Parties woo by-election voters

Hitting the campaign trail on Monday were Gordon Brown, Conservative leader Michael Howard and SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Ahead of the chancellor's visit to Livingston, SNP leader Alex Salmond accused him of being "out of touch".

"On the streets of Livingston people have been asking why the chancellor has failed to do his part to limit the rapid rise in petrol and diesel costs," said Salmond.

"Gordon Brown is good at passing the buck, but now that retailers have acted, the focus is very firmly on him.

"People know Gordon Brown's taxes are responsible for two-thirds of the cost of fuel.

"Every penny increase in the price of fuel at the pumps gives the chancellor an extra £20m in VAT revenues. This money could and should be put back into the pockets of motorists with a cut in fuel duties."

But Brown defended the government's record, pointing to an increase in jobs and a decrease in long term unemployment.

He insisted that petrol prices are a world challenge which the government was seeking to deal with.

"We are pleased petrol prices fell over the weekend," added the chancellor.

"And we will continue to put our case, particularly on Friday at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington, for all the major countries of the world to agree on a common strategy."

Meanwhile, the Tory leader said that his party's by-election candidates were receiving a "very warm and positive" reaction from the public.

"I think our excellent candidates in both these by-elections provide the only real alternative to the Labour Lib-Dem coalition in Scotland for those who don't want Scotland to separate," said Howard.

"If you want Scotland to be part of the UK but you think it's heading in the wrong direction - and there are many things that show it is - the thing to do is vote Conservative next week."

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