Labour was on Friday a party on the verge of a nervous breakdown, as the Glasgow East by-election debacle sucked out whatever was left of the party’s morale after a gruelling political season.

There were frantic calls as Labour members sought support and solace from their colleagues. Party whips phoned around to try to restore calm. But in the end most of those phone calls revolved around the central question facing the party: should Gordon Brown lead the party into the next election?