GLASGOW’S ELECTION STUNNER

In an extraordinary night which changed the political landscape of Scotland, Glasgow voters rejected long established Labour Party names: Charlie Gordon, Pauline McNeil, Patricia Ferguson and Frank McAveety.
Instead the Scottish National Party (SNP) was able to declare: ‘It’s a stunning night.’

Nicola Sturgeon was returned to the Scottish Parliament for the newly configured Glasgow Southside with 12,306 votes to Labour Stephen Curran’s 7957 votes.
SNP gained Anniesland constituency by seven votes for Bill Kidd who polled 10,329 votes to Labour Bill Butler’s 10,322.
In Cathcart Constituency James Dornan took the seat for SNP with 11,918 compared to Labour Charlie Gordon’s 10,326
Kelvin Constituency was won by Sandra White with 10,640 compared to incumbent Labour’s Pauline McNeill who polled 9,758.
Glasgow Shettleston went to SNP’s John Mason with 10,128 compared to Labour Frank McAveety’s 9,542.

The only seats to stay in Labour Party hands were:
Newly aligned Maryhill and Springburn constituency with Patricia Ferguson polling 9884 compared to SNP’s Bob Doris on 8592.
Glasgow Pollok seat stayed with Labour’s Johann Lamont with 10,875 compared to SNP Chris Stephens’s 10,252.
Paul Martin kept Glasgow Provan with 10,037 in contrast to SNP Anne McLaughlin’s vote of 7,958.

As other wins for SNP were being announced during the Glasgow count, Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘The SNP is now a force to be reckoned with across Scotland. This is a triumph for our Positive campaign. Our job now is to unite Scotland and to lead.’
In a bitter response at the podium her opponent, Labour’s Stephen Curran said: ‘The SNP will never get away with this in Glasgow.’
Sandra White commented later: ‘The SNP has broken the back of Labour in Glasgow with our Positive campaign.’
Labour’s Pat Ferguson said: ‘I’m proud and privileged to have served this constituency. I was the first Labour MSP for the former Maryhill/Springburn constituency and do not take one single vote for granted for one second. I am there to fight for every sector of the community in this new constituency and to make sure they are dealt with fairly.’ Her SNP opponent, Bob Doris, announced his wedding in his speech. ‘Four years ago I didn’t mention Janet my girlfriend in my thank you speech. Today I’m mentioning my fiancee Janet and soon she’ll be Mrs Doris!’ He also said the overall results in Glasgow and Scotland were ‘staggering’ for the SNP. And in an impassioned plea he asked for ‘even more positive results next time.’
John Mason who won and later lost the Westminster seat in the city’s East End, and secured the Shettleston constituency for SNP at Holyrood, first praised the outgoing Frank McAveety who had been the Labour MSP for the area. ‘We must thank him for all the work he’s done in Glasgow’s East End.’ But he went on: ‘The SNP ran a positive campaign – securing the M74 completion work, the Commonwealth Games and the rail link to Edinburgh as well as the council tax freeze. But Labour ran a negative campaign, running down the SNP and running down Scotland. The Labour Party must take a long, hard look at themselves.’ In promising to have a visible presence with a shop in Shettleston and being easily contactable by his constituents he added: ‘It is an incredible privilege to be trusted by the voters to serve this constituency.’

Frank McAveety in his farewell speech said: ‘I’ve served the East End of Glasgow for 22 years – as a teacher, a city councillor and as MSP. I care passionately about my city and its problems.’ Amid shouts and boos from the assembled crowd at the Glasgow constituencies’ count in the city’s SECC, he went on: ‘This country is now polarised. The Commonwealth Games was a Labour led initiative as was the National Indoor Sports arena. We made the largest investment in schools and education and I will work tirelessly to win this seat back for Labour.’

At 4am when it was clear that SNP had made remarkable gains in Glasgow, Nicola Sturgeon told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘I’m thrilled. There are quite stunning results across Scotland.’
In Cathcart were Labour’s sitting MSP Charlie Gordon lost the seat to SNP’s James Dornan, James Dornan said: ‘Charlie conducted his campaign in a gentlemanly fashion.’ In an emotional speech he went on to say: ‘I will represent everyone in this constituency. It is the area I was brought up in. I raised my kids here. We have worked hard day and night for the past three months and I thank all those who worked like Trojans to secure this positive result for the constituency.’
A sombre Charlie Gordon responded: ‘I’ve been a Labour Party activist for 42 years. I leave this stage tonight a wealthy man. Wealthy because I have my health and a wonderful family.’

Paul Martin who retained Glasgow Provan for Labour ranted about the SNP cuts. When his SNP opponent, Anne McLaughlin took the podium, a re-count was in process for the Anniesland Constituency where initially one vote appeared to be the difference between the lead candidates. She forecast: ‘These successes in Glasgow and across Scotland are not a one-off for the SNP. By electing SNP in force in Glasgow, the city has broken the link of people’s dependency on Labour for ever. If Labour continue their scurrulous attacks on Scotland, their lies will be found out and the people of Scotland will stop listening to them.’

In Glasgow Kelvin where SNP’s Sandra White took the seat from Labour’s Pauline McNeill, Sandra paid tribute to Pauline’s hard work in that community and said: ‘The SNP have aspirations for the people of Scotland. We believe every person deserves to have aspirations.’
In her turn, Pauline McNeill said: ‘I represented the area for 12 years. I did my best for everyone and I’ll miss them. I’m proud of what we achieved and hope that whatever happens with the government of Scotland that everyone will unite on the issues in the Scottish Parliament that will take the country forward. The UK coalition is wrecking our lives.’

As the night wore on a two party state emerged in Glasgow’s voting between SNP and Labour.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat’s highest vote was in Glasgow Kelvin where Natalie McKee got 1900 votes. In Anniesland, Lib Deb Paul McGarry got 1000 votes. In Cathcart, Eileen Baxendale got 1118 votes. In Maryhill and Springburh, the Lib Dem candidate, Sophie Bridger, got 833 votes. In Pollok, Isabel Nelson got 490 votes. In Provan, Michael O’Donnell got 413 votes and in the Southside constituency, Lib Dem’s Kenneth Elder got 612 votes.

Conservative Ruth Davidson became an MSP on the List vote. She said: ‘I’m pleased the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party will continue to have a presence in Glasgow. It’s needed with the SNP being rampant! ‘

The last vote to be announced around 6am in Glasgow was the Anniesland constituency where a recount had taken place because of the narrow margin. The final result was: Bill Kidd, SNP, took the seat with 10,329. Bill Butler, Labour was close behind on 10,322. Next was Matthew Smith of the Conservatives who polled 2,011 and Lib Dem’s Paul McGarry received 1000 votes with the Communist party of Britain’s candidate, Marc Livingstone taking 259 votes.

In a victory speech, Anniesland constituency winner by seven votes, Bill Kidd said: ‘My opponents behaved in an exemplary fashion and the outgoing Bill Butler has done fantastic work in the constituency. I and the SNP will work hard for the next four years to ensure carers are treated in the manner becoming to a civil society and that our country is not despoiled by Trident – British weapons of mass destruction.’
In his turn, Bill Butler thanked his team ‘We fought hard and I don’t think we let the party down. This is not my farewell to politics where I’ve been for ten and a half years. I will continue to campaign for social justice – socialism as I know it – I will renew my opposition to the new Trident and will be on any platform with those who do that too.’ He singled out his mother, Patricia Ferguson who retained the Maryhill and Sprinburn seat, for special thanks for her support.
The only other candidates in Glasgow’s eight constituencies were Tom Muirhead an independent in Kelvin where he polled 405 votes and John McKee, an Independent in Cathcart where he polled 450 votes.

Ivor the Tory hits a nerve

The Conservative candidate for Maryhill and Springburn in next year’s Scottish elections, Ivor Tiefenbrun, has resigned after it was alleged he said to a national newspaper that Scottish people are ‘so thick’ in their hatred of Margaret Thatcher.
The allegations brought an angry response from Scottish politicians. Labour MSP for Maryhill, Patricia Ferguson, told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘I was appalled by his comments. As someone who lives in Maryhill, on behalf of my constituents, I was deeply offended. Hopefully his colleagues in the Tory Party have a better understanding of the area. I wrote to Annabelle Goldie asking for an apology from Mr Tiefenbrun, and I still think he should deliver one despite his resignation.’
Bob Dorris, SNP candidate for Mayhill and Springburn, has called on Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie to launch an internal inquiry into Tiefenbrun’s comments and subsequent resignation. Said Bob: ‘That Mr Tiefenbrun has resigned is the strongest possible indication that he did make these outrageous, anti-Scottish remarks.’
He added: ‘Annabel Goldie cannot remain silent on the chaos, confusion, and the anti-Scottish insults which this sorry affair involves – and which also calls into question her party’s candidate selection system.  She must announce an immediate party inquiry at Birmingham today.
‘The Tories have been trying to rebrand themselves as a Scotland-friendly party, despite the deep cuts coming to Scotland from the UK government. The comments attributed to Mr Tiefenbrun leave this rebranding in tatters and show an astounding contempt for our nation.
‘Mr Tiefenbrun may be gone, but I suspect his comments, combined with the Con Dem cuts on their way to our city, will succeed only in making a small Tory vote in Glasgow smaller still’.
Glasgow born Tiefenbrun made his name as a businessman, founding Linn Products, a high quality, electronics firm opened in Castlemilk in 1972.
In a statement following his resignaton, Mr Tiefenbrun said: ‘There are many issues facing our country and I have no desire for anything to divert my party, or indeed the media, from concentrating on the vital challenges. Accordingly, I will not be standing in the forthcoming elections.’
Mr Tiefenbrun only had his selection for the Marhyill and Springburn confirmed last week and the Tories will now have to start searching for a replacement. A spokesperson for the Tory party said: ‘We will start the process now and make a decision over the next few weeks.’
This is not Tiefenbrun’s first foray into political controvery. He used a newspaper column  to announce that the ‘spirit of Stalin lives and thrives in Scotland through Gordon Brown.’

Tiefenbrun remains Executive Chairman of Linn Products and is currently a visiting Professor at Glasgow’s Strathclyde University.

£400m plan for ‘new town’ in north of city

Developers Forge Properties presented their ambitious plans for a new town in the Cowlairs area at an open evening at Keppoch Campus on Stonyhurst Street.

Forge have submitted a planning application for the first stage of the development, called Carlisle Square, which will feature retail space, housing and office space in a town centre plaza. The £100m square will be linked by a large water feature and park to the Keppoch Campus Primary School. 

Carlisle Square is the first phase of a much larger development called Keppochill New Neighbourhood, which will encompass a large part of Cowlairs and Possil. If successful, the full £400m development will create 1,500 jobs and homes for 12,000 people. 

The Carlisle Square site is situated beside the Glasgow – Edinburgh railway line, beside the Morrison Bowmore Distillery whisky bond.   

Developer Liam Muldoon told LOCAL NEWS: ‘We have taken architectural inspiration from the best of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bath.’

Representatives from Cowlairs Development Trust were present to view the plans

Patricia Ferguson MSP was in attendance to view the plans and get more details from the developers.

She said: ‘I am concerned at the Ikea and Ryanair analogy being used by this company to describe the housing, I want to make sure that it is high quality. I am also hoping that there will be a high proportion of social housing included in the plans.’