Enjoy the trip down memory lane – but you may find that there is a sharp contrast between memory and the current reality.

Of course, Glasgow may not have changed as much as the places where I was born (Basra) or lived until age 12 (Beirut) .

Incidentally – don’t assume that there will in fact be a by-election. The seta does not fall vacant until 21 June, so a by-election could well be defererd until late September, and if Parliament is dissolved beforehand there will not be a by-election (probably Labour’s best hope of retaining that particular seat).

Lab 26%, Tory 18%, Libdem 13%, SNP 38%, Others 5%.

As ever it’s an itsy bitsy sample but the trend looks good for the SNP and fits well with the Notional idea that the Westminster parties are all suffering an smaller and Regional ( in our case national) parties are benefitting.

looking back over the last ten Populus times polls till june of last year the figures are predictably erratic given the samples but do confirm the UKtrend of labour recovering in the autumn only to fall back again since January.

This creates a problem because as I would normally try to see a trend between the last five polls and the five before that in the summer, the peak in the middle that starddles both samples in the autumn cancels any changes out.

Still right now I’d put us ahead and with the Speaker like the raven speaking no more we have a Glasgow By election to look foward to.

Did I mention that Michael Martins seat covers Quarrywood Rd where i was born, and Robroyston Ave where I lived until I left Glasgow aged eleven.

I am looking forward to going back.

Peter.

On average, maybe. But I see few regions exceeding this and we may well see turnout dip below 25% in some entire regions – eg London – where there are no local elections.

Give up this is not a beauty contest. All parties should hang their heads in shame. It is a sad time for those of us who care about politics.

The saintliness of the Lib Dems is purely relative. If you look at the number of LD MPs named as a share of their MPs, then multiply by 3-5 for proper comparison with Con or Lab, then the picture is not very different..

Indeed, it is possible that the LDs may pay a higher electoral price since they have often taken a “holier-than-thou” line on this issue. If there is one thing the electorate don’t like, it is hypocrites.

For all his fine words, Clegg has not yet taken any action over his MPs.

ofcourse the Lib Dems came out of this lightly, they are a small enough party to not be too suseptable to the media, that along with the fact that only 12 lib dem MP’s claiomed for anything like what Conservatives and Labour did, and im sure if any Lib Dem claimed cash to clean out their MOAT they would be under just the same judgful glare, in comparrison, the Lib Dems are saints in this issue comparred to the other mainstream parties.