Eddie Barnes - By-election for November
Unless Labour changes its mind in the next few hours, the Glasgow North East by-election won't be taking place until November. The rules of the House of Commons bar a party from calling a by-election during recess, meaning that - once the House rises for the summer this evening - it won't be until October until the writ can be moved. The by-election must then be held within 21 days.
Labour says it is delaying because it doesn't want to hold a by-election in early August when many people in Glasgow are still on holiday. Seeing as it is only a year ago that Labour held a by-election in Glasgow in midsummer (July 24th to be exact; they lost Glasgow East) this explanation is being taken with a pinch of salt. Conspiracist SNP strategists are muttering darkly that the real reason for Labour's delay is because it wants the by-election in early November so that it clashes with the Nationalists' annual conference, in Inverness, which is being held just beforehand.
Whatever the truth, the SNP isn't complaining. After all, if the delay really was so bad, they could move the writ themselves. In fact, the delay helps them. Following the tortuous selection process which saw two candidates drop out, before former BBC journalist David Kerr was given the post last week, the SNP will welcome the time he now has to get round the constituency.
Despite Kerr's various difficulties thus far (see previous posts), there is little doubt that he is the candidate that many Labour high-ups didn't want. Which - to my mind - makes it all the more puzzling as to why Labour has now given him time to set up an operation. Hesitation is fatal after all....
Labour does have one other option. If parliament is recalled this summer because of the Swine flu crisis, the writ could be moved then, meaning a by-election in late August or early September. Party sources say this would is their most favoured option.
Not that they actually want the flu pandemic to get worse, I should add.
Labour says it is delaying because it doesn't want to hold a by-election in early August when many people in Glasgow are still on holiday. Seeing as it is only a year ago that Labour held a by-election in Glasgow in midsummer (July 24th to be exact; they lost Glasgow East) this explanation is being taken with a pinch of salt. Conspiracist SNP strategists are muttering darkly that the real reason for Labour's delay is because it wants the by-election in early November so that it clashes with the Nationalists' annual conference, in Inverness, which is being held just beforehand.
Whatever the truth, the SNP isn't complaining. After all, if the delay really was so bad, they could move the writ themselves. In fact, the delay helps them. Following the tortuous selection process which saw two candidates drop out, before former BBC journalist David Kerr was given the post last week, the SNP will welcome the time he now has to get round the constituency.
Despite Kerr's various difficulties thus far (see previous posts), there is little doubt that he is the candidate that many Labour high-ups didn't want. Which - to my mind - makes it all the more puzzling as to why Labour has now given him time to set up an operation. Hesitation is fatal after all....
Labour does have one other option. If parliament is recalled this summer because of the Swine flu crisis, the writ could be moved then, meaning a by-election in late August or early September. Party sources say this would is their most favoured option.
Not that they actually want the flu pandemic to get worse, I should add.
Labels: Eddie Barnes, Glasgow North East, Swine flu
posted by Administrator at
12:35
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