The alternative campaign team

In the Liberal Democrats we have traditions, traditions that go back years.

One of the traditions in by-elections is naming the campaign team;

So, at the back in charge of catering is Margaret (the fridge), then there's the clerical team Stacey (the stuffer), Tracey (the tri-fold) and Dorothy (folding machine).

On the computers we have Alvin, Simon and Theodore.

On the printing we have Hamish, Rosie and Jim and then there's pos, but we don't talk about him really :-)

But on a serious note, we opened the office at 5am and we are well under way now with tons of people and leaflets out on the streets of Glasgow East - good luck and thank you team.
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Eve of poll in Glasgow East

Final team talk today going through the final leaflets - yes plural - leaflets, and then the count and the whole package.

Whatever the result, we did well, and I'm proud of my team.

SNP are getting desparate, Cllr Mason is rarely left on his own now, smug "I'm a star Salmond" is always with him so if bizarrely he did win, he will be just a puppet in Westminster and trust me, there's enough of them already there in the Tories and Labour.

And as for Annabel Goldie from the lycra Tories oh my lordie, listen to First Ministers Questions, talk about Salmonds little helpers!

So, what will be will be, but I hope the winner is the voters and fantastic residents of Glasgow East, thanks for letting me and my team in and looking after us, we appreciated you.
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Oh my god the arrogance of the man!

Today we were visited by yet more Westminster based journalists but the award for finding the old arrogant Alex Salmond under the new gloss and teflon coating was Ann Treneman from The Times.

Salmond got out the car early so the journalists had to run towards him - absolutely pathetic.

Second, and even worse Ann suggested to him he was a bit of star - oh my god - read the piece to find his reply to Ann.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4380864.ece

Salmond you are soooo out of touch!
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Edinburgh at night

Well firstly, that's not what you were expecting at the moment was it readers?

Hehe, me neither.

But as my train from Glasgow pulled into Edinburgh Waverley and I wandered through the deserted station, all of a sudden the two policemen shot off like they were in the Olympic Games - 100 metre sprint - to arrest two drunks fighting.

Anyhow, I digress. As I walked up the ramp what struck me was Edinburgh Castle lit up, it looked awesome.

I'm now on the 8am train to Glasgow to ensure Ian Robertsons messages are relayed to the good people of Glasgow East.

Ian, being the local candidate, born and bred there is a fantastic guy, and I'm not just saying that as I'm his Agent, I'm saying because its true.

On Thursday local people have an alternative in Ian to the gaffe prown Labour MSP, who's had 8 years to do something already about the problems and has failed to do so and the SNP Councillor who has also had years to do something about the problems but feels splitting the UK up is a much better use of his time. How out of touch? Extremely!

Anyway I'm enjoying the train journey back to Glasgow in the beautiful sunshine so if you've nothing to do, get yourself over to Shettleston.
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Glasgow East by-election

Another good performance by Ian Robertson, he's born and bred in the East End so knows it well.

Today in The Sun Ian scored 9/10 on his performance at the PCS hustings, which the Labour candidate had to leave for another engagement - bizarre.

The Tories are bringing Thatchers "children" old MPs round, like IDS and Hague, and they look so out of palce in the community.

The SNP literature is bizarre to say the least, it appears they've given up already and are admitting defeat.

But, they say a weeks a long time in politics so let's see what happens!
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I made it..........just

Well, despite Virgins best efforts to ruin my journey, I've made my connection at York.

Now onwards to Micklefield, and then a cab journey to Selby Fork
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Train delays

I guessed last night as Amy and I were turfed off the 21.30 train from Glasgow at Linlithgow that the cancellations and problems would transfer to this morning.

Despite having 6 hours (more than I got in sleep) to move trains around and get them in the right place the 6.05am that I'm catching to York is now at least 15 minutes late.

If it had been on time I had 28 minutes at York to change so every minute counts here Richard Branson!

Why having had 6 hours to plan was it not sorted?

On the positive side, if there is such a thing with train delays, the replacement bus was at Linlithgow within 10 minutes last night, something South Eastern trains could never have managed in a million years!

Its now 6.12am and no sign of the Virgin train leaving platform 8 in 3 minutes.
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Glasgow East - we have kicked off

Initially this was looking like a two horse race between the Labour (we're in meltdown) Party and the SNP, but bizarrely it is now looking like it could be between the SNP and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Labour have selected their 3rd choice, 4th choice or 7th choice candidate (dependent on which newspaper you read), Margaret Curran who is reported to have said she will only be part time!!

That is utterley appalling if true, Glasgow East needs a full time hardworking MP standing up for them in Westminster.

That is why the Scottish Liberal Democrats have placed their faith in Ian Robertson, who is a born and bred East End lad, although now 30 not so much of a lad but all the same he is as local as local can be. His family still lives in the local area.

The putting up of boards on lamposts is a new phenomanon for me but all four of the main parties have now started so it adds another visula dimension that I can get competitive about.

Anyway, get yourselves over to Glasgow East and give us a hand.

Glasgow

I'd already visited Glasgow years ago and had been over to see Katy Gordon in one of our top target seats, Glasgow North last Friday, preparing for a training day this coming Saturday.

So, the news alert at 1am Saturday informing me about the Telegraph story just meant I'm spending more time in Glasgow.

We select our candidate this evening so watch this space!

Don't forget to keep the pressure up on Heinz to get the kiss back on air.
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