Two Communities: Springburn and Kirkintilloch - A Chronicle of Glasgow Overspill
The Big Dollop (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
. The good people of Springburn in Glasgow went to the polls yesterday to elect an MP in a by-election for the Glasgow North East constituency brokered by the resignation of the then speaker of the House of Commons – Michael Martin. The by election was as it turned out, a forgone conclusion when the labour candidate Willie Bain was elected with what on paper would seem to indicate a handsome...
SNP Tactical Voting (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
The Glasgow North East by-election is all over and let's be honest, it wisnae a 'brammer' as promised. But, on reflection, the sight of Willie Bain MP with 58% of the vote is really not something to be too despondent about. For a start, Labour ran a dastardly campaign. Fair play to them but they won't be able to pull off avoiding the big issues in a national debate and talking about who was born where...
Yapping Yousuf (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
An absolutely excellent result for Labour with an absolutely cracking majority of 8111, almost as Michael Martin got in 2005 with a lower turnout. Phenomenal. We actually increased our share of a vote and in a westminster by election in a recession at the end of a third term of a Labour Government there was a swing from the SNP to Labour! Needless to say after more than 12 hours of straight campaigning...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Film buffs in the soft south know more than they realise about Glasgow North East. Criminologists know more than they would like to. So do poverty analysts and critics of the former Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, whose enforced resignation triggered the contest in this traditional Labour stronghold. Home to Barlinnie, Scotland's largest prison, it remains close to the top of many indices of deprivation,...
Labourlist (Free subscription) | 10/11/2009
The Amanjit Jhund NHS Column I’ve been up in my home town of Glasgow this weekend visiting my parents and I took the opportunity to help out on Willie Bain ’s campaign for the Glasgow North East by-election. I haven’t been back to this area of Glasgow in over a decade and it's a very different place to the one that I remember. Back in secondary school when I was about 15 years old...
Political News from Scotland (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009
The decision of the voters in Glasgow North East will have long lasting implications for the cause of Scottish independence. Glasgow can do better than Labour's Baron Springburn and the SNP deserve their chance to represent the constituency at the UK parliament. Scotland's party puts Scotland first and a vision of a free and independent country is a lot bettter than sticking with failed bankrupt
Independence Cymru (Free subscription) | 07/11/2009
The candidates who will contest the Glasgow North East by-election are: Charlie Baillie, British National Party Willie Bain, Scottish Labour Party Eileen Baxendale, Scottish Liberal Democrats Mev Brown, Independent Colin Campbell, The Individuals Labour and Tory (TILT) Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist David Doherty, Scottish Green Party Mikey Hughes David Kerr, Scottish National Party...
The Daily (Maybe) (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
I'm very happy that David Doherty, the Green candidate in the Glasgow North East by-election, has agreed to do a quick interview with The Daily (Maybe). You mentioned in your opening statement that housing is one of the key issues in Glasgow and you're on the board of a building renovation charity. What are your top priorities when it comes to this issue that's clearly close to your heart? Having seen...
Andrew Reeves' running blog (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
Nominations closed yesterday for the Glasgow North East by-election with a mammoth 13 candidates, who in alphabetical order are; Charlie Baillie, British National Party Willie Bain, Labour Eileen Baxendale, Liberal Democrats Mev Brown, independent Colin Campbell, The Individuals Labour and Tory (TILT) Ruth Davidson, Conservative David Doherty, Green Party Mikey Hughes David Kerr, SNP Louise McDaid,...
Dave's Part (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
NOW that the Gorbals has been demolished, No Mean City clearly needs a successor, and Glasgow North East fits the bill just nicely. This place is poor; in your face, 40% below the poverty line, smack addicts congregating in the shopping centre, poor. Things have pretty much always been that way, of course. One hundred years ago, Springburn was the site of the largest workhouse in Scotland. A century...
Lancaster Unity (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
Nick Griffin milking as much publicity as he can from the BNP's donation to FEBA, the veteran's charity set up by Tommy Moffat (right) The previous week, Nick Griffin had braved death threats, run the gauntlet of rioting protesters outside BBC studios and been heckled by a baying crowd during his appearance on Question Time. But even for a hardened neo-fascist, it appears the streets of north-east...
Andrew Reeves' running blog (Free subscription) | 28/10/2009
So, where the English failed at the Question Time event, the Scots stopped Nick Griffin appearing with his racist candidate, Charlie Baillie standing in the Glasgow North East by-election. Nick Griffin was due with Charlie at the Springburn Shopping Centre today to meet people in Glasgow North East, thankfully for them Nick Griffin was "held up" after being pelted with eggs by a crowd of...
Advanced Media Watch (Free subscription) | 25/10/2009
Tuesday 27th October 1931 was the last time Springburn (Now Glasgow North East) elected a non Labour MP. He was Conservative Charles Ernest George Campbell Emmott winning 47.2% of the vote to Labours George Hardie taking 47% of the vote. 4 years later the mighty Springburn was to fall to Labour and ever since they have held onto the constituency winning upwards of almost 80% in by-gone elections. Springburn...
Yapping Yousuf (Free subscription) | 17/10/2009
I've been meaning to blog about the SNP conference and there is plenty to talk about. There is the Scottish Futures Trust getting criticised again, Fiona Hyslop basically standing up and admitting she has failed, Alex Salmond saying that Scotland was never closer to independence and of course the new 'vote SNP just in case there is a hung parliament' strategy. Sadly there will be no time for that today...
Cllr Fraser Macpherson (Free subscription) | 16/10/2009
Yesterday I was in Springburn, Glasgow to launch our campaign for the Glasgow North East by-election. Polling day is on 12th November and our candidate Eileen Baxendale has already been working hard for many weeks. Eileen has made a commitment to make personal face-to-face contact with as many voters as possible. The constituency will benefit from her years of experience as a councillor and community...
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