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Scottish Nationalists were today left licking their wounds after Labour exceeded all expectations in the crunch Glenrothes by-election.
In a battle seen as crucial for Gordon Brown, the result was not the close-run thing most had predicted but a convincing Labour majority of 6,737.
A Labour failure to hold the seat would have raised questions about Gordon Brown's leadership, particularly when he had raised the stakes by campaigning there in person.
Labour's victory may be a sign that the SNP's prolonged honeymoon with Scottish voters has finally run its course.
The honeymoon began with the SNP's Holyrood general election victory in 2007 and up to now had shown little sign of stalling.
In July the Nationalists achieved a spectacular by-election win by snatching Glasgow East from Labour and were hoping to repeat this last night.
Now, some observers will draw parallels with the Glasgow Garscadden by-election of 1978 where Labour saw off a determined SNP challenge, marking a turning point in the Nationalists' fortunes.
Alex Salmond had visited Glenrothes at least 11 times and claimed to detect tremors of the type that caused the Glasgow East earthquake.
After last night's result, Tory candidate Maurice Golden, who came in third place ahead of the Lib Dems but still lost his deposit, said: "This was a victory for (Labour candidate) Lindsay Roy, not for Gordon Brown.
"The Alex Salmond bubble has well and truly burst.
"Scotland has woken up to the fact that in a Westminster election, the SNP is not a voice for change.
"Scottish politics is a three-horse race with the Liberal Democrats an irrelevance."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott said: "The First Minister made a great virtue of visiting Glenrothes regularly.
"Perhaps if he spent more time being First Minister rather than leader of the SNP, there would have been a different result.
"Alex Salmond predicted the SNP would win - he got it spectacularly wrong.
"Scottish politics has changed - the honeymoon is over."
But Peter Grant, the defeated SNP candidate, denied the SNP's bubble had burst.
"There was never an SNP bubble," he said.
"What we have is a very effective SNP government in Scotland and a very effective SNP-led council in Fife and other parts of Scotland.
"We will continue to work for the people of Scotland and continue to deliver policies that the people of Scotland voted for."
He stood by controversial home care charge increases brought in by his SNP-led Fife council, a big campaign issue.
Mr Grant went on: "We got about the size of SNP vote we would expect, which in any other by-election in Scotland's history would have been enough to win."
Turnout in the contest was 52.34 per cent and Mr Grant said: "I congratulate Labour on getting their vote out."
Speaking before the final result but at point where the general trend was clear, SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said his party's vote had gone up "significantly" but not by enough to win."
The result sent a message of "deep unhappiness" on issues like the cost of living and economic uncertainty.
"I hope Gordon Brown listens to this - after all, he has seen his majority in Glenrothes halved." he said.
Labour victor Lindsay Roy said Alex Salmond's repeated visits were a sign of "desperation."
"Although he is welcome to come to Glenrothes, I would much prefer him to be in London or Edinburgh helping deal with this major economic crisis," he said.
"I think he has been found wanting when the chips were down."
By Joe Quinn and Scott MacNab
After Glenrothes, the SNP honeymoon may be over - UK Politics, UK - The Independent
In a battle seen as crucial for Gordon Brown, the result was not the close-run thing most had predicted but a convincing Labour majority of 6,737.
A Labour failure to hold the seat would have raised questions about Gordon Brown's leadership, particularly when he had raised the stakes by campaigning there in person.
Labour's victory may be a sign that the SNP's prolonged honeymoon with Scottish voters has finally run its course.
The honeymoon began with the SNP's Holyrood general election victory in 2007 and up to now had shown little sign of stalling.
In July the Nationalists achieved a spectacular by-election win by snatching Glasgow East from Labour and were hoping to repeat this last night.
Now, some observers will draw parallels with the Glasgow Garscadden by-election of 1978 where Labour saw off a determined SNP challenge, marking a turning point in the Nationalists' fortunes.
Alex Salmond had visited Glenrothes at least 11 times and claimed to detect tremors of the type that caused the Glasgow East earthquake.
After last night's result, Tory candidate Maurice Golden, who came in third place ahead of the Lib Dems but still lost his deposit, said: "This was a victory for (Labour candidate) Lindsay Roy, not for Gordon Brown.
"The Alex Salmond bubble has well and truly burst.
"Scotland has woken up to the fact that in a Westminster election, the SNP is not a voice for change.
"Scottish politics is a three-horse race with the Liberal Democrats an irrelevance."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott said: "The First Minister made a great virtue of visiting Glenrothes regularly.
"Perhaps if he spent more time being First Minister rather than leader of the SNP, there would have been a different result.
"Alex Salmond predicted the SNP would win - he got it spectacularly wrong.
"Scottish politics has changed - the honeymoon is over."
But Peter Grant, the defeated SNP candidate, denied the SNP's bubble had burst.
"There was never an SNP bubble," he said.
"What we have is a very effective SNP government in Scotland and a very effective SNP-led council in Fife and other parts of Scotland.
"We will continue to work for the people of Scotland and continue to deliver policies that the people of Scotland voted for."
He stood by controversial home care charge increases brought in by his SNP-led Fife council, a big campaign issue.
Mr Grant went on: "We got about the size of SNP vote we would expect, which in any other by-election in Scotland's history would have been enough to win."
Turnout in the contest was 52.34 per cent and Mr Grant said: "I congratulate Labour on getting their vote out."
Speaking before the final result but at point where the general trend was clear, SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said his party's vote had gone up "significantly" but not by enough to win."
The result sent a message of "deep unhappiness" on issues like the cost of living and economic uncertainty.
"I hope Gordon Brown listens to this - after all, he has seen his majority in Glenrothes halved." he said.
Labour victor Lindsay Roy said Alex Salmond's repeated visits were a sign of "desperation."
"Although he is welcome to come to Glenrothes, I would much prefer him to be in London or Edinburgh helping deal with this major economic crisis," he said.
"I think he has been found wanting when the chips were down."
By Joe Quinn and Scott MacNab
After Glenrothes, the SNP honeymoon may be over - UK Politics, UK - The Independent
