Glasgow North East: The candidates
An interesting bunch of candidates make up the competition in Michael Martin’s old constituency.
By Ian Dunt
Labour: Local boy Willie Bain, 36, is acting as Labour’s candidate after Michael Martin’s son, Paul, ruled himself out. That being said, he does work part-time in London. A law lecturer and constituency party secretary, this is his first election campaign. His campaign has centred predominantly on knife crime. The party seems to think this is a weak point in the SNP armour.
SNP: The Scottish nationalists are running with David Kerr at the helm after a slippery little episode with former candidate James Dornan saw him withdraw under allegations surrounding his finances. But Kerr, a former BBC journalist, has been having a tough time himself. Claims on his leaflets that he is “Dennistoun-born” are contradicted, opponents say, by his unsuccessful campaign in Falkrik West in 200, when he described himself as being born near Cumbernauld.
Conservatives: The multi-talented Ruth Davidson – a journalist, broadcaster, Territorial Army volunteer and Sunday school teacher – will be running for the Tories. The lesbian candidate is a perfect choice for the Conservatives – charismatic, telegenic and attractive. She will be going toe-to-toe with her former colleague at the BBC, David Kerr. If elected, she promised to never claim on expenses for food, furniture or household goods.
Liberal Democrats: South Lanarkshire councillor Eileen Baxendale will be fronting the Lib Dem campaign. The leadership appears to be playing down expectations after a gaffe-prone campaign.
Jury Team: A bit of a coup, this. The embryonic political party managed to get John Smeaton – something of a national celebrity after he intervened in the attempted Glasgow Airport bombing in 2007, securing invaluable headlines.
SSP: The Scottish Socialist party are putting Kevin McVey, a party organiser, forward.
Solidarity: Attempts to put forward a unity candidate between the Scottish Socialist party and the Scottish Labour party seem to have evaporated, and Solidarity ended up going for good old Tommy Sheridan.
SLP: The Scottish Labour party are putting forward Louise McDaid.
Scottish Green party: David Doherty, an environmental protection graduate, will run for the Greens.
BNP: The British National party has Charlie Baillie as their candidate.
TILT: Colin Campbell will be running for the anti-debt party.
Independents: Former Big Brother housemate Mikey Hughes will be running as an independent, along with Mev Brown, who also worked with the Territorial Army.
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