By-Election: Glenrothes: On the day a clearly visible Alex Salmond took to the campaign trail in Glenrothes, Sarah Brown made a more covert visit to the seat.
CHRIS WATT and STEWART PATERSON
Shecame, she saw - and she left rather hastily in a silver BMW.
On the day a clearly visible Alex Salmond took to the campaign trail in Glenrothes, Sarah Brown made a more covert visit to the seat.
And it was the residents of Cardenden who were treated to a lesson in high-speed campaign management as the Prime Minister's wife brought the by-election circus to their quiet residential street.
Mrs Brown spoke to residents of nine pre-selected homes during a whistle-stop tour of the Fife village, a key battleground in the November 6 election many see as too close to call.
The Prime Minister's wife was ushered from door to door by Labour Party staff, refusing to respond to questions and silently striding from one house to another - all but one of which had a Labour poster in the window.
Mrs Brown spoke to Joni Doig, 34, and her son Cori, 15, on their doorstep. Ms Doig said her mum was a Labour councillor, and that Labour had her vote regardless of Mrs Brown's visit.
Across the road she chatted with 18-year-old Natasha Burns and her 18-month-old son, McKenzie. Ms Burns said: "She was very nice, asking how we were and saying hello' to McKenzie. I think it's brilliant she is here. She is just helping her husband out."
But while she was ensured a warm welcome at the homes her party had earmarked, the reception may have been less hospitable had she tried some of the houses the PR whirlwind bypassed.
Darren Brovan, 23, a joiner who said he was not given the option of a visit from the PM's wife, watched the tightly managed procession from an upstairs window.
He said: "It doesn't seem very fair that she's not going round everyone's house, though I suppose I wouldn't have answered the door to her anyway. I lost my job last month, because of the credit crunch, and I think that's the government's fault. But what would be the point in me bringing that up with the Prime Minister's wife? What difference would it make? She'd have forgotten my name in two minutes anyway."
Agnes Turley, 58, who said she was a lifelong Labour voter, declined to host Mrs Brown and her entourage because she did not want the attention that the 30-strong political pack would have brought. She said she had noticed a trend among her friends and neighbours to slide away from Labour and towards the SNP, but that she personally remained committed to the Labour cause.
She said: "I think over the past few years a lot of people have been disillusioned with Labour, especially over Iraq. I was swayed by that too, but I've stayed firm - Gordon Brown has a difficult job, but he's kept the banks going. He has the balls to stick to his guns."
In a markedly more informal appearance earlier in the day, First Minister Alex Salmond joined SNP candidate Peter Grant for a walkabout tour of the Kingdom Shopping Centre in Glenrothes town centre.
During an hour-long visit Mr Salmond chatted to shoppers and posed for photographs, at times leaving his party's candidate standing unchaperoned at the back of the scrum that surrounded the First Minister.
Mr Salmond said he was pleased that Gordon Brown's "secret weapon" was in the constituency, but that he would have preferred her husband's presence so they could debate the issues.
When asked if his wife Moira might join the campaign, he said: "She thinks one politician in the family is more than enough. I prefer to use open and above board weapons. "We will campaign on the issues - what matters here is jobs and bills."
Mr Salmond added that his party could repeat its success of Glasgow East in the summer and put more pressure on Gordon Brown before the General Election.
He said: "There is no such thing as a safe Labour seat in Scotland any more. We are taking nothing for granted, but can we win it? Yes we can. Are we confident of winning it? Yes we are."
The First Minister was approached by 17-year-old apprentice architectural technician Chris Ritchie, who said he was keen to get on the property ladder and wanted to know the SNP's policies on affordable homes. Mr Ritchie, said: "He gave me his card and said to drop him an e-mail and he would outline what help I could get."
Elsewhere in the constituency, Labour's Scottish Leader Iain Gray joined Mrs Brown and candidate Lindsay Roy in towns and villages around Glenrothes.
Mr Gray said that while the SNP were focusing on national problems like fuel and energy, voters they had spoken to added some pressing local concerns.
He said: "Yes people complain about petrol prices, and Lindsay will take their concerns to Gordon Brown.
"However, people here have local concerns about what the SNP council has put in place, charging extra for home care charges and community alarms."
While he is not expecting a "Gray bounce" he said he did feel that his leadership victory has benefited the campaign.
He added: "Since I became leader I have shown I am prepared to take on Alex Salmond on what he thinks is his territory on banking and the economy.
"I think in our exchanges he has come out second best. Our election united the party and we are seeing the benefits of that in this campaign."
The candidates
Morag Balfour, Scottish Socialist Party.
Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative and Unionist.
Peter Grant, Scottish National Party.
Louise McLeary, Solidarity.
Jim Parker, Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party.
Lindsay Roy, Scottish Labour Party.
Kris Seunarine, UKIP.
Harry Wills, Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Result 2005
Labour: John MacDougall, 19,395; SNP: John Beare, 8731; LibDem: Elizabeth Riches, 4728; Conservative: Belinda Don, 2651; Scottish Pensioners' Party: George Rodger, 716; Scottish Socialist: Morag Balfour, 705; UK Independence: Paul Smith, 440.
Majority: 10,664.
Turnout: 37,366.
