2008 Glasgow East by-election

2008 UK Parliamentary by-election April 2025 November 2013 2008 Glasgow East by-election parliamentary United Kingdom Glasgow East parliamentary seat no 2005 United Kingdom general election 2005 2010 United Kingdom general election 2010 24 July 2008 42.25% John Mason File:John Mason MSP (2011).jpg Scottish National Party 11,277 43.1% 26.1% Margaret Curran File:Margaret Curran.jpg Scottish Labour 10,912 41.7% 19.0% Davena Rankin Conservative Party (UK) Scottish Conservatives 1,639 6.3% 0.6% MP Subsequent MP David Marshall Scottish Labour John Mason Scottish National Party A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Glasgow East was held on 24 July 2008, triggered by the resignation of incumbent Labour Party MP David Marshall, who stood down on health grounds. It was won by Scottish National Party candidate John Mason, who defeated Labour's Margaret Curran. The election was significant as it was the second safe Labour seat to be contested, and to be lost, since a downturn in political fortunes for the incumbent Labour government under the premiership of Gordon Brown, and was also held in the wake of the resignation of Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander. The seat was the third-safest Labour seat in Scotland, and their 26th safest seat in the UK. Curran subsequently regained the seat for Labour at the 2010 general election. Result 2008 Glasgow East by-electionhttps://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7524550.stm Glasgow East result in full 25 July 2008 BBC News 2008-08-11 Scottish National Party John Mason 11,277 43.1 +26.1 Labour Party (UK) Margaret Curran 10,912 41.7 −19.0 Scottish Conservatives Davena Rankin 1,639 6.3 −0.6 Scottish Liberal Democrats Ian Robertson 915 3.5 −8.3 Scottish Socialist Party Frances Curran 555 2.1 −1.4 Solidarity (Scotland) Tricia McLeish 512 2.0 New Scottish Green Party Eileen Duke 232 0.9 New Independent politician Chris Creighton 67 0.3 New Freedom-4-Choice Hamish Howitt 65 0.2 New 365 1.4 N/A 26,219 42.25 −5.95 Scottish National Party Scottish Labour +22.5 History The Glasgow East constituency was created for the 2005 general election. Its area came from the majority of the Glasgow Baillieston constituency, with the remainder formed from the Glasgow Shettleston constituency. It is one of the most deprived constituencies in the UK, with 30% of the working-age population on unemployment or incapacity benefit and nearly 40% of children growing up in homes where there is no adult in paid employment.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/struggle-for-survival-in-labour-heartland-865816.html Struggle for survival in Labour heartland The Independent 2013-12-06 London Andy McSmith 2008-06-12 4 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180704232003/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/struggle-for-survival-in-labour-heartland-865816.html dead At the 2005 general election, the new Glasgow East seat was Labour's 26th safest seat in terms of percentage majority, and within Scotland, the seat at which it received its second-highest share of the vote.http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2005/rp05-033.pdf Research Paper 05/53: General Election 2005 Mellows-Facer Adam 2006-03-10 House of Commons Library Parliament of the United Kingdom 2008-07-10 23 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100423150147/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2005/rp05-033.pdf dead At the 2005 general election, Labour defeated the Scottish National Party by a majority of 13,507 votes, who beat the Liberal Democrats to third place by 1,603 votes. Prior to his 2005 win at Glasgow East, Marshall had continually held the predecessor seat of Glasgow Shettleston since 1979. Shettleston had been held continuously by previous Labour Party members since an Independent Labour Party member defected to Labour in 1947. The Glasgow Baillieston constituency, and its predecessor seat Glasgow Provan, had always returned Labour MPs since its creation in 1955. At the 2007 Scottish parliamentary election, Labour lost power to the SNP, who formed a minority government. At this election, the SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon won the neighbouring Glasgow Govan Scottish Parliament constituency with a swing from Labour of 10.7%, while all other Glasgow constituencies remained in Labour control. On 28 June 2008, Marshall informed local party leaders that he would be stepping down on medical advice, after 10 weeks of sick leave from the House of Commons. On 30 June 2008 Marshall accepted the post of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead,http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2008/press_67_08.cfm Treasury Press Release 2008-06-30 2008-07-01 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080723054752/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2008/press_67_08.cfm 23 July 2008 a device allowing him in effect to resign as an MP, triggering the by-electionhttps://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/scotland_politics/7481746.stm By-election looms after MP quits BBC News 2008-06-30 2008-06-30 Political situation The election gained attention throughout the UK due to worsening results for Labour during 2008. The Daily Record had asserted that if Labour lost the by-election, further pressure would be heaped on Gordon Brown.https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/06/28/gordon-brown-faces-by-election-test-as-veteran-scots-mp-david-marshal-quits-over-illness-86908-20624177/ Gordon Brown faces by-election test as veteran Scots MP David Marshal quits over illness The Daily Record 2008-06-28 2008-06-28 The by-election followed a run of poor results since May, in the Crewe and Nantwich and Henley by-elections in England, English and Welsh local elections and losing the London mayoralty. By the end of May, Labour had registered its worst ever independent opinion poll result since records began in 1943, of 23%.Jeremy Lovell Brown hit by worst party rating http://uk.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUKL2944559620080530 https://web.archive.org/web/20081225140038/http://uk.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUKL2944559620080530 dead 25 December 2008 Reuters London 2008-05-30 2008-06-28 Labour also declined to field a candidate in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in England 14 days previously, fought over a recent controversial government anti-terrorism bill. The by-election also came within days of the controversial resignation of the Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, with voting for a replacement not taking place before polling.BBC News Q&A: Labour leadership election, 30 June 2008BBC News Gordon eyes Labour leadership bid, 1 July 2008 Turnout is usually lower in by-elections; at the previous general election turnout was 48% but was down just under 6% at 42.25%. Voter share was likely to have been distributed differently, with nine candidates standing for this election, compared to five in 2005. Turnout was higher than expected, despite the election being held during the school holidays, and during a traditional Glasgow holiday period. In a Scotland-wide opinion poll of Westminster voting intentions, released on 11 July, the SNP was on 33%, with Labour on 29%, Conservatives on 20% Lib Dem on 14%. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/jul/11/glasgoweast.byelections1 Blow for Labour in Glasgow East as poll gives SNP 4% lead in Scotland 2008-07-12 2008-07-11 The Guardian London Hélène Mulholland However, in an opinion poll conducted solely within the Glasgow East constituency, released on 12 July, Labour led on 47%, SNP on 33%, Liberal Democrats on 9% and the Conservatives on 7%.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/2298611/Labour-on-course-for-victory-in-Glasgow-East.html Labour on course for victory in Glasgow East 2008-07-12 2008-07-12 The Daily Telegraph London https://web.archive.org/web/20080715013515/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/2298611/Labour-on-course-for-victory-in-Glasgow-East.html 15 July 2008 dead Candidates When nominations closed, there were nine candidates. The SNP chose John Mason,http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/Council_Committees/Councillors/CouncillorsBiography/bio48.htm Councillor John Mason, Leader of the Opposition a longtime resident of the constituency, and leader of the opposition on Glasgow City Council. The Labour Party had some difficulty finding a candidate. The most likely initial choice, local councillor George Ryan, failed to attend a selection meeting.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/scotland_politics/7491181.stm Labour man quits by-election race 2008-07-05 BBC News 2008-07-05 The position was then offered to Steven Purcell, the Labour leader of Glasgow council, then Lesley Quinn and Frank McAveety, the party's general secretary and the MSP for Glasgow Shettleston respectively, but all turned it down .http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Is-the-writing-on-the.4261110.jp Is the writing on the wall for Labour in Glasgow? "The Scotsman" 2008-07-07 The position was eventually accepted by fifth-choice candidate Margaret Curran, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston, on 7 July.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7493978.stm Curran takes on by-election fight BBC News 2008-07-07 2008-07-07 The Green Party selected Eileen Duke, a retired GP and co-convenor of the party's local branch, on 5 July.http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/726266 Brown's job on the line in Glasgow East by-election Press and Journal Aberdeen Journals 2008-07-07 2008-07-07 The Scottish Socialist Party stood Frances Curran, a former MSP who originally came from the east end of Glasgow. Solidarity stood Tricia McLeish, a trade union activist who lived in the constituency. Howitt stood under the label "Freedom-4-Choice", a minor party of his own creation, having stood under the same title in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election.http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=696&frmType=partydetail https://web.archive.org/web/20080720050518/http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=696&frmType=partydetail dead 20 July 2008 Freedom-4-Choice party registration 2006-09-06 Register of political parties Electoral Commission 2008-07-09 Aftermath Leaked diplomatic cables later disclosed that senior US diplomats perceived Gordon Brown to be "finished" following the result.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11914040 At a glance: Wikileaks cables 2010-12-08 2010-12-08 BBC News London Curran would subsequently defeat Mason and regain the seat for Labour in the 2010 general election with a majority of almost 12,000,https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics-news/election/election-2010-news/2010/05/07/election-2010-labour-regain-glasgow-east-from-snp-two-years-after-by-election-shock-86908-22240006/ Election 2010: Labour regain Glasgow East from SNP two years after by-election shock 7 May 2010 The Daily Record 25 January 2011https://www.theguardian.com/politics/constituency/959/glasgow-east Glasgow East: Constituency The Guardian 2013-12-06 only to be defeated herself by the SNP in 2015. 2005 UK election result The seat was created at the 2005 election. General election 2005: Glasgow Easthttps://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/701.stm Election 2005 Result: Glasgow East 2005-05-23 BBC News 2008-07-03 Scottish Labour David Marshall 18,775 60.7 -3.0 Scottish National Party Lachlan McNeill 5,268 17.0 -0.1 Scottish Liberal Democrats David Jackson 3,665 11.8 +6.0 Scottish Conservatives Carl Thomson 2,135 6.9 +0.8 Scottish Socialist Party George Savage 1,096 3.5 -3.4 13,507 43.7 -2.9 30,939 48.2 Labour Party (UK) References External links Scottish Elections Between 1997 and present Election leaflets from the by-election campaign Category:2008 elections in the United Kingdom Category:2008 in Scotland 2008 Glasgow E Category:July 2008 in the United Kingdom Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Glasgow constituencies Category:2000s in Glasgow