Slow! Fire! SNP Catch Up In Glasgow East

A week may be a long time in politics to what about 6 months. Aye that is how long it has taken the SNP to wake up to the blight of Parkhead Fire Station.

Back then John Mason was merely a list MSP humble councillor for Glasgow Ballieston before he took the seat off Labour and a disgruntled Margaret Curran. However, when all the candidates back then where challenged by Lib Dem candidate Ian Robertson over the shutting down of the station serving the heavily tenemented area they remained silent. However, now Sandra White has spoken up against this closure saying:

"Parkhead fire station covers some of the poorest communities in the United
Kingdom and research shows the main causes of fires are related to social and
economic problems.

"Parts of this area are badly affected by drug and alcohol abuse problems,
as well as poverty and high unemployment. I believe management's proposals will
be detrimental to these communities."

Pity her colleague Mr Mason hadn't realised the same situation 6 months ago in July

Obviously Lib Dem MSP for Glasgow Robert Brown is delighted to have another voice joining him in urging Government to use its power to intervene to reconsider the issues involved in closing Parkhead and moving service two miles away from such vulnerable citizens.

The is even a link from the Glasgow News site to the long running Lib Dem online petition.


hat tip to Andrew Reeves

Glasgow East Where Next?

Jeff had accused me of sour grapes* even masking my true feelings in humour about last night's result in Glasgow East because I posted this. Well all I can say it is easy to be a winner, not so easy to be a good winner (last night we didn't see one IMHO), but hardest of all is to be totally blown away by things going far worse than you anticipated. However, what I have done all day has been reflected on what other bloggers have said (yes I even painfully read my regular Nats) and looking to see just what happened. To do that takes time both to compose and, as it turns out, to write so bear with me.

I'll start with Scottish Tory Boy who if anyone had reason to gloat over some of my comments in recent days it was he. However, all he said was, "Yesterday I posted this suggesting that the Lib Dems would finish fourth and it seems that I was spot on with my prediction but I certainly didn’t envisage them losing their deposit but that is exactly what happened." Magnanimous in the small victory he had and greated appreciated for that. I still think that Ian Robertson was a stronger candidate that Davena Rankin however she was very cleverly packaged by a smart Conservative team. I can't recall whether it was two or three times that I saw her drag poor Annabelle Goldie off to some gym or other. End result she did appear to have more clips on TV news buletins than Ian seemed to manage; even last night in the clip of me talking to him, I have since been informed, he wasn't even in the frame.

Kezia Dugdale and the Two Doctors both offered congratulations to the new MP for Glasgow East. Although Kez's picture of John Mason makes him look like the Peter Pan of Parliament (that is a joke btw). She says it is time for reflection for the Labour party as indeed is the sinking to fourth and lost deposit for us Liberal Democrats.

Ideas of Civilisation sums things up thus:

"It's striking that the Tories moved from fourth to third in the Glasgow East election (albeit with a slight reduction in their voting share); this could suggest that people are growing more comfortable about voting for them again. Of course it could also focus minds that the next UK election will be between Labour and the Tories and not Labour and the SNP, meaning Labour would gain from this. An alternative view is that the Lib Dems were the recipients of protest votes against Labour, which have now transferred to the SNP."

It's that summation of us that draws my attention most and you'll forgive me if I don't quote any of the partisan Nat bloggers. I think, indeed hope, that the Lib Dems have grown up in the 20 years that we have existed and indeed the 20 years I've been associated with them, off and on, to no longer be seen as purely a party of protest. The party has a core direction, message and ethos that many people come to not out of protest but principle. Sadly in the world at large we are still seen as the great by election machine of protest, that may well have been the way we won Dunfermline and West Fife in 2006 with Willie Rennie but wasn't how we went on to take the Dunfermline West seat in 2007 for Jim Tolson that was because we'd made a change.

Now a lot was made of the fact that yesterday was the tale of two Parliaments. The Lib Dems are fully aware of how to utilise that line, for eight years we were able to highlight the differences we had made in Scotland to the Scots and were offering the same changes to the English and Welsh. So the Nats of course emphasised the things they had so far achieved in their first 14 months of power. However, like Labour in Westminster and every government before them there will come a time when then can't deliver on something and the electorate will remember them for it and tire of them, that's life in democracies.

Dunfermline of course we won without a leader in Westminster this time we did not have a leader in Scotland. Now I'm not blaming our result of Nicol Stephen but his almost ever presence in Dunfermline was a mighty effect, sure Nick Clegg was up on a number of occasions but unlike Nicol he wasn't almost always around, even if us foot soldiers didn't see him all the time. The enthusiasm that the Scottish leader gave last time was infectious maybe because it was holiday season, and many had already booked to be away, and because t was sort election we never seemed to pick up momentum in the same way. Myself I was unable to take weekdays off at all through this campaign as I was covering for one or other of my colleagues for the duration.

The other thing about the timing of this election is that it appears that the leadership of our party is seeking to reappraise our message. Which makes it harder to get your message across as you not quite sure where it is going to lead yourself. Now Ian was a good communication in the two debates he came across really well, as well as on Newsnight, but he can only be as good as the tools and narrative he is provided with. Recently I was discussing this issue of where we're heading with fellow Lib Dems and one thing we seemed to agree on is where are our few key policies that the electorate can hang their coat on. Those few key things that make the Lib Dems stand out, not as a party of protest but a party of progress. Some of the ones we, indeed I, have stood on in the past are under review and may no longer be out identifiers. Some of the things I've spoken with passion on doorsteps, in this blog, at hustings about may be taken from under me, we need to be careful just what we replace them with, if indeed we do replace them.

As Kezia said Labour have to go away and reflect, the Lib Dems had already started to do that before this by election was called, maybe from reflecting it was hard to refocus on just what we were trying to say at this point. One thing we do have is our gut of what it means to be a Liberal Democrat, therefore I trust that if a major refurbishment of that narrative is going to take place that we will get it right, make it clear and stand out distinctive in the way we promise to enact it. We need to, we owe it to those who have come to us in the past and who still want the things we have promised to deliver in the past.

Where is the Grin Control on Nicola Sturgeon?

Yes I'll admit it and go and collect my anorak now, I was there to the bitter end last night. That was when Newsnight Scotland finally deemed it time to show highlights of the campaign to round off conference and take the camera of Nicola's increasingly smug "I know something you don't" face. All through the coverage all the politicians in the studio Nicola, Douglas 'I'll defend my sister' Alexander, Murdo Fraser and Jo Swinson were checking for updates on their Blackberries. At times in wide shots we saw Nicola, Douglas and Jo actually looking at theirs. They were seemingly better informed than the reporter at the count on many occasions judging by their facial expressions and comments to questioning. Nicola smile grew in smugness to almost John Mason-esque proportions (you had to see the literature) as the night progressed.

I'll also admit I wasn't there at the start as me and some work colleagues were entertaining one of our South african colleagues to a meal down at Khubla Khan's in Leith. Although on my way home I checked into facebook to find that my one time near a TV camera all campaign had managed to make the national Newsnight coverage of the campaign. That's the last four Westminster Election nights in Scotland I've been spoted on telly, should I run and hide now.

However, the man who a few hours later entered the count to a guard of honour of Nat supporters, I thought I did spot ASWAS in the line, then entered the hall almost Rocky-esque hands raised aloft. Back in the Studio Nicola was trying her best to keep stoom after all the result had yet to be made official.

I think this is a great result to run this close as it appears to be from where we started. John Mason has run a good campaign etc.

But you could tell she was secretly waiting to have the part alluded to by a text messenger who later encouraged them to chill, kick back have a beer and cigarette. She quickly regained her sence that she was Health Minister when caught laughing a bit much though.

However, the dreaded r-word as it was referred to was mentioned by the BBC just as the candidates and agents were being called to the returning officers desk. This soon became not a euphermism but the actually word recount as while watching pictures of Margaret Curran, who couldn't really hide in bright red, an announcement on the stage used the word in full for the first time, quickly followed by about 7 uses in the studio in the next minute. Now Nicola said in good football speak:

"If you'd offered us to be in recount territority at the start we'd have been happy. But we'd have been expecting us to call it from behind."

Oh how the grin grew and grew. But we still had to wait for the official confirmation that Frances Curran pile of 555 votes didn't contain 366 of Margaret's in error. Nicola had by now returned to "siesmic" talk the word long banned by SNP after Alex promised a quake hitting Glasgow East before Labour chose Curran, M.

So Gordon had responsibilty for the Dunfermline and West Fife Campiagn and lost that, he was Prime Minister for the Glasgow East Campaign and lost that. I can still the looks of anguish on the Labour members at the Livingston as they entered the hall at the start of that by election, but that has been the only Westminster by election north of the border this Parliament that they have ended up leaving with even a smile of relief.

Labour are in turmoil and facing a crisis from whoever is best placed to dislodge them, the Nats last night, the Tories in Crewe of the Lib Dems in Dunfermline, it looking a lot like the lead up to 1997. Gordon can not be sleeping well in the few small hours his pencils in for such activities.

A Few Images for Election Day in Glasgow East

Firstly it looks as if Kezia Dugadale has been lending stuff to Labour candidate Margaret Curran.

Image from the Times

Yes is that really Kez's own soapbox making an appearance on the stump?

Then Peter Brookes cartoonist in The Times offers Gordon Brown some advise should it all go wrong.

Leaking of Postal Vote Results a Worrying Tread

Now I admit I've never attended a postal vote opening in Glasgow, though I have been a regular in West Lothian and also have attended in Edinburgh. Each observer under the other two returning officers, that I have been present at, has agreed to observe and carry out whatever tallying they want but not to make the results of those tallies known publicly.

Therefore I read with disappointment from North Britain that somebody is leaking that information to forums at Politicalbetting.com and The Herald. Such an act of letting the voting trends be known before the polls close, if the figures leaked are correct, would be in contravention of electoral law and if either the Nats or Labour are up to dirty tricks of this kind for their own ends it is one of the most underhanded breaches of confidence in our electoral system and should be reviewed by the Returning Officer.

Carbon Footprints - Tales from the East End III

As I alluded to earlier I spend the greater part of yesterday being serenaded by the various tannoy equipped cars of other parties. Sometimes these were even in part of a convoy of 2 or three vehicles. It got me to wondering just what sort of carbon footprint the other campaigns are having as a result of the campaign.

From about 10am to at least 7pm I was getting a more or less a continuous intermittent or distant sound of one, or on occasion two such convoys going past somewhere nearby. It is also the second weekend I've managed to get over and the same parties are doing it both times. Therefore I'm guessing that all four parties (SNP, Tories, SSP, Solidarity) were running them pretty much non-stop. So just how much fuel are all of these parties using to run these electioneering tools. Also how much are they adding to Glasgow's carbon foot print in doing this a result, and is such activity actually productive if you have to be outdoors to hear "lo I'm Alex Salm" at all while it passes you by for example.

More to the point will the SNP, Conservatives, Solidarity and Scottish Socialist Party be declaring the fuel costs for running this mobile visual and audible displays. Fuel in cars being used to move campaigners to parts of the constituency would not count under election expenses but these surely are a public display and therefore should be fully recorded in expenses even if the car and fuel were gifted to the parties for this use, such gift in kinds have to be declared.

On a similar car related note I was actually taking a little break in the early evening when the Scottish Socialists came down Shettleston Road past the Lib Dem HQ in the longest convoy of the day with 3 cars including this one to the right. Not a bad car to able to afford on a average workers wage wouldn't you say? Ironic that the SSP tannoy was talking about the average workers wage when be tailed by a supporter in a car far more ostentatious than could be afforded by such means and running three cars in convoy at 118.9p per litre is also a little above the average worker.

Spotted out and About? - Tales of the East End II

Was out delivering in Glasgow East yesterday afternoon when came across an SNP canvasser trying to gain access to a stair. Was greet unusually by the question "Stephen Glenn, right?". Yes I'd stumbled across David Hutchinson one time host of North to Leith. Small world our political blogosphere even if a former blogger who has handed over the reigns crops up.

Also out an about I drove past Fiona Hyslop on a street on my way out past the SNP second hand car dealership, sorry HQ, with Robert Smith MSP.

Saw my only Labour activists on the street at about 7 PM, after seeing loads of SNP and being serenaded by Alex Salmond, the Tories, Solidarity and the SSP all day from their tannoy systems.

Desperate Times? - Tales From the East End I

Had a wee chat with an amazing East End of Glasgae woman yesterday. She was telling us a little about the Labour telephone canvassing 'strategy' from the receiving end.

Somebody with "a toffy voice",to quote her, called her up to ask her if she knew there was a by election going on in Glasgow East. Did she know, it was the talk in the shops, the doctors, the hairdressers and the street. Plus she told them she could hardly walk down the street without seeing a lamppost festooned or go out the door without tripping over the latest leaflet.

However, the second question was will you be voting, she said of course. Leading to next question of who. She told the telephone canvasser she wasn't going to disclose that. However, it was followed up by the following question:

"When you go into the polling booth which party will you be putting you x beside?"

Quite correctly this woman retorted with, "I may be from the East End but that doesn't make me stupid. You've just asked me the same question and it is none of your business."

You'd have thought that would have been the end of it but no, she was called back twice by telephone canvassers. Then she had a fourth call from Tom McNab who started with the same questions as the other 3, until she said before you ask me who I'm voting I'll not be telling you. She then filled in the MP on the background of the selection fiasco, apparently he was not aware of that. Gave her opinions on the reasons that no Glasgow labour Councillor (ie George Ryan or Stephen Purcell) would want to face the Glasgow East electorate.

All I could think at the end was way to go woman. You tell him. As well what on earth are labour playing at.

By Elections and Fitba

Mister Stephen left for work this morning mutting something about football, by elections and wrong place, wrong time. So with the flat to myself I did a little research.

During the last Westminster by election, Mister Stephen took one evening off from heading over to Dunfermline, that was to see Dunfermline play Livingston at Easter Road in the CIS Cup Semi final.

Well with another by election is appears that Mister Stephen is going to be heading to Glasgow tomorrow to the constituency of the stadium above, when the team that plays there are heading to West Lothian to play our beloved Livingston in a pre-season friendly.

I guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer before doing my first match report of the new season.

Go Back to Your Corners: Scottish Blogosphere in Ear Biting Incident

Ok not quite Mike Tysonesque proportions but boy it is getting bitchy in the Scottish Blogosphere of late. The reason of course is a little matter that next Thursday is the first Scottish by election since 2006, and we're all focussing on one race rather than picking over our own turf.

In the red corner doing her sterling best to defend the title is Kezia Dugdale who is getting sources which are leading to worry is high places in the Nats leadership. She also not above mud slinging and name calling. For a change she is making Tom Harris MP look mild and considerate by comparison.

In the other corner, well take you pick. SNP Tactical Voting, Calum Cashley et al are hurling incendaries. While Julie Hepburn is giving a balanced Nat side of the campaign.

But the real fun comes in the comments of the various blogs. Oh I wish I could don an black and white striped jersey and grab a whistle to referee these gladiators.

Vote Nat Brown Stays

After the Nats, and particularly Alex Salmond, accused Gordon Brown of trying the bribe the Glasgow East electorate and his previous warnings of a quake if the SNP were to win it appears a blip may be all that is left on the screen. Yes the leader of the fifth largest party in the House of Commons says that a win for his party next Thursday will not see the leader of the largest party resign.

Kind of the softly, softly approach of a poacher creeping up on unsuspecting Labour prey and saying it's alright I'm not going to harm you. Lend us you votes and all will still be well with the party you've backed for years, decades even. It also appears to be the sign of a desperate man from being all seismic at the start of the campaign, Alex is starting to imitate Gordon Brown impersonation of a Tim'rous Beastie.

You can imagine the Nats chapping on doors for the next week.

Nat: Hello I'm here on behalf of John Mason the SNP candidate.

Voter: Oh yeah the earthquake guy.

Nat: Er no.

Voter: Well I've been Labour all my days, but I'm nae to sure ye ken.

Nat: Ah but if you vote for us Gordon will still be in charge, just send him a message.

Voter: Ah right. I'll probably be voting Lib Dem then, maybe even Tory, that will really shake him up. (slams door)

Nat: Erm. I'll put him down as undecided shall I?

Who's Bribing Who

The fact that yet again in a tight by election Gordon Brown's Government bring out a big policy decision; this time it is the freeze on oil duties.

Of course Alex Salmond and David Cameron are both up in arms that Gordon and his Darling sidekick are bribing the electorate of Glasgow East. But hang on one minute weren't these the same two party leaders who earlier in the campaign took great pleasure in informing us all that 60% of the Glasgow East electorate do not own cars. So obviously Gordon is only therefore concerned about the 40% down in Mount Vernon and other such locales that actually own their own transport.

Of course it is only a freeze and the Government will have already made up for it through the increased VAT they have already experienced on fuel since the start of the year. So hardly much sacrifice on the part of the exchequer just rearranging the money in the coffers really. In fact this was an orchestrated bit of teasing out a decision to do the right thing under current circumstances. Maybe the Government had finally noticed the the fuel price rises were already affecting their inflationary targets and heaping fuel, pardon the pun, on that particular fire wasn't very helpful.

The fact that they do wait long over such decisions and then turn them out at key moments does smell of hypocrisy, but then so does the Tories and Nats speaking at cross purposes about just what the electorate in Glasgow East is like and liable to benefit from most.

Labour Can't Help Lying Over War

Yeah Guido has exposed Margaret Curran's war veteran for what she is. Far from being 93 and a veteran of the 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats, (of whom my late great uncle was padre) he appears to be 67 and a Labour party activist.

Now every party is liable to pack party activists into crowd scenes behind the candidate, as these people are most likely to agree to appear in that way. Although I have once seen the Tory agent posing as a normal member of the public. However, for the sake of the regiment to which I have family connections I glad this latest Labour deception has been exposed for what it is, a desperate attempt by someone who as the area's MSP should have some knowledge of the local community appearing to be a bigger part of that community than they truly are.

So either she can't remember who John Hipson and whov George McGuiness are or has managed to find not one but two 93 year old veterans of the 7th Armoured then she really must know Glasgow East like the back of her hand. Somehow I don't think that the latter is the case.

No Means No: Nats V Democracy

As regular readers will know I have no qualms about giving the people of Scotland a say over their future. But possibly John Mason, the SNP's candidate for Glasgow East, has let the real cat out of the bag. Could Scotland be the next Quebec?

If in 2010 Alex and his cohorts manage to hold their referendum and the computer churns out the result and says no, according to Mason that will not be the end. So no hint of abiding by the democratic will of the people, put pushing on, and on, and on in a neverendum to get the result they want; nay need. Therein lies another tale, we'd guessed this may well be the scenario but just how often, and how regularly, after that will they repose the question.

If we end up in a cycle of neverendae this is another cost that a Nationalist administration will continue to foist upon the people of Scotland. Maybe their intent is to bankrupt Scotland into submission.

However, if they cannot convince Scotland in 2010, when in all possibility there will be a Tory administration in Westminster, what hope do they have? Oh yes, we know just why Alex is waiting that long to 'bring it on'; the ghost of government's past. Although on Labour's current form that may be a bad move, as the ghost of government's recently deceased by 2010 may well be far worse than the Poll Tax memories, Tommy Sheridan excluded.

However, Mason may have scored a big own goal by saying this in such a high profile time. The fact that the national press have picked up on it can't be good. Following so slowly after the withdrawal of Alex's promise of a quake in Glasgow East are the Nats starting to unravel themselves with overconfidence.

Mason goes on to try and compare the referendum to a proposal of marriage. Sorry John but the question is one of divorce. If overtures of divorce are turned down normally both parties then try and work on the marriage as it is not ask again for a divorce. Of course he may be advocating bringing sharia law to bear on the SNP great marriage counselling session, sorry conversation.

The Cabinet Have Thier Picnic

If you go down Glasgow East today you'd better go in disguise.
If you go down Glasgow East today you may have a big surprise.
For Cabinet Ministers that aren't media shy
Are hiding there only Gordon knows why.
Today may be the day a cabinet Minister comes to Glasgow.

To be read in a David Attenborough voice:

Here in the East End of Glasgow we are witnessing the emergence of a new political animal. The once proud display of the cabinet minister, flaunting their plumage to the press pack, is not on display here. Under cover of darkness and secret rendezvous they are meeting the lesser MSP cum candidate for electioneering on the sly.

Last week tracks were found of the Deputous Prime Ministerious and the Defencious Ministerious. Both eluded the press pack, who were only aware of their presence when trackers pointed out that they had been in this urban jungle. The sibling of the late Escotia Primus Ministerous a more International creature these days was also in these woods twice in the last seven days, with such unexpectedness that the media failed to note its arrival. Also the lesser used Scottish Office Cairns and a plethora of lesser lights, normally who vie for the spotlight, all came and went in cognito.

This is not normal by election activity for these media whores. They normally strut up and down alongside the candidate bird. Grabbing sound bites, calling out policy, clucking up to the King Tim'rous Beastie that is hibernating in its London habitat.

My colleagues Bill Oddie and Kate Humble will be joining us here for By Election Watch. If you spot any of the cabinet ministers shirking the spotlight please let us know.

Scotsman Give TV Debate to Lib Dem

Parliamentary elections are meant to elect the best person to represent the constituency. Well the Glasgow East by election took on a slightly American feel at the weekend when it held a televised debate between the 4 main candidates.

Well the Scotsman has scored their performances today and place Ian Robertson the Liberal Democrat ahead of Labour's Margaret Curran with Davena Rankin of the Tories and the SNP's John Mason propping up the rest.

Of Robertson the paper said:

Emerged as the surprise star of the show. He was effective, forthright and intervened sharply across his opponents. A no-hoper in this by-election – one to watch for the future. 9/10

It's a sad state of affairs that someone so effective is written off as a no-hoper but there is still time, even in this truncated election to get across the star that is the Lib Dem candidate. After all let's not forget the 24th July is still in the future.

Labour's Referendum Stance Blowing in the Breeze

I'm at loss just where Labour stand over the whole issue of where Labour stand on the matter of a referendum over independence for Scotland. Ever since Wendy Alexander's "bring it on" televised statement there has been some uncertainty.

First the party in Scotland backing her, only for the Prime Minister to basically leave her in the cold. Which saw the MSPs use more guarded language, to the extent that they u-turned. Then we have most of the favourites for the leadership of the party in Scotland denying they will follow that course.

Well on newsnight on Monday night David Cairns and Alex Salmond went through the Paxman mean, lean grilling machine with Cairns telling Paxo that their Westminster candidate in Glasgow East, Margaret Curran was not in favour of a referendum. However, yesterday at her official launch she said she was not frightened of the verdict of the Scottish people.

Apparently there is also some worry in the Labour camp that the Scottish Socialists have selected Frances Curran as their candidate saying there will be voter confusion. Frances will appear just above Margaret on the ballot paper. Sadly if there is going to be confusion to the electorate some of that may be down to Labour education and adult literacy programmes not having the impact in Glasgow East as are applauded in other parts of the country.

Mind you Margaret also tried to lay claim to the idea of a televised debate by issuing a challenge to John Mason anytime, anyplace. Only problem is I heard this being discussed as a possibility over 48 hours before she was even a selected candidate, being organised not by the Labour party but by the TV people themselves.

Obviously Margaret is trying too hard at playing catch up after her lost weekend.

Glasgow East Candidates

Well we are the first of only three weekends of campaigning in the Glasgow East by election so who are standing.

The SNP we have John Mason the leader of their group on the council. The Lib Dems have got Ian Robertson who on the way to canvassing with him yesterday he pointed out Welshot Primary school where the teacher was once a pupil. The Conservatives have picked Davena Rankin. Former MSP Frances Curran is the Scottish Socialist Party Candidate and Solidarity have Tricia McLeish.

Notice that the defending party have yet to name their candidate. So while the other five have been out showing their candidates to the voters, printing literature naming their candidate, putting up posters and in the case of the SNP and Solidarity, at least, getting out the loudhailers and waking up the residents of Shettleston yesterday morning.

Wonder what printers are on standby to start churning out the Labour literature come Monday night. Hope everything will be ok when they rush it, after all we know how Labour sometimes skimp on the small requirements when it comes to elections.

Will the Real Labour Candidate Please Make Themselves Known

It's like watching the reveal on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Yesterday Labour were all set to select their candidate, favourite being George Ryan, for the Glasgow East By Election. On paper it's one of the safest seats Labour have in the entire UK and you'd expect them to be beating down the door to have a change to stand there. Mr Ryan failed to show up stating family reasons. On the way over to the constituency myself this morning I heard that Stephen Purcell was now the favoured person to be the Labour candidate.

So you can imagine my shock that later on the radio in the Lib Dem Headquarters I heard he had stepped out of the race too and that the MSP for Ballieston Margaret Curren (cited last week as a potential Scottish Labour leader) was now the candidate de jure. The slection meeting is now set back to Monday evening, we can only hope everyone turns up this time. It beggars the question that should she still manage to be the candidate come close of nomination (we won't hold our breathes on that one) and then should labour manage to hold this seat(again not worth risking a trip to the bookies), will she then resign one of her seats to concentrate on the other. After all this is just what Labour have been telling Alex Salmond off since last may for not doing. Therefore could the Ballieston constituency be facing a second by election later in the year should they elect a Labour MP.

The press seem none the wiser either. When then came to the office to interview Ian Robertson they seemed as perplexed as the rest of us as to just what Labour were up to, or possibly just why nobody in Glasgow, of all places, seemed prepared to stand for what labour stand for. Maybe Labour candidates are like the rest of us and no longer quite sure what that is. Interesting if wet times in Glasgow East.

Also the Labour local party are probably now ruing the fact that this election was called by their Westminster masters for July 24th. They will only have 16 full days of having a candidate in place before the first votes are cast on polling day.