A bid to call the by-election in former Speaker Michael Martin's Glasgow North East seat was defeated by the Government today in the House of Commons.
MPs voted by 238-127 to move the writ for the by-election when the House returns after the summer.
So, the people of Glasgow North East have already had no MP for one month, and now have at least three more to go. Four months without an MP. The earliest the by-election can be is November 5th, (although more likely to be November 12th) this is absolutely outrageous and plain silly.
Why oh why did Labour not call it for the same day as the Norwich North by-election? Why should the good people of Glasgow North East go without an MP for so long?
SNP Tactical Voting offers an explanation here. Tom Harris MP tweets about it, saying the SNP moaned Glasgow East was in the Summer and now moaning Glasgow North East isn't.
Willie Rennie MP doesn't mention the date, but does talk about the SNP's third candidate.
Why Labour think it is acceptable for people to have no representation for over 5 months I have no idea, only they can tell us the answer.
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It's "Scot Goes Pop Night" over at Wings, as Stew lovingly archives and
annotates *sixty-four* of the finest SGP blogposts of the last six years -
join me on a trip down memory lane as we relive the highs, the lows, the
triumphs, the setbacks, the laughter, the tears, the joy, the despair - and
the renewed hope that Scotland will soon be an independent country
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I very rarely link to Wings posts, but I'm compelled to make an exception
tonight because I'm *profoundly moved by this one*. In order to prove that
he'...
2 comments:
They've had a man in tights for eight years - just how representative of Springburn do you think that is!?
Or, maybe this is a sign - that they have decided on General Election Day. It will, after all, be after Ireland's new referendum won't it? It is possible that Lisbon will have been ratified - or at least we will know whether it will even be possible to ratify it before the last date Brown can call an election.
Last year the SNP complained bitterly about the Glasgow East by-election being held during Glasgow Fair. This year, Norwich North is being held tomorrow - during Glasgow Fair. if the SNP were remotely consistent/principled, they would also have objected to Glasgow North east being held during the Fair.
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