Labour MP for East Glasgow, David Marshall, is to resign

Labour MP for East Glasgow, David Marshall, is to resign his Westminster seat for health reasons.

A party spokesman said: "David Marshall has indicated to local members in Glasgow that he will step down as a Member of Parliament.

Now that will be a by-election to watch!

 

More detail from the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/2207911/Labour-MP-David-Marshall-to-quit-causing-Brown-more-by-election-woe.html

 

A new seat, there has been only one election which was a strong labour win. If they can't hold this they really are screwed but they're bound to lose some of that majority at the minimum.

2005 results:
Party/Candidate/votes/%/Swing.

Labour David Marshall 18,775 60.7% -3.0
Scottish National Party Lachlan McNeill 5,268 17.0% -0.1
Liberal Democrat David Jackson 3,665 11.8% +6.0
Conservative Carl Thomson 2,135 6.9% +0.8
Scottish Socialist Party George Savage 1,096 3.5% -3.4
Majority 13,507 43.7%
Turnout 30,939 48.2% +1.6

 

Will be a hard win, given the SNP majority in the Scottish parliament, and the fact they may field Elaine C Smith as SNP candidate - the actress who played the wife of Rab C Nesbitt. She is very popular!

 

Just as long as they don't field 'Burnie'......or Jamesie Cotter.

 

Come on the SNP !!!

 

Someone stick an icepick in his skull? Scottish Labour can be quite a Stalinist bunch when it comes to purges.

 

I doubt it. They'd have to be really absolutely bloody stupid to provoke another by-election just now.

Anyway, odds that they call it for about three weeks time? Though I would love it to be in September. A Labour loss to the SNP just before the party conferences would be a lovely thing to behold.

 

Oh! How I pray that your confidence is misplaced!

Henley AGAIN! That is my dream.

 

It will be a close call for Broon, another lump of grease on the slippery slope to the back benches. I hope!!

 

This must be one that Brown must be dreading to call. With Wendy having left the building there will be a fair rammy in terms of leadership election for the Scottish Labour party with Scotland on Sunday predicting a fair amount of blood letting. If they plumb for the bye-election during this period then the SNP would have a chance. If Labour lost this seat given their majority at the last general election then there could be panic in Westminster as MPs look into the abyss. I remember the last 2 years of the Major government when Conservative MPs lost the plot, and IMHO this could be the same situation with Labour now.

 

Methinks 'health reasons' is a euphemisym for going before wrongdoings emerge. Usually the case.

 

Rumour has it that its £220,000 worth of bad news, and to do with employing family members. Some of the scandal dates back to McConnell's resignation. Wonder if there may be linkage to Wendy Alexander??????


Linky from Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030240/Labours-Marshall-shock-resignation-rumours-expenses.html

 

This is a bad one. If Labour lose to the SNP, then it shows that Cameron probably won't be able to hold the Union together after the next election.