I'm off to bed a happy man. Ms Curran was more gracious in defeat than I thought she might be and John Mason's victory speech was far too long. It's a shame we didn't get to hear what the other candidates said especially the nice young man who stood for the Limp Dems who once again proved what no hopers they are. The Tories didn't do as well as I thought they might, perhaps because their candidate was a bit weird, although she seemd to be a very pleasant person.

I was on BBC2 for the result and thought Campbell was his usual rude self by deliberately talking over the beginning of John Mason's speech. I was glad Mr Crick (is that his name) joined BBC Scotland's Newsnight lately and taught trash like Campbell how to do the job properly. His demolition of Curran over her predecessor was quite superb. I thought she was gonny nut him!

The biggest disappointment here has been the unprofessional approach of so many in TV politics. People like Campbell, like Crow the other night who gave Curran an easy ride. BBC Scotland and STV need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Let's hope Curran has blown her Leadership hopes as well. Lev gracious isn't a word I would use in relation to her. But make no mistake, her body language leading up to the result was a joy to behold. She was (to use a well ken't Glaswegian term) bealin'! I'd love to be a fly on the wall in her house in the East End, erm, I mean Newlands, when she gets home.

I thought Nicola coped admirably with Douglas Alexander's disgraceful accusations regarding his stupid sister. What a complete donut he looked.

I suppose the press will say, the Labour press, that Labour has been given a kicking but its only a by-election. Let's hope not tho. Let's hope in-roads are finally being made into Labour's domination of Glasgow all these decades and change is truly coming. Well done John Mason. Here! I wonder if he needs a secretary! Think I'll just mail him my CV.

I watched a bit of it on STV. I don't know who the presenter was but he didn't interrupt much. Bernard Ponsonby was, I thought, quite fair. The Labour MP Murphy (I can't mind his first name, Ignatious??) was OK too. Your right about Crick exposing the crooked doings of Marshall, it's a pity that the Scottish media didn't do more with the story. If they had the majority might have been healthier. When it did surface though it was a joy to watch Labour hacks like David Cairns and London toadies like Douglas Alexander squirm. I've always felt that wee Douglas is a bit of a misfit in the Scottish branch of the Labour party - he's quite intelligent and sophisticated, unlike the knuckle trailers of the "People's Party" in the West of Scotland.

You two have said it all, I waited up until they called a recount which got up my nose no end. I woke up to the result this morning at 6.30. With a majority of 365 I felt Margaret Curran ( the budgie ) looked a bit silly asking for one. However she probably felt as desperate as she looked. It seemed she hoped mistakes had been made with the other Curran. That looked a stupid thing to do to put the names together but they are probably alphabetical.

One of the BBC reporters said a voter stated if Gordon Brown opened an undertakers folk would stop dying.

John Mason is without doubt a well kent soul in the area and has done well as a councilor but I do believe it helped having Alex Salmond with him every day. He looked nervous on TV.

Great victory though especially when we consider they have taken 22.54% from Labour.

The anchor men and woman on news 24 sound as though they are reporting a death as they report the by-election, I am expecting black ties at any moment.

Gordon states the real reason for this loss is financial influences which are not his poor wee fault.

Levenax wrote:
I'm off to bed a happy man. Ms Curran was more gracious in defeat than I thought she might be and John Mason's victory speech was far too long. It's a shame we didn't get to hear what the other candidates said especially the nice young man who stood for the Limp Dems who once again proved what no hopers they are. The Tories didn't do as well as I thought they might, perhaps because their candidate was a bit weird, although she seemd to be a very pleasant person.

Hi Lev
The Limpdems party seems to be going nowhere but I thought that young man looked promising with a little experience.

The killer fact is that the turn-out was up on the turn-out at the general election, so New Labour can't brush it off by arguing that in a general election it will all be so different.

They still don't get it, and seem to imagine that north of the Border it will still be a two-horse race against the Tories, and at a general election the SNP will not count.

When Blair told the labour party to go off and think the unthinkable, did they think about losing Glasgow East?

I am just wondering about all the media comment. First they said that GE voters would vote for a donkey with a red rosette. Then they said that John Mason (a well respected local councillor) was a nonentity who had little chance against superstar Curran (that's the Labour candidate, not the other one). Now they are saying that it was all about bread and butter issues.

How long before they cotton on to the fact that the world has changed? The labour party has self-destructed and the UK is destined for Tory rule for the foreseeable future. Maybe the voters in Glasgow East are way ahead of everyone in recognising that they can only be represented in an independent Scotland.

Lev. Ignatius? His name is Jim. We can do normal names ye know!

Lydia, I thought Mason looked nervous and agree his speech was too long. And you are absolutely spot on, he had the backing of his Party Leader while Curran could not risk even bringing her Party leader to Glasgow East. Salmond is a hands on guy, out there working and listening to people.

I was a bag of nerves. When they called the re-count I was thinking "NO! She can't win this on a recount!" It would have been too cruel. Sadly Margaret Curran won't have learned a thing from it nor will Pauline McNeil (incidentally did Maggie borrow Pauline's suit from the Holyrood Elections last year?). I don't have an issue with feisty women but neither of these two possesses a shred of dignity and the Labour variety are the most infuriating. They're the dirtiest too when it comes to tactics.

My view is that Mason won this because he truly is known in the area but more importantly he is trusted. I couldn't believe it when Glenn Campbell dragged the catholic vote up again and accused Bishop Devine of "intervening and taking the election in a sectarian direction". I really would sack that guy. He is a complete clown! Oh and with Steven Purcell there so long last night why didn't someone ask him why he didn't want to stand in GE?

I am going to drop Newsnight an email commending that guy Crick and the other guy (anyone know his name?) who was sitting over with Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Alexander for their conduct throughout this which was truly professional unlike their BBC Scotland colleagues.

It is good to have confidence but Margaret Curran lived this entire campaign in denial of what her Party has come to stand for. And not just at Westminster but at Holyrood too. Just look at the disunity and the backstabbing that has gone on at Holyrood not just to get Alexander but with her predecessor McConnell too. And there was Douglas Alexander sitting there last night still insisting it was the big bad SNP who did it.

Claire - the other BBC guy was John Sopel, this who you mean?

I hope John Mason can make his voice heard in Westminister, and show the rest of Scotland that voting for the SNP down south is not just a gimmick to stick it at the Labour Party, and that a vote for them can be more than just taking the reigns away from Gordon Brown and handing them to someone else, because in my opinion this can be a more dangerous tactic.

May I share in your congratulations on a well deserved result.
I could not stay up for the result as I am still taking pain relief.
We are now in different territory and I look forward to the future.

DoricMan wrote:
May I share in your congratulations on a well deserved result.
I could not stay up for the result as I am still taking pain relief.
We are now in different territory and I look forward to the future.

Hi Doricman sorry to hear you are still in pain, hope it does not last much longer.

I turned into a lightweight, gave up and went to bed, great result though.

LYDIA REID wrote:
DoricMan wrote:
May I share in your congratulations on a well deserved result.
I could not stay up for the result as I am still taking pain relief.
We are now in different territory and I look forward to the future.

Hi Doricman sorry to hear you are still in pain, hope it does not last much longer.

I turned into a lightweight, gave up and went to bed, great result though.

I decided to try and be a heavyweight and stayed till the finish. Today I'm a dead-weight I'm so tired.

"Claire - the other BBC guy was John Sopel, this who you mean?"

That's him Geeo, I thought he was excellent. Very relaxed approach.

But OMG what about Fiona Ross? What is she like? Sour-faced goat. The devotion to Labour I can understand but why do these people present themselves as genuine political commentators when they are so unprofessional when it comes to doing a job properly. Her agreement with Douglas Alexander that Wendy was hounded out was outrageous.

What a night. I stayed up until it was over and then couldn't get to sleep. Must be getting too old for all this excitement but the joy of winning and seeing the fake "politican on" gritted teeth smiles of labour at the count makes the tirednss worthwhile.
I think that there were two important points came out of this. Firstly that for the second year in a row, no matter what the media threw at the SNP campaign, the party still had credibility with the electorate. Secondly, the commentators on last night's coverage all noted how many more people the SNP had on the ground than labour. The fact that they can't get people out to work in their heartlands at a by-election, highlights the state they are in. It is so important in areas like this to have people on the ground.

Well, they actually pulled it off! Well done to all involved, and don't let Margaret Curran near yer milk, it'll curdle!

dws wrote:
Well, they actually pulled it off! Well done to all involved, and don't let Margaret Curran near yer milk, it'll curdle!


Too late