Labour's latest problem in Glasgow East
James Forsyth 8:56am
After an embarrassingly drawn out selection process with potential candidates dropping out or refusing Prime Ministerial entreaties to enter the fray, Labour has a candidate in Glasgow East, Margaret Curran who is currently a Glasgow MSP. But there’s a problem: she’s not the only Curran in the race. There is also a Frances Curran who is standing for the Scottish Socialist Party. Just to compound the problem for Labour, Frances’s name will appear ahead of Margaret’s on the ballot paper.
If this by-election turns out to be a close run affair, the votes lost to Labour by this confusion could cost it the seat; The Times reports that at the last Scottish Parliament election there were an above average number of spoilt ballot papers in part of the constituency. Gordon Brown would never have made general in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army.
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Comments
Joe Blogs
July 9th, 2008 9:25amTee hee, you couldn't make it up!
Unfortunately, there might just be people who look down the list of parties and stick their cross next to "Labour".
Disraeli's Ghost
July 9th, 2008 9:43amSame colours too
Nick
July 9th, 2008 9:57amNapoleon liked generals who were lucky. Whatever Cyclops is it isn't lucky.
Ben Elford
July 9th, 2008 9:59amClearly, this calls for a special ballot paper to be produced with only one name on it, to save confusion. If that's not possible under existing equality legislation, why not introduce an emergency measure?
Notting Hill Billy
July 9th, 2008 9:59amDo they know up there, that Labour aren't socialists anymore?
Mike, Brighton
July 9th, 2008 10:04amWhat else can go wrong? I shudder to think ....
William
July 9th, 2008 10:11amCouple of quotes from John Mason, the SNP candidate -
"There is no such thing as Britain or British. I am Scottish, never British. My goal in my political life is to bring Britain to an end."
"One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter."
John
July 9th, 2008 1:06pmBen, please don't. They may well take you up on it. They have done just about everything else.
cuffleyburgers
July 9th, 2008 4:11pmMr Brown would never have made General in anybody's army.
He's an indecisive coward and not capable intellectually of organising a piss up in a brewery, and has no man management skills what ever.
The quality of the leadership in the army is far above anything we see in parliament, and most of the cock ups we read about are caused by politicians interfering, as are a substantial proportion of deaths.
Craig Strachan
July 9th, 2008 4:11pmSNP candidate John Mason.
Will Celtic supporters vote for a Mason? Even one who is a dead ringer for Elton John?