open Democracy News Analysis - SNP win in Glasgow East, Tom Griffin - Comments

sunniva on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

sunniva — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:57:15 +0000

I'm glad Anthony thinks Douglas Alexander is 'old'. I'm nearly twice his age but his brand of politics has always struck me as 'young fogey'.

Scotland has been on the move since the 1970s to anyone with the wit to see it. scotland is growing in confidence. even the east end is getting this wave. the whole rotten labour project was to manage scotland; keep expectations low; paternalism. we want a new brand of politics, free of the old cliches.

i remember when sister wendy first addressed the scottish parliament, over the bill to promote homosexuality in schools, and said: 'this is what the scottish parliament was set up to do' ie carry out labour projects. there was a storm of protest. i have scottish gay friends who were opposed to this; to sexualising children. the protests weren't anti-gay; it was the wisdom of this move that caused furore. but it was passed anyway, by labour's majority. the opportunity to carve out a scottish form of tolerance was suppressed. this is what glasgow east is about, the courage to go our own way.

Alan in Dyfed on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Alan in Dyfed — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:19:36 +0000

Earthquake in Scotland!

Scotland is not prone to earthquakes, but yesterday in Glasgow East the earth moved. Moreover, if the earth moved in Glasgow East, which was the third safest Labour seat in the country, how much more would the earth have moved if there had been a general election? The Scots Nationalists would have gained 50 seats. Imagine..... 50+ Scots Nat. MPs in Westminster. Independence would have been granted on the spot, without more shilly-shallying one would suppose. The people of Scotland have spoken and the message they send to their compatriot (?) Gordon Brown cannot be ignored. We must be thankful for the 365 votes, one for every day of the year, that carried the day.
Scotland will never be the same again, and neither will the British constitution. Yesterday's earthquake has rocked it to its very foundations.

Vindication - We Predicted. He Won!

Independence Cymru predicted "a WIN for John Mason and the SNP" in the Glasgow East By-election, and that he would win "albeit with a small majority" (see this blog link below - "Independence Cymru predicts..."). We asked for a 23% swing and the swing to SNP was 22.54%.
Well, he won, with a small majority, and Alex Salmond's words, that it would be a "political earthquake" have been borne out by the facts. Now, politicians across the United Kingdom must sit up and take notice of the change which is about to sweep away the present constitution, and the growing and insistent call for greater devolution of power leading to independence for the nations of this island of Britain. The people of Glasgow East have shown to the world where their true allegiance lies, and it is with Scotland. No doubt Adam Price, and his merry band of Welsh SNP supporters, helped to make the difference.

anglicus on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

anglicus — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:53:04 +0000

I will be interested to see how the new SNP MP will vote in any bill put before him, i.e. will he side with Liebour or the conmen. If they are indeed set on an independent Scotland then he should not take up his seat. Will he pledge allegiance to The Queen or not. Be upfront about it as Gerry Adams has done.

Things To Do In Glasgow on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Things To Do In Glasgow — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:53:12 +0000

They started singing bye, bye.......

Toque on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Toque — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:15:26 +0000

"Douglas Alexanders credibility is shattered"

Did he ever have any? Wee Doogie always seemed like Brown's biatch to me - his sycophant up in Scotland (for when Darling was unavailable).

Cameron is celebrating his third place - a victory for Britishness? - even though the Tory share of the vote dropped 22%.

Mike S on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Mike S — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:19:38 +0000

I think Anthony makes a good point and the old resistance to voting anything other than Labour has crumbled.
Douglas Alexanders credibility is shattered - people remember that he was responsible for the shambles at the last election.

Anthony Barnett on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Anthony Barnett — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:59:23 +0000

This is not just a protest vote. When the Lib Dems have won by-elections they have sometimes (not always) lost the seat at a subsequent general election suggesting that voters have used their protest elect a candidate who they do not see as representing a party that can come to power. This time, as Tom says, the SNP is in power. It suggests that something quite profound has happened. Whereas in whole areas of Scotland, traditional Labour voters regarded the SNP as beyond the pale in terms of class, competence and nationalism, now they are willing to embrace them in terms of the first two qualifications. The kernel of Labour power north of the border has been shattered from the left. Whether this translates into national independence is another matter, as Wyrdtimes's concern demonstrates. But of course, as we have been debating on OK, the national question is also unfolding south of the border and SNP domination in Holyrood will impact on the balance of power in Westminster. It seems to me that a pro-independence referendum in 2020 rather than 2010 is being won now. Until yesterday I used to think of Douglas Alexander as very young, almost a boy. But age is an odd quality. On the television last night watching the count (I went to bed at the re-count) he felt old and utterly traditional. Knowledgeable and professional, and in that sense impressive, but not a man of the future rather of a figure of the deep order. My feeling was that young, politically interested Scots in their twenties, watching him would feel about him as I once did about Roy Hattersley. Only, there is an alternative - a more radical party that is in power! If indeed the Brown government is acting as a recruiting sergeant for the SNP among young ambitious Scots then independence is on the way, if not not now but over the next 15 years.

Wyrdtimes on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

Wyrdtimes — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:07:37 +0000

Fantastic result.

I just hope the Scots don't bottle it when it comes to a referendum on independence.

wisnaeme on "SNP win in Glasgow East"

wisnaeme — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:33:28 +0000

As a political animal, campaigner and activist, I am delighted at the Glasgow East by election results.

I wish the SNP well and god speed.

I shall be attending the Warwick University conference being held today and from what I have been hearing, Mr Brown's day is not about to get any better.

Some of the union comrades are indeed very restless and today there maybe more grief in store for Mr Brown.
Apparently, some folk are saying difficulties have been smoothed out and the"fix" is in. That might be so but i wouldn't want to put a bet on it.

Poor Mr Brown, his bad news day is not going to get any better. I almost feel his pain, well not quite. Aye well, start the day as it means to go on, ah suppose.

He'll not be getting sympathy from myself.

and maybe i could find an errand and a purpose to be wearing a pair of size ten boots today, figuratively speaking, naturally.

SNP win in Glasgow East, Tom Griffin

Tom Griffin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:53:43 +0000

Tom Griffin (London, The Green Ribbon): The SNP has tonight won the Glasgow East by-election by the narrowest of margins, 365 votes, following a recount.

Underlying the narrow victory, however, was a huge swing of 22.54 per cent, which according to to Professor John Curtice would leave Labour with only 1 MP if it were projected across Scotland. This is not unique in by-election terms, but what is unprecedented is that was achieved by a party that is itself an incumbent Government.

Curtice suggested that the result confirms the SNP's position as the major challenger to Labour in Scotland at the next general election.

Although the Conservatives took third place ahead of the Liberal Democrats, who continued their recent run of poor by-election results, the Tory share of the vote actually fell by one per cent.