UK NEWS

LABOUR FACING UP TO BIGGEST BATTLE IN HISTORY

HOT TOPIC: Margaret Curran may enter running to be the new Scottish Labour leader

Sunday June 1,2008

By Kerry Gill Scottish Political Editor

THE battle for Glasgow East could prove to be the most hotly contested by-election in Scottish political history.

SNP activists were last night readying themselves for the Herculean task of winning one of Labour’s safest seats in Britain and overturning a Labour majority of more than 13,500.

As the constituency MP, David Marshall, yesterday formally resigned from the Commons, an SNP spokesman said: “We will need a swing of 22 per cent to oust Labour from Glasgow East, but with them being so deeply unpopular, anything is possible.

“Over a year ago, to talk of us winning a seat in Labour’s heartland would have seemed unimaginable. That people are even saying the SNP has a chance is a remarkable demonstration on how far the party has come.”

The Nationalists are expected to name their candidate – most likely a local figure – by this weekend. A loss, or even a serious erosion of the Labour vote, would put yet more pressure on Gordon Brown, already reeling after his party’s major defeats at Crewe and Nantwich, and at Henley, where Labour were beaten by the Greens and the BNP.

The SNP’s strategy in Glasgow East will be to concentrate on local issues, and to stress the damage that Labour has wreaked on one of the UK’s poorest constituencies in its decades of local power.

Meanwhile Labour MSP Margaret Curran has said she is actively considering whether or not to enter the race to succeed Wendy Alexander as Scottish Labour leader. Alexander resigned amid the on-going row about donations to her leadership campaign.

Former minister Ms Curran said she had been urged to stand by party members, but refused to rule the move in or out.

Ms Curran, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and currently Scott-ish Labour health spokes-woman, has been tipped as one of the front-runners to take the party forward, along with former health minister Andy Kerr and East Lothian MSP Iain Gray. The party’s Deputy Leader, Cathy Jamieson, said at the weekend she had not ruled out standing.

Speaking as she visited an ambulance depot in Glasgow, Ms Curran, said: “I have received representations from party members throughout the country to think about it and it’s under active consideration.”

The SNP said it was not worried about who succeeded Wendy Alexander.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said Scottish Labour was in turmoil and rival factions were “fighting like ferrets in a sack”.