Gordon Brown has hailed Labour's victory in the Glenrothes by-election as a vote of confidence for the Government's response to the economic downturn.

Pundits had predicted that the SNP would capture the seat left vacant by the death of MP John McDougall but in end the result was not even close with Lindsay Roy winning by almost 7,000 votes.

The Prime Minister said: "What I have learned from this by-election is that people are prepared to support governments that will help people through the downturn and offer real help to people.

"They are less willing to support people who have no idea about how to solve the problems we have got."

In a round of broadcast interviews in the town's main shopping centre, Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy said the result was a humiliation for SNP First Minister Alex Salmond.

"Mr Salmond declared vocally and repeatedly it was in the bag for them. He had just got too big for his boots, I think," Mr Murphy said.

"It's a vindication of Gordon Brown, it's a humiliation for Alex Salmond. We have to get back to the business of governing."

Mr Salmond admitted he made the call too early. He said: "I was wrong about the by-election.

"We're disappointed with the result. However, we're not disappointed with the campaign we fought.

"A campaign fought by Labour was a scaremongering and negative campaign but was successful."

Tory leader David Cameron said the result showed the "Salmond bounce" had disappeared.

Although the margin was down a third on that achieved at the 2005 general election, the win will be seen as a huge personal boost for Mr Brown.

The constituency borders the Prime Minster's Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency and Mr Brown staked political capital by visiting it twice during the campaign - breaking the precedent that premiers stay away from by-elections. Mr Brown's wife Sarah was also deployed to help bring in support.

Delivering his victory speech, Mr Roy praised Mr Brown, saying: "I pledge my support to the leader of this country, someone who has worked very hard on behalf of all of us, not just in Fife, but in Scotland and the UK during these volatile economic times."

Labour's terrible run prior to Glenrothes saw them thrashed in local elections and stripped of the London mayoralty, before losing a 7,000 majority at the hands of the Tories in Crewe and Nantwich in May.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.