We will be collecting as many leaflets as possible during the 2010 General Election and adding them to our archive website after the campaigning is over.

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Any leaflets we get during the campaign will be added to
The Straight Choice website to save duplication.

We will be using this Blog to list links to candidate's websites so that people can keep up with what is happening in their area.

Labour majority 8,111

Conservatives look to have come 3rd with the BNP in 4th with a lost deposit.
Tommy Sheridan is in 5th place.

Turnout is about 33% which is a record low for Scotland.

It is looking like a Labour - SNP - BNP 1,2,3 with the BNP saving their deposit for the first time in Scotland.

One more thing about the turnout, the record low before tonight was in Falkirk West in 2000, when the SNP candidate was again David Kerr.

From - Son of Schism Schasm

Glasgow North East Electorate- for whom shall we vote?

1) Let's agree that we will vote for someone. Not voting isn't a protest, in exactly the same way as simply not showing up for work isn't the same as going on strike. The only message you send is that of indolence.

2) And let's also agree that we won't vote for the hateful, moronic racist pictured above. Again, a vote for the BNP isn't a protest or expression of disillusionment. The other big parties don't care about us? Well, neither do they. They don't have to. The BNP know they can't win and aren't pretending they will. Their stated aim is third place in this by-election. Why? Because accepting that they cannot and never will govern anything, they prefer the louder, less responsible role of ascendant common sense alternative to "politically correct madness". A respectable showing in an election outside of their English heartlands would feed that narrative. Don't buy into it; the BNP received less votes in the 09 Euro elections than four years previous. Their two victories were down to extraordinarily low voter turnout, not a swell of support. Deny these dribbling fools further oxygen.

3) Is Glasgow being "ripped off"? No more and no less than usual. Let's not vote Labour in a Westminster election even if we're pissed off about decisions taken by the SNP at Holyrood and hold our fire until 2011. And let's not vote SNP just because we want to "send a message" to the Labour government in Westminster. For all Alex Salmond's speculation about a rump of SNP MPs holding the balance of power in a hung parliament, Scottish MPs generally and SNP ones especially will be utterly ignored by a David Cameron government, even one with a small minority. Their English base feel hard-done by after a decade of governance that they perceive as having been by Celts, for Celts. To concede an inch to any Scottish demands just won't play to the Tunbridge Wells WI.

4) Indeed, if we really want to spook Labour then we should vote for the Conservatives. Ruth Davidson is arguably the most impressive of the candidates. But we won't, because... Well... She's a Tory. Brrr.

5) Let's not vote for Tommy Sheridan. He's very likely to be in jail before the general election. Turnout in another by-election between now and then would be so poor as to risk the nightmare scenario at 2.

6) Let's not vote for Kevin McVey or Louise McDaid. We may agree with their principles but until the Left can get their act together and present a united front they'll be using water pistols to fight house fires.

7) We won't vote for Mev Brown, Colin Campbell, Mikey Hughes or John Smeaton, for obvious reasons.

8) Two boxes left. Should we vote for Eileen Baxendale? Maybe... Ideas like raising the income tax threshold to £10k would help every family in the constituency. But the Lib Dems have been exhibiting entirely too much of their old disease of late. They are clearly riven over the issue of the UK's future and this may well be the undoing of the party in Scotland.

9) Let's vote David Doherty. He's the most prematurely aged twenty four year old I've ever seen, but sending a child (pure, unsullied, a bit scared) to Westminster would seem appropriate after decades of grey, corpulent, over-comfortable Labour representation (to think there was a time when our MP was Keir Hardie's brother). And as an added bonus he's from the only party whose principles are compatible with a future in which elections, not not hand-to-hand combat over half-empty petrol cans, are still the mechanism that shapes society.

Willie Bain will still win tomorrow night, but, despite his lousy campaign and because of sentimentality, witlessness and inertia. Yah, us.

The Herald
The Glasgow North East by-election candidates yesterday made a frantic last push for votes, amid fears of an appallingly low turnout.

With heavy rain forecast for later today, and turnout only 21% at June's European election, all sides urged their supporters to make an effort and go to the polls.

Party officials estimate turnout could be as low as 25%, with 35% on the optimistic side.

Anything below 19% would be a UK record.

A low poll could benefit the far-right British National Party, which hopes to save its deposit for the first time in a Scottish election.

It could also bring an upset within reach of the SNP.

Candidate David Kerr admitted he was still trailing Labour's Willie Bain, but said a last-minute swing meant victory was possible. "We're probably two-nil down with 20 minutes to go in the game," he said, while leafleting with Alex Salmond on Alexandra Parade.

"That means we've got a chance going into polling day, and hopefully we've got a good chance."

The First Minister echoed the comments, but stopped short of predicting a win: "I think the ground is shifting substantially towards us and we are fighting it to the wire."

Labour, who have grown increasingly confident of victory over the five-month campaign, showed no sign of tremors, but also appealed for their supporters to turn out, not just sit back until the General Election.

Knocking doors on the Carron estate where he grew up, Bain said: "This election is going to be close and I will be fighting for every vote to ensure we have a local voice to stand up for our area."

Campaigning alongside him, Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, said a high turnout would help prevent a BNP breakthrough.

"The constituents of Glasgow North East have an opportunity to stand together and reject the politics of division and hatred. That's one of the main reasons I hope people turn out and vote."

Earlier in the day, the transvestite stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard dropped into Labour's Campaign HQ to lend Bain support.

The pair met earlier in the year while Izzard ran around Britain for charity.

It was an unusual last day of campaigning.

In a subdued start, the four main candidates paused to observe a two minutes' silence for Armistice Day at the Auchinairn War Memorial.

The focus on turnout then meant their standard campaign messages - the SNP's attack on 74 years of Labour inaction, and Labour's claim the SNP is "ripping off" Glasgow - took a back seat.

The clear sense of a two-horse race also allowed the Tories and LibDems to indulge in some eve-of-poll stunts.

Conservative Ruth Davidson risked "crash and burn" headlines by flying a remote-control model plane bearing her name over Springburn Park.

She claimed to have converted "countless" voters on the doorstep to her cause, but chairman Eric Pickles admitted the party still had "a high mountain to climb" north of the border.

Meanwhile, LibDem leader Tavish Scott and his accident-prone candidate Eileen Baxendale, who again forgot her boss's name, helped wash cars at a business start-up on Balmore Road.

Asked what policy she was trying to illustrate, she said: "That we need people to have the opportunity to come into small businesses … oh, I'm waffling, can I start again?"

Next to the carwash was a scrapyard.

By the end of today, it is likely Ms Baxendale will be sent to it.

scotsman
LABOUR's success in Scotland has been based on the "uncritical, blind-thinking" support of people in low-income seats like Glasgow North East, George Galloway has claimed.

In comments which Labour described as "an insult" to Glaswegians, the Respect MP said victory for his former party in tomorrow's by-election would see "the waters close" back over the largely poor part of the city.

Campaigning for Solidarity leader Tommy Sheridan, Mr Galloway also attacked Labour candidate Willie Bain, claiming the party chose a "Mr Nobody" to stand and mocking Mr Bain for still living with his parents..

Pointing to Scottish Labour MPs, Mr Galloway declared: "They have got fat on the unthinking, uncritical, blind-thinking of people in constituencies like this."

Labour MSPs said they were "horrified" by the comments, while Mr Bain issued a statement to note he lived at home to share caring duties for his housebound mother.

A spokesman added: "Willie Bain has never dressed up in a red Lycra suit and pretended to be a cat on national television. Perhaps Mr Galloway should reflect on that before he insults anyone else."

The row came as Prime Minister Gordon Brown was pressed to say yesterday why voters in Glasgow should back Labour when the gap between the rich and poor had widened during the party's 12 years in office.

Meanwhile, senior Labour sources said privately that they fear the turn-out could be as low as 25 per cent. The lowest previous turn-out for a postwar Scottish by-election was in Glasgow Anniesland in 2000, following the death of Donald Dewar when 38 per cent of voters came out.

Nonetheless, Mr Bain is the odds-on favourite to beat nearest rival, the SNP's David Kerr.

Mr Galloway, who was a Labour MP until his expulsion in 2003, claimed Mr Sheridan was the only candidate who would get the seat noticed.

He said: "Everybody knows the truth of this. The only result possible that would actually make a difference, that would change anything, that would make the political class sit up, would be a victory for Tommy Sheridan. Otherwise it's Tweedledum, Tweedledee or Tweedledum and a half."

If either Labour or the SNP won, he said, "the waters will close over the north-east of Glasgow and nobody will pay a blind bit of notice, and people will be left in the same situation as they are in now".

Turning to Mr Bain, standing for the first time, Mr Galloway said: "He's not even a legend in his own household. He's still living with his mum and dad." He claimed Sheridan was the only experienced candidate. "They (the other candidates] have never faced the kind of real political battles that Tommy Sheridan has."

His comments about Labour's traditional support in Scotland came as the Conservatives and the SNP attacked Labour's record in the constituency.

Glasgow North East has one of the highest rates of social deprivation in western Europe, with nearly a third of working age constituents on benefit.

Figures for September show that the rate of people claiming jobseeker's allowance was 7.1 per cent, or the highest in Scotland. On top of that a further 9,000 people - or one sixth of the working age population - were claiming some form of disability or incapacity benefit. The seat also ranks as one of the worst for crime and smoking in the UK.

Visiting the seat yesterday morning, shadow education secretary Michael Gove said that the Conservatives were serious about wanting to reduce poverty in such areas, to show Scottish voters that "we are a proper one nation party".

Asked why people should continue to vote for Labour in such a seat, Gordon Brown said: "Willie Bain, the candidate, is someone who will fight every inch of the way for every job and for every young person for his constituency".

He went on: "As the local candidate who knows about the area, people have got an enormous amount of faith in our candidate but also in his policy which is to create jobs for people in the Glasgow area."

On Mr Galloway's comments, Patricia Ferguson, Labour MSP for Maryhill, said: "I am horrified that someone would come to the constituency and insult the people who live here, like George Galloway has."

Mr Bain added: "I'm not embarrassed to live in Springburn with my parents. My mum doesn't keep well, and it is a great reassurance to me to be able to make sure she's all right at the end of the day. It also means I can take the weight off my dad's shoulders a bit."

The by-election is being held following the resignation of former Speaker Michael Martin. The result is expected late tomorrow.

Martin Bell OBE visited Glasgow on Saturday 7 November 2009 to support John Smeaton in his campaign for a Westminster seat in the Glasgow North East by-election.

Supporting John's campaign, Martin Bell urged the people of Glasgow North East to 'rise up against the tyranny of the political class' and called for 'an insurrection by the people'.

Martin further said: 'John Smeaton is the epitome of a local hero. Thursday is an opportunity for democracy. We can break the mould.'

During the day, Martin and John were briefed by children's charity Chas and visited Reidvale Adventure Playground, both based in the constituency. They held a meeting at the Corinthian, met local shoppers and independent traders at the Forge Indoor Market and rounded off their day with a visit to Alexandra Parade to meet local football team, East End United, a team which John and the Jury Team have been supporting.

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Dr Colin Campbell BSc (hons), MSc, PhD, CPC, MMSAI, father of three was born and raised near the reputed birthplace of William Wallace, Cochrane Castle, Elderslie, Johnstone in a Glasgow overspill housing estate.

The 58 year old grandson of a lathe operator who turned the prop shafts for the Queen Mary at Wickman Lang, Colin worked around Clydeside at John Browns, Anchor Mills, Rootes Car Plant, The Post Office, Western SMT Buses, University of Glasgow, Euroscot Travel, as a farm worker, on his own small businesses, one on the Broomielaw and in teaching, to make ends meet.

The University of Glasgow honours graduate after gaining a Masters degree worked alongside several Nobel Prize laureates earning little money and a PhD. Interests include education, debt, unemployment, financial terrorism, individuals, children and grandchildren, poetry, literature, sailing, skiing, snowboarding, cycling, motorcycling, origins of man -the universe, art and DIY.

He is currently seeking a new job. Founded the aspiring international individuals TILT Movement based on the influences of Keir Hardie and the first and then three time Labour and Tory supported Prime Minister Ramsey McDonald who accepted no payment for his services in Government.

Alex Salmond has accused Labour of resorting to "desperate" tactics in the Glasgow North East byelection after the Scottish National party's candidate was accused of "fibbing" about where he was born.

Labour has attacked David Kerr for allegedly misrepresenting his place of birth after it emerged that Kerr's campaigning leaflets for two previous Westminster campaigns in Falkirk (SEE THE 2000 LEAFLET) and (THE 2001 LEAFLET) had claimed he had been "born and educated" in Cumbernauld.

Kerr's leaflets for the Glasgow North East campaign (SEE THE 2009 LEAFLET) state he was born in the constituency, a claim Labour has also challenged since Kerr, a BBC journalist and former BBC Scotland Newsnight producer, was actually born in a private Catholic nursing home in Govan, on the other side of the Clyde.

In a sign that the campaign for the seat is getting increasingly bitter and robust, Labour plans to start distributing thousands of leaflets in the area today and full colour news-sheets to all 37,000 homes, accusing Kerr of being "two-faced" and "embarrassed" about his local roots.

Labour, currently favourite to retain the seat vacated by the resignation of former Commons Speaker Michael Martin, has campaigned vigorously on the local credentials of its candidate, Willie Bain, the only one of the 13 candidates for the seat who lives there.

Labour has branded the issue "birthgate" and believes it is the "pivotal gaffe" in the campaign.

Salmond accused Labour of resorting to smear tactics because they feared the SNP was closing the gap on Labour in the last nine days of campaigning before the vote on Thursday 12 November.

Salmond, who joined Kerr to campaign at an Asda superstore in Robroyston at lunchtime, said it was ludicrous for Labour to attack Kerr for being born in a maternity hospital in Govan. His family lived at the time on Duke Street, now on the southern edge of Glasgow North East, and he lived there for two years before the family moved to Cumbernauld.

"This is absolutely not an issue," Salmond said. "This was a mistake made in a campaigning leaflet 10 years ago. It's old stuff and it's not important in the campaign."

He added that Labour knew the SNP campaign was gaining ground. He was "getting increasingly encouraged by this increased support. [I] think that the swing is with the SNP. We are the underdogs, we're still behind and we've still got a gap to close but we're right in there, and I think that's detectable in the desperation that Labour is showing."

Kerr told Newsnight Scotland last night that the claims in his leaflets for the 2000 byelection and 2001 general election campaigns in Falkirk were the fault of an "overenthusiastic leaflet writer", which were "quickly corrected". Labour said the claims about being born in Cumbernauld appeared in three separate leaflets.

Kerr said today Labour's attacks were "remarkable". Labour knew that doorstep canvassing suggested the SNP's support was increasing, he said. "This area has so many important issues facing it, we're trying to run a positive campaign to explain what we can do to enhance the potential of this area, and the Labour party is reduced to one of the silliest campaigns in byelection history."

Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Glasgow South, said: "As every schoolchild knows, when you're caught out fibbing the best thing to is own up and apologise. Instead the SNP candidate has tried a ridiculous 'a big boy did it and ran away' defence, and tried to blame his staff.

"His mystery leaflet-writer must have been very enthusiastic to produce at least three separate leaflets in two different elections. If he cannot tell you the truth about where he was born - what else is he not telling the truth about?"

Bain, a law lecturer and secretary of the local constituency Labour party, has come under pressure over key part of his campaign: Labour has repeatedly raised knife crime and the cancellation of a new Glasgow airport rail link, but neither issue is controlled by Westminster. Bain has retorted that he has also demanded greater efforts from the UK government to increase employment. Nearly a third of adults in Glasgow North East are on benefits and unemployment is near 7%.

The Guardian

These pictures are from a website run by a local resident. The site has some very good caricatures of the candidates, one of which is shown below. CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK


Some of the literature from the Glasgow NE By-election.


Colin Campbell- The Individual Tory & Labour Party (TILT)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined the Glasgow North East by-election campaign trail on Friday to offer his support to Labour candidate Willie Bain.

Mr Brown broke with tradition by visiting the area in the run-up to the crucial voting day.

He knocked on doors and spoke to voters in several streets urging votes for Mr Bain in what could be Labour's last by-election test before a national election.

The Prime Minister also took time away to visit a group of students where he told them his mission was to see job creation for all.

Speaking to students at Langside College of Further Education he said he wanted to see Britain's economy return to high employment "quickly".

"In the past we developed only some of the talents of some of the people," he said.

"The whole purpose of this college, and our policy for education is to develop all of the talents of all of the people."

Accompanied by Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, he continued: "I want to see a situation where not only do we give you new opportunities in education, but we create an economy where there are jobs for all.

"Our mission is not simply to invest more in education as we will do with the new extension to the college. Our mission is to make sure there are jobs in the economy for people once they get the qualifications."

The first £18 million phase of the £36 million redevelopment has recently been completed.

Mr Brown, who visited the college after an invitation from Principal Graeme Hyslop, paid tribute to "a great building, and a great college in a great city".

Meanwhile Mr Brown's wife has already been campaigning in Glasgow North East. The seat was made vacant by the resignation of former Commons Speaker Michael Martin.

It was Mrs Brown's second foray into by-election campaigning. Last year she campaigned in Glenrothes and her husband also paid a short visit to the campaign, in a by-election in which Labour went on to hold the seat.

Holding that seat boosted the morale of Labour after the shock of last June, where it lost the Glasgow East by-election to the SNP in a stunning reversal of fortunes in what had previously been a rock-solid Labour seat.

Neither Mr Brown nor his wife campaigned in Glasgow East - which is next door to Glasgow North East - and Labour said at the time it was customary for Prime Ministers not to take part in such campaigns.

A total of 13 candidates are in the contest, where voters head to the polls next Thursday.

stv.tv

John Smeaton became a worldwide celebrity after tackling one of the Glasgow Airport bombers while working as a baggage handler and famously declared in an interview afterwards: "Glasgow doesn't accept this. This is Glasgow; we'll set aboot ye."

Since the incident, Mr Smeaton said he takes a keen interest in politics. He has retrained in fisheries management.

He was born in Glasgow and his mother worked in the constituency for many years.

The Jury Team, which was founded earlier this year by the former director-general of the Conservative Party, Sir Paul Judge, backs independent candidates who stand for public office.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

Veteran socialist politician and campaigner Tommy Sheridan was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in the poll tax demonstrations of the 1980s and 1990s.

He has served as a councillor and spent two periods in the Scottish Parliament as an MSP.

The 45-year-old was co-convener of the Scottish Socialist Party before leaving to help form Solidarity: Scotland's Socialist Movement.

Mr Sheridan is currently studying law at Strathclyde Law School.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

A veteran of campaigns against the poll tax and school closures, Kevin McVey has pledged to forsake the £64,000 MP's salary if elected.

Mr McVey said he would live on the "average skilled worker's wage".

He was once active in Labour's youth wing, but was expelled from the party in 1989.

He has been a civil service trade union representative for 20 years, and was brought up in the constituency, in Ruchazie.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

Home care organiser Louise McDaid is a long-time workers' rights campaigner with the Socialist Labour Party.

She was previously the party's lead Scottish candidate, in the recent European Parliament election.

Ms McDaid also chairs the Farepak Victims Committee, which was established following the collapse of the Christmas savings and hamper company.

She is a firm opponent of the privatisation of health and education services and believes "that real socialist policies, which represent the best interests of the vast majority of people, are needed to address the economic crisis".

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

Another former BBC journalist, David Kerr, is the SNP's man in Glasgow North East.

The 35-year-old, who holds a family connection and "deep affection" for the area he wants to represent at Westminster, is a former editor of Newsnight Scotland who more recently regularly appeared on Reporting Scotland.

He says he will speak out for communities and against gangs and council cuts for a safer community.

This is Mr Kerr's second crack at a by-election for the SNP, having represented the party in the Falkirk West contest of 2000.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

The 35-year-old former Big Brother runner-up, who is from Ayrshire, is currently working as a presenter for Insight Radio.

Mr Hughes has been blind since an operation went wrong in 1998.

He has said he wants to become "the next David Blunkett", and has pledged to focus on representing those with disabilities, impairments and health problems.

He will not be allowed to broadcast on Insight Radio from 20 October to allow for a fair election.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.

Environmental campaigner David Doherty will stand for the Scottish Greens.

The 24-year-old from Clydebank is convenor of the Dunbartonshire Greens and has campaigned in the Euro elections.

He is on the board of a building renovation charity in Glasgow and has identified housing as a key issue in the constituency.

His interests include cycling, hillwalking and cinema.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE VIDEO.