Saturday 28 June 2008

By-election(s) and Resignations

Hmm...my promise that I would be back blogging soon in April didn't really come true. Anyway, I feel inspired to do so today by having been awakened this morning by a text from David Linden and an e-mail to my Blackberry from Anne McLaughlin to inform me that David Marshall is resigning as the Labour MP for Glasgow East.

Most unexpected and quite exciting news. Of course, this has still to be definitely confirmed but if and when it is, we can look forward to a summer of campaiging in Glasgow's east end. The result in the constituency last time was a fairly overwhelming Labour victory, but in the current climate I am confident that the SNP can poll very well in any by-election there.

However, expect there to be two by-elections on the same day should this contest in Glasgow East come to pass. I would imagine that the Labour Party will take advantage of this to sort a by-election for Motherwell and Wishaw to run concurrently with any Glasgow East poll and to allow Jack McConnell to head off for his new job in Malawi.

Anyway, as exciting as this all is, if the news being reported on the BBC this morning that Wendy is for the off, then expect the Glasgow East by-election to not quite dominate tomorrow's headlines as it might otherwise.