LABOUR Party managers are so concerned at the prospect of losing the crucial Glasgow East by-election later this month that they are preparing to postpone the contest to replace Wendy Alexander as Scottish leader until after polling day, it emerged yesterday.
The Labour committee which will draw up the timetable for the Scottish leadership election will meet in Glasgow today or tomorrow.
It is expected to call for nominations for the leadership to come forward but to announce the campaign will not s
tart properly until 28 July – the Monday after the 24 July by-election.
One senior Labour source said the party wanted "no distractions" from the forthcoming by-election and there was a desire to allow the by-election campaign to be fought in isolation – away from the leadership election – because of the strong challenge expected from the SNP.
Yesterday, Charlie Gordon, the former Glasgow City Council leader, emerged as the latest potential candidate, saying he was "considering" standing for the leadership.
However, Mr Gordon's candidacy was not taken very seriously by his fellow MSPs, particularly because he solicited the now-infamous donation from Jersey businessman Paul Green which triggered the process which led to Ms Alexander's downfall.
If Mr Gordon does stand, he is likely to face competition from Iain Gray, the former enterprise minister and Cathy Jamieson, the party's current deputy leader. He may also face Andy Kerr, the former health minister and Margaret Curran, the former communities minister, although both of these MSPs are wavering on whether or not to run.
The writ for the by-election in Glasgow East was moved in the Commons yesterday. Polling day, 24 July, is in the middle of the Glasgow Fair holiday.
The SNP will have to overturn a 13,500 Labour majority and secure a swing of 22 per cent to win the seat. Despite this, the Nationalists were yesterday named as the favourite to win the seat with one leading firm of bookmakers.
Early yesterday, the SNP began campaigning by accusing Labour of disenfranchising voters by choosing such an overt holiday period for the poll.
Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, said: "Their tactics to remove people from the by-election by holding it during the Glasgow Fair will backfire badly and the SNP will fight a strong campaign to win.
"The deadline for getting a postal vote is 9 July – people in Glasgow East must make sure Labour does not succeed in disenfranchising them."
However, David Cairns, the Scotland Office Minister, said: "If a by-election is not called now, the earliest possible date would be late October.
" People must not go without a local champion who will speak up for them."
Meanwhile, the Tories announced Davena Rankin, a trade unionist, would represent the party in the by-election.
PROFILEDAVENA Rankin was chosen last night as the Conservative candidate for the Glasgow East by-election.
As a non-white woman and a leading trade unionist, Ms Rankin is not the normal sort of Tory candidate.
She was brought up and educated in Glasgow before going to Sussex University.
Ms Rankin did Royal Navy basic training as an officer in 1997 before moving to Glasgow University to help develop its commercial and entrepreneurial initiatives.
She stood for the Tories in Glasgow Cathcart in the 2007 Scottish election, securing 2,324 votes in fourth place.
Conservative Party managers believe Ms Rankin will give them the local touch that they need, as well as the experience of having fought elections before.
Ms Rankin said: "For too long the Labour Party has taken Glasgow for granted, Labour has abused and neglected Glasgow when it should have been standing up and fighting for the people of this city." Labour and the SNP are expected to pick their candidates for the by-election tomorrow.
The full article contains 644 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
