Comments on: Labour recovery in latest Populus poll

By: billy

billy — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:37:23 +0000

‘Labour’ have insulted the Scot.electorate far too long. I am
amazed that they have the temerity to even walk through the
East End of Glasgow without noticing the delapidation and
dereliction after decades of ‘Labour’ control. Not too many
of their m p’s look as though they need a feed – no surpise
considering the expenses they have claimed (and been paid)
OUR MONEY ! They are the people who castigate ‘profit’
and ’success’ while blatantly kidding their constituents that
they have their interests at heart – now the chips are down
we’ll see them scuttling for the undergrowth (with bulging
pockets) with little or no thought for the poor east enders
left behind to battle on to make ends meet despite decades
of wonderful ‘Labour’ control. I rest my case.

By: Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP)

Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:04:17 +0000

Anthony,

I am going down on Saturday so by Sunday night I should be posting on the Glasgow East page, my impressions of how it is going.

Peter.

By: Anthony Wells

Anthony Wells — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:01:26 +0000

Maybe not – electoral politics in Scotland isn’t my forte, let along in Glasgow. I’m seeing more comments from people now that Labour are likely to hang on – I’m really not in a position to know (and I’d be surprised if we got any Glasgow East polls – areas of extreme social exclusion like that are probably not easy to poll!)

By: John B Dick

John B Dick — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:48:04 +0000

Anthony:

“The problem for Gordon Brown is, of course, that unless he manages to hold Glasgow East any nascent recovery is going to be wiped out by another huge by-election loss.”

I’m trying hard, every day, to get my mind round the concept that Labour can lose in Shettleston and Easterhouse. It is one of the few remaining constituencies where voting is tribal.

If they do indeed lose, and especially if they win by only a very small margin, those who are either in denial themselves or are disingenuously put up to publicly deny will dismiss it as a “protest vote” and “only” a bye-election, and indeed the seat may well revert to Labour at the GE.

Even so, that would be a portent of huge significance for the future of the Labour party either as a potential party of Government, in the short term in FPTP England, (aka Britain) and far longer in the crowded Scottish 6/7+ party spectrum of the PR parliament in an independent Scotland in which they will be contenders for coalition minor party status with the Greens, LibDems, Conservatives and Socialists.

Their ranking among these others depends firstly on numbers but otherwise, as the most recent failed party of government, their place is the one the Conservatives would vacate as the least attractive partner of all.

It is hard to believe that it could come to that, considering Scotland’s contribution to the early history of the Labour party, but if they can manage to lose in Glasgow East of all places then I for one will accept that they will not be in government in Scotland for decades and some other party of the left will replace the failed brand.

It can’t possibly be as bad as that.

Can it?

By: john t t

john t t — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:02:26 +0000

“You can lead a horticulture but you can’t make her think”

- Dorothy Parker

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:10:51 +0000

“I want to lead a government humble enough to know its place ”

-Gordon Brown

By: Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP)

Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:49:23 +0000

We better stop this now there is no telling where it will lead….

Peter.

By: john t t

john t t — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:46:53 +0000

Peter and Thomas – Not much fun if some-one’s sold the lead from off your roof when the sun was shining either.

By: Mal

Mal — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:02:10 +0000

Adrian,

Whether you like it or not, Labour are in Government and following a string of u/s leaders the Tories are still in opposition. I see there is at last a policy today……they will pay us to recycle……perhaps they will comment tomorrow on what to do with the food we waste…..why not try pig bins !!!!

They will have to do a bit better than this sort of guff, why do they not tell us how the Cameron is going to put it all right ?

By: Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP)

Cllr Peter Cairns (SNP) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:35:05 +0000

Thomas,

It’s worth even less if there’s no plug at the end of it.

Peter.