Glasgow Anniesland By-elections 2000

'McLeish is not an experienced debater, given in the past to flourishes of synthetic rage at Nationalists rather than the humour and put-down his elevated status requires.'
Torcuil Crichton and Douglas Fraser in the Sunday Herald, 22 nd October 2000.

Trouble ahead

By Torcuil Crichton and Douglas Fraser in the Sunday Herald 22 nd October 2000

Votes. On the political front, there are three by-elections to test the mettle of the new leader. Dennis Canavan has confirmed he will resign from Westminster at the end of the month and there will be by-elections for the UK and Scottish parliamentary seat in Dewar's Anniesland constituency too. Top all that with the vacancy created by the retiral of Betty Boothroyd and the death of Labour MP for Preston, Audrey Wise, and it begins to look like a super Thursday of by-elections likely on November 23. Canavan's Falkirk West seat is highly unpredictable, with the SNP last week parachuting in an impressive young BBC producer, David Kerr, as its candidate to take on Labour's former army major, Eric Joyce. Even Dewar's seats cannot be taken for granted, as proved by the experience of Helen Liddell's bare-knuckle fight for John Smith's Monklands seat six years ago.

The Anniesland vacancy is hard to call. Donnie Munro, the former Runrig singer, has put his name forward. Also touted are local councillor Stephen Purcell, Mike Elrick, a special adviser to Scottish Secretary John Reid and Brian Fitzpatrick, head of Donald Dewar's policy unit and a Glasgow advocate.

- Nov 8

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