Eddie Barnes: 9 votes for Tommy

Tommy Sheridan held a press conference this morning to launch his campaign for the Glasgow North-East by election. Of most interest was the former SSP MSP's impending court case with the News of the World, but Sheridan was as unfazed as usual, arguing that he stood a fair chance of winning the by-election, which takes place on November 12th.

And he got his campaign off to a good start. Leaving the press conference, held at the Petershill Leisure centre in Springburn, he was approached by a local man, dressed in his football kit, who was preparing to play a five-a-side game on the centre's astroturf pitch. They only had 9 - would Tommy mind making up the numbers? Sheridan, a mad-keen footballer, quickly dashed off to his car, got his kit from the boot, and headed straight out onto the pitch.