Gordon Brown has been forced into another round in his fight for political survival after the death from cancer of his close friend, Fife MP John MacDougall.

Gordon Brown has been forced into another round in his fight for political survival after the death from cancer of his close friend, Fife MP John MacDougall.

Mr MacDougall, a former leader of Fife Council before he succeeded Henry McLeish in the Central Fife seat that became Glenrothes, fought countless battles on behalf of the Kingdom of Fife, not least that to save Rosyth dockyard.

Tributes poured in for Mr MacDougall following his death from mesothelioma, the cancer usually contracted from industrial exposure to asbestos. He volunteered for experimental treatment for the condition, but died early yesterday.

Mr Brown visited him in hospital on Monday and Mr MacDougall's colleagues in the party were dismayed by his death. The Prime Minister said Mr MacDougall had given 30 years of public service to Fife, adding: "A very popular, diligent local MP, he served Fife with great distinction in all the roles he played."

The by-election to choose a replacement for Mr MacDougall really will be in the Prime Minister's own backyard, with the Glenrothes seat bordering Mr Brown's Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat.

The Prime Minister now faces a serious dilemma in terms of when to call the contest, which he can do as soon as he wishes through the Recess Election Act.

But he is unlikely to want another electoral showdown with the SNP ahead of Labour conference, which would appear to rule out September 18 as a possible date.

The government could hold out well into November for a poll, but there are reasons for not wishing to delay too long, given the way the SNP built up a head of steam before winning Glasgow East.

An October election seems most likely and the bookmakers immediately installed the SNP as odds-on favourites. The odds of 1-4 seem severe given that Glenrothes was a seat held by a well-liked MP with a majority of more than 10,000.