Gordon Brown is today holding talks with local Labour Party officials about the timing of the Glenrothes by-election, some believing that there is a case for a date as soon as September 11.

The informal discussions will be held after the funeral of John MacDougall, which Mr Brown will attend. The men were old friends and Mr Brown’s seat borders Glenrothes.

It had been accepted widely that the poll would be held in late October or even early November to allow Mr Brown’s “autumn fightback” to have an impact. Mr Brown and his allies are hoping that a fighting speech by him at the Labour conference in late September, an economic package in October to help families and a Cabinet reshuffle will combine to allow Labour to win back support.

There are concerns, though, that defeat in the by-election in October would undo that effort and bring Mr Brown’s relaunch back to earth. One party source in Scotland said that holding the by-election soon “would get the bad news out of the way quickly, and Gordon could use his conference speech to rally support. What’s the point of a relaunch in September if the impact is snuffed out in October?”

It is thought that Mr Brown still supports a delay, in the hope that the Scottish Nationalists, who are expected to overturn Labour’s majority of 11,000 after their triumph in Glasgow East, will run into trouble. He realises that a September poll would drown out the contest for the leadership of the party in Scotland; the winner will be announced on September 13.

Much attention has focused on who will fight the seat for Labour. Henry McLeish, formerly First Minister, and who represented the seat at Westminster and at Holyrood when it was known as Central Fife, is expected to make his intentions known this week.

Mr Brown did not campaign in Glasgow East, following convention, but some MPs believe he cannot stay away from the Glenrothes battle. One said: “It’s Gordon’s home territory. There are times when conventions have to be thrown out of the window.”

Gordon’s diary dates

August 20
The Prime Minister departs for Beijing to join other world leaders and bask in the glow of Britain’s Olympic medals success

September 8
Mr Brown faces restless trade unionists at the TUC conference in Brighton. Resolutions have been tabled calling for a repeal of the ban on secondary picketing

September 20
To Manchester for Labour’s annual conference, where the pressure will be on for him to give the speech of his political life

October 6
Back to parliamentary fray after the summer recess

Times Recommends

• Morris men face extinction
• MBE that Lennon returned in protest is found
• Big freeze means an extra day’s holiday