Local By-elections

'We're the most modern council in Scotland. It doesn't suit me to use all the New Labour bullshit, because it doesn't go down well in this town, so what we're doing is pragmatism.'
Cllr Charles Gordon, curently MSP for Glasgow Cathcart.

Knightswood Park (City of Glasgow) 10 th November 2005

Knightswood Park - ward 4 Labour hold

There was a by-election for the Knightswood Park ward of the City of Glasgow Council on the 10 th of November 2005 following the election of Cllr Charles Gordon as MSP for Glasgow Cathcart on the 29 th September 2005.

Knightswood Park is in the Glasgow North West Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Labour's John Robertson MP) and in the Glasgow Anniesland Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Labour's Bill Butler MSP).

Labour Cllr Paul Rooney

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
10 th November 2005 By-election Turnout 30.7 % (- 15.6 %)
Paul Rooney	Labour	973	54.2 %	- 3.3 %
Graeme Andrew Hendry	Scottish National Party	374	20.8 %	+ 3.6 %
Katharine Gordon	Liberal Democrat	235	13.1 %	+ 8.0 %
Michael Dyer	Scotish Socialist Party	97	5.4 %	- 5.2 %
Susan McCourt	Conservative	80	4.5 %	- 5.1 %
Martha Wardrop	Scottish Green Party	35	2.0 %	(+ 2.0 %)
Labour hold	Labour majority	599	33.4 %	- 6.9 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
1 st May 2003 Turnout 46.3 % (- 11.2 %)
Cllr Charles Gordon	Labour	1,613	57.5 %	- 6.3 %
Graeme Hendry	Scottish National Party	484	17.2 %	- 7.8 %
Charlie McCarthy	Scotish Socialist Party	298	10.6 %	(+ 10.6 %)
Graeme Dickson	Conservative	269	9.6 %	- 1.6 %
James Paris	Liberal Democrat	143	5.1 %	(+ 5.1 %)
Labour hold	Labour majority	1,129	40.3 %	+ 1.5 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
6 th May 1999 Turnout 57.5 % (+ 13.9 %)
Cllr Charles Gordon	Labour	2,275	63.8 %	- 2.8 %
Mohammad Bashir	Scottish National Party	892	25.0 %	+ 7.2 %
Graham Dickson	Conservative	398	11.2 %	(+ 11.2 %)
Labour hold	Labour majority	1,383	38.8 %	- 7.3 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
6 th April 1995 Turnout 43.6 %
Charles Gordon	Labour	1,839	66.6 %
Isabelle Smith	Scottish National Party	492	17.8 %
Eleanor Guthrie	Independent	318	11.5 %
Kae Philbrick	Liberal Democrat	112	4.1 %
Labour win	Labour majority	1,272	46.1 %

SNP selects candidate to win Knightswood Park by-election

From Glasgow SNP 17 th October 2005

Greens choose candidate for Knightswood Park by-election

Graeme Hendry has been selected by the SNP to fight the Knightswood Park by- election on November 10th. On winning the nomination Graeme said -

'I wish Charlie Gordon all the best in representing the people of Cathcart on the southside of Glasgow. This has, however, left the people of Knightswood Park unrepresented at a time when their area in the north west of Glasgow faces many pressing issues. I believe I am the correct person to have the privilege of representing the people of Knightswood Park during this important time'.

From the Glasgow Greens 17 th October 2005

The Glasgow and West branch of the Scottish Green Party today chose their candidate for the Knightswood Park by-election on 10th November.

The candidate Martha Wardrop, has been a community activist and worker in the voluntary sector for many years, and pledges to end fuel poverty, improve public transport and end Glasgow's debt culture.

Labour cheat over campaign rooms

From Glasgow SNP 4 th November 2005

Labour booked rooms for the by-election in Knightswood Park before the other parties even knew if Charlie Gordon was resigning!

The Council only had one empty shop within the ward (172 Archerhill Road) and the Labour Party expressed an interest in this on Monday 3 October. Expressing an interest effectively means booking it as the Council operates a "first come first served" policy. Then on Wednesday 5 October the Council's Property sub-committee approved the letting of premises for a by-election for a nominal rent of Ł50. The paper on this was only tabled at the meeting and had not been on the agenda. This was the first "official" indication for opposition parties that there was going to be a by-election soon. (Potentially Charlie Gordon could have held his Council seat until the next Council elections in 2007, as Tommy Sheridan did from 1999 to 2003.) After the meeting the SNP inquired about available premises but were told there was nothing in the ward. It later transpired that the available rooms had been allocated to Labour.

SNP Group Leader John Mason wrote to the Chief Executive, George Black, calling for the disputed premises not to be used by any party during the by-election. However, the reply was that Labour would be allowed to use them.

To any fair-minded person this is a clear abuse of power by the Labour Party. They have used Council facilities for party political advantage. Now a reference to the Standards Commission or other appropriate body will be considered by the SNP.

Did Glasgow need a 71st Labour councillor

From Glasgow SNP 11 th November 2005

Labour's Paul Rooney won the Knightswood Park by-election on Thursday 10th taking some 54% of the vote while the combined opposition took 46%. The SNP candidate, Graeme Hendry, took 21%, up from 17% in 2003. John Mason, the SNP Group Leader congratulated Mr Rooney on his election. He said, "Mr Rooney appears to be an intelligent individual and hopefully he will not abandon his brain when he enters the City Chambers. Glasgow needs councillors who can think for themselves rather than being obedient little cogs in the Labour machine."

Looking at the wider Glasgow picture this is hopefully one of the last council elections under the tired and dying old electoral system. As in Knightswood Park, Labour repeatedly get about 50% of the vote and the "first past the post" system gives them 90% of the councillors. However, in 18 months time we should be seeing an up to date electoral system which should give the voters of Glasgow a result more in line with how they voted.