according to a majority of ePolitix.com subscribers.

A survey conducted this week showed that 51.9 per cent of respondents believe that the SNP will win next Thursday's poll.

In contrast just 42.6 per cent felt that Labour will defend the seat it won with a majority of more than 13,000 as recently as 2005.

In other findings from the poll a majority also agreed that the imminent summer parliamentary recess, seen by some as chance for Labour to steady its precarious position, will make no difference to the government's standing.

Only 21.8 per cent claimed that the break would benefit Gordon Brown's administration, while a similar number believed it would damage the government.

Meanwhile a near majority, 48.8 per cent, thought that the prime minister would reshuffle his cabinet in September in a bid to restore momentum.

Just 5.7 per cent felt that Brown would shake up his team before the recess begins on Tuesday, while 29.2 per cent thought he would do so later this year and 9.1 per cent said he would not do so at all in 2008.

The online survey of 506 ePolitix.com readers was conducted from 16-17 July 2008. For more information, please contact Dods Polling on dodspolling@dods.co.uk.