The real winner is apathy!

So Labour have won the Glasgow North East by-election, continuing Labour's 74 year rule over this area! Despite all the problems that make this the most socially deprived area in Western Europe, voters have stubbornly decided to stick with more of the same failed politics that has held Glasgow back! But on a turnout of less than 35%, it is fair to say that the real winner of this election is not Labour, but rather voter apathy! The fact that so few people turned out to cast their votes shows that people have lost faith in politics and, I feel, that is a disaster for democracy, as it shows that people believe that nothing will change and so feel it is not worth them voting! This is something which needs to change and that will only happen when we convince voters that to get change, you need to vote for change!

So I'll say well done to Willie Bain, I hope he'll work hard for the area, but I wouldn't read too much into this result as a feeling of the national mood!

GOOD LUCK DAVID!!!

Just a quick post tonight to say good luck to David Kerr and the SNP in tomorrows by-election in Glasgow North East! This will be a major election, and most likely the last one before next years general election! In David, the SNP has the best candidate to represent this seat and wont take his orders from the London Labour establishment either! He will be true voice for Glasgow and for Scotland! Despite the significance of this election however, it does look as if turnout will be low, but let me make it clear, no matter what folk might say about being disaffected with politics or politicians being only in it for themselves, there is never any excuse for not voting! It is your democratic right, which our ancestors fought hard to achieve, and to not vote is not only a betrayal to those who fought and died for the vote, but is an insult to themselves and to democracy, as they are not letting their voice be heard and calling for change! So I urge the people of Glasgow North East to not waste their vote by not voting, get off your backside and get out and vote! Wouldn't you feel better knowing you had actually voted than knowing you hadn't!

Too close to call!

With less than 48 hours to go now until the Glasgow North East by-election, you would perhaps expect me to give an indication of who i think will win, but I'm not going to! My reason? Well, to be honest, it's because I don't know who is going to win. While it looks as if Labour is probably still ahead, the SNP has actually closed the gap significantly over the past few weeks and, no matter what the media or the Labour party say, the SNP does still have a good chance of winning this seat!

A poll for the Telegraph a few weeks ago in the constituency showed that the gap between Labour and the SNP was indeed narrowing, and chances are that gap has narrowed even further since then. This is why I think that it is too close to call! Saying that, however, I would not be surprised if Labour manages to hold on to the seat, simply because their scare tactics and negativity throughout the entire campaign appears to have made an effect on the voters! Saying things like the SNP are "ripping off Glasgow" has scared voters into thinking that only by sticking with Labour will protect them, despite that fact that it is Glasgow City Council which is doing the damage by closing down schools and community centres! And it is the London Labour Government which has just announced the scrapping of the Glasgow to London rail link, despite them continuously attacking us for not building the airport rail link because of funding shortages!

So at this time I'm not going to call it, but a warning that Thursday could be a victory for fear over hope, should Labour hold on to this seat once again even after 74 years of domination!

McLeish: Labour is "in denial"!

Henry McLeish may already be well known for speaking out against his, apparent, own party, but this latest one is one which Labour ought to closely listen too! McLeish, writing in Holyrood Magazine, has said that the Labour party has fallen into a "culture of Denial" and that the party is failing to offer any real alternatives to Independence for Scotland! Whilst saying this, McLeish has also said that Labour could be out of power for a generation!

Referring to the recent highly successful and optimistic SNP conference in Inverness, McLeish stated that it showed "the political distance the SNP has travelled in the past decade and, in sharp contrast, how little political progress Labour has made since the election defeat in 2007"! Now if Iain Gray doesn't think this undermines his leadership and the Labour party in general then, frankly, it ought too! McLeish also writes "Seeking to transform the sovereignty and authority of Westminster, the SNP has used nationality and identity as a new focus for political and social cohesion and promotes new aspirations of nationhood which transcend traditional social and economic issues and problems. Scottish Labour's combination of a culture of denial and a failure to understand the ethos of nationality and identity could prove disastrous and keep Labour out of power for a generation if left unchecked".

Now of course Labours response to all this was to be expected, stating that the referendum is just an "obsession" of the SNP, despite the fact that a recent poll showed that more than 60% want a referendum! So Labour ought to take heed from Henry McLeish, or they might just lose Scotland for ever! (but thank god for that, eh!)

Lib Dems back referendum!! (well, most of them at least)

Several Liberal Democrat Westminster candidates are to break party ranks and call out in favour of holding a referendum on Scottish Independence! This comes after Senior elected Lib Dems have called for a referendum to be held, such as John Farquar Munro (MSP for Caithness) and George Lyon (the Lib Dems sole Scottish MEP). Former leader Paddy Ashdown has also spoken out and said, quit rightly, that it is wrong for the Lib dems to oppose holding a referendum!

Now, if a few of his own elected members isn't enough to make Tavish think again, then perhaps today's opinion poll on the very subject will make him! A YouGov poll of 1, 556 people has found that 63% want a referendum on Independence for Scotland, compared to just 26% opposed! And the figure for Lib Dem voters wanting a referendum was a massive 65%, compared to only 28% opposed! So even the majority of Liberal Democrat voters disagree with their leader and want a referendum!

All this is piling more and more pressure on Tavish Scott to change his tune about letting the people of Scotland decide their constitutional future! So will Tavish change his mind? Well at their upcoming one day conference they will hold a meeting to discuss wether to change their policy. If they do, then we can expect the referendum, as planned, to be held on St Andrews Day next year!!
The next few weeks should be very interesting indeed!

Do not be fooled by Labour's election spin!

Today we witnessed the Labour party launch its campaign for the Glasgow North East by-election. Now, obviously you would expect me to criticize the lies and the misinformation that has been put out by Labour today, but allow me to focus particularly on the New Labour spin machine, something which I am certain will be out in full force throughout this by-election! Spin is something which Labour has always done at elections, and this one will be no different! I am in no doubt that Labour will try to present themselves as the "local champion" and the only party which will "make a difference to this constituency", despite the fact that its Labour which has represented this seat for the past 70 years! But this is what Labour will still do, they will present themselves as the party which will give this seat a "new chance" that will "transform the area", even though they've had 70 years to do so and have failed miserably! Labour will say they have a credible track record, well lets have a wee look at their track record in Glasgow North East, a seat which ranks as being the worst for Poverty, worst for deprivation, worst for poor health, worst for education standards, and worst for unemployment! In fact, a staggering 75% of children live below the poverty line! If Labour thinks that this is a good track record then it is definitely not the party to be given the job of continuing to represent this seat! Never before has the saying "Its time for change" been so relevant than this by-election! So please don't believe any of the spin being put out by Labour, its false and the people of Glasgow deserve better than this!!

John Smeaton to stand in Glasgow North-East

John Smeaton, the baggage handler who rose to fame after the Glasgow airport terrorist attack, has decided to stand as an independent candidate who is being sponsored by the Jury Team! He says that hes fed up with the "political elite" and is fed up with the way the MPs have fiddled with their expenses. Personally speaking, while he seams like an honest person, I don't think he is really up to the job of being an MP! He is certainly well known and liked, especially in the constituency, but could he really stand up in Parliament and take on the "big beasts" of Westminster? Glasgow north-east desperately needs an MP who is able to stand up and win the arguments and, sadly, I just don't think John Smeaton could do that! As for the by-election itself, it would be nice to have a date!

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