Gordon Brown helps launch Alex Rowley's by-election campaign Former prime minister Gordon Brown will help launch Labour's campaign to win the Cowdenbeath by-election on Wednesday. Alex Rowley, who has served as election agent for Mr Brown, is bidding to win the Holyrood seat, which is currently vacant after the death of Labour MSP Helen Eadie, for the party. Mr Brown, the MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, and Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont will both be in the constituency to help Mr Rowley officially launch his campaign ahead of the poll on January 23. Mrs Eadie died in November last year, just days after it emerged she was being treated for cancer. Mr Rowley, who is the leader of Fife Council, said: "This is a by-election that none of us wanted. Helen Eadie's death was sudden and she will continue to be missed. She was a true people's champion and a champion for Fife. Much of her work was ensuring that ordinary Fifers' voices were heard and that is a record of which Fife Labour can be proud. He pledged to contest the by-election on the "issues facing Fife families today," including issues such as "how we get more young people into work, how we get more women into full-time work, improving childcare, building more affordable homes and how we continue to get investment into Fife." But he added: "We will also talk about how the SNP have put Scotland on pause to fight the referendum. No longer do we have a government in Edinburgh, we merely have a referendum campaign. Our clear message to the SNP is this: use the powers you have now to make the changes that Scots want to see. We don't need to wait until 2016. Mr Rowley said: "If the people of Cowdenbeath put their faith in me on January 23, I promise that I won't let them down. I will be a strong, local voice in Parliament. Cowdenbeath needs that. Fife needs that. I will work hard every day to ensure that Fifers are heard clearly in Parliament. We deserve nothing less. Seven candidates are contesting the by-election, including the SNP's Natalie McGarry, a policy adviser working in the voluntary sector, local councillor Dave Dempsey, who is standing as the Conservative candidate, and IT worker Jade Holden, who has been selected for the Liberal Democrats. Both the SNP and the Conservatives are expected to officially launch their campaigns on Friday.