Difference between revisions of "Talk:Charlie Baillie"

Latest revision as of 18:34, 25 October 2009

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Scotland on Sunday

October 25, 2009

BNP man's racist vow

BYLINE: Eddie Barnes

LENGTH: 152 words

HIGHLIGHT: THE BNP candidate in the Glasgow North East by- election has said he will "go to his grave" wanting his party to remain racist and white only.

Charlie Baillie said "brown, black, and yellow" people should continue to be barred from joining, claiming that whites needed a party that represents their views alone. His position appears to put him at odds with BNP chairman Nick Griffin, who told a court last month he would ask his party to amend its constitution so it did not discriminate on grounds of race or religion. Griffin may make an appearance in the Glasgow seat ahead of the 12 November by-election. The BNP claimed yesterday it had received 9,000 inquiries following his appearance on BBC's Question Time last week, which was watched by over eight million people. Baillie said he would be campaigning on an anti- immigration platform, focusing on the arrival of asylum-seekers. Asked whether he would turn away a torture victim from Zimbabwe who faced death on return, he said: "Yes. They have neighbouring countries they can go to."

LOAD-DATE: October 25, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newsletter

JOURNAL-CODE: SOS

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The Express

October 23, 2009 Friday Scottish Edition

Slow growth of BNP in Scotland

BYLINE: By Kerry Gill Scottish Political Editor

SECTION: NEWS; 4

LENGTH: 247 words

SUPPORT for the BNP is much lower in Scotland than in England - but has nevertheless grown in recent years. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy has echoed the view of most Scottish politicians in warning the public of the danger of remaining complacent about the rise of the BNP north of the Border. Only 3,000 voted for the party in Scotland ten years ago, but that has grown to 29,000. Mr Murphy said the position would get worse until people realised what kind of message the BNP propagated. Membership in Scotland is thought to be under 20 in constituencies where it exists, largely in the south-west and Borders, Argyll, parts of the far north-east, Perthshire, and Glasgow. During the 2005 general election they had two candidates in Glasgow. Scott McLean, the party's vicechairman, stood in the Glasgow North East constituency securing 3.2 per cent of the vote, while Walter Hamilton, the Glasgow organiser, managed 2.3 per cent in Glasgow Central. The BNP has fielded a candidate in the forthcoming Glasgow North East by-election. He is Charlie Baillie, a self-employed electrical contractor, who has had thousands of leaflets distributed to constituents due to go to the polls on November 12. Although unlikely to be elected, the publicity given to the appearance of leader Nick Griffin on BBC's Question Time should bring in more votes than he could have expected. Mr Baillie stood as a candidate in the Holyrood elections in 2007 and, this year, in two Glasgow Council by-elections.

LOAD-DATE: October 23, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: BNP's Charlie Baillie is a self-employed contractor

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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The Times (London)

October 19, 2009 Monday Edition 1; Scotland

SNP hopes William Wallace's fate is no omen as it aims for second Glasgow win

BYLINE: Angus Macleod

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 21

LENGTH: 1040 words

Scottish Nationalists have cause to be wary of Glasgow North East. It was on the northern boundary of this constituency in 1305 that William Wallace, the Nationalist icon, was betrayed to the English after nine years on the run, before being taken to London to be executed. The intervening years have not been kind to Glasgow North East, where the SNP - hoping for a much better outcome than that which befell Wallace- will be challenging Labour in a Westminster by-election on November 12. It will decide who will succeed Michael Martin (the former Commons speaker and now Lord Martin of Springburn) as the constituency MP and is likely to be Gordon Brown's last big electoral test before he faces a general election. Once a thriving industrialised seat where they built locomotives at the largest railway engineering works in Europe, Glasgow North East is now an inner-city monument to urban decay, pockmarked by shoddy tower blocks, seedy shopping centres and wastelands. Labour has ruled the roost here for 74 years, thanks mainly to the tribalism of local politics, but the constituency still vies for the title "the poorest in Britain". Unemployment is at 12 per cent. About one in three of 60,000 voters are on benefits, it has some of the highest rates of child poverty in Scotland, one in four of the working population has a life-limiting illness, 30 per cent of the population is economically inactive and more than half of school-leavers come out of education without a qualification. These grim statistics do not tell the whole story, however. Glasgow North East may be made up of about 21 individual communities with unenticing names such as Balornock and Haghill, but in the busy Duke Street thoroughfare to the east you can still sense just a hint of the community spirit that was once so strong. Neither is it all urban blight. While aspiration is thin on the ground, the constituency also contains parts of Dennistoun, which upwardly mobile professionals have made their own, almost barricading themselves away from the drugs and crime that infest other areas of the constituency. It is this spiral into depression and decay on which the SNP will focus on in this campaign, telling voters that their area has not benefited from having Labour councillors, MPs and MSPs. David Kerr, the Nationalist candidate, is a smooth and personable former BBC Scotland journalist who was born in the area and who can be expected to make his case with vigour. But his task is a massive one - to overturn Mr Martin's 10,000 majority in the seat. While that was achieved, and more, by the SNP last year in the Glasgow East by-election, his problem is that many long-time Labour voters, while unhappy with the performance of the Government, appear uneasy about moving to the Nationalists. "I would like", says Robert Sedden, a pensioner who lives in the Lambshill ward, "to see Labour given a fright. I think they need it but I still want them to win." Mr Kerr's pitch to people such as Mr Sedden is an unusual one. "Give me a try and kick me out at the general election if you're not happy." While Mr Kerr's links to Opus Dei, the fundamentalist Roman Catholic sect, could trip him up, his main concern will be to build necessary momentum. But Alex Salmond, the SNP First Minister, appears to have discounted his chances by saying that he will, unusually for him, take a back seat and leave Mr Kerr to it. Labour's candidate is Willie Bain, a public law lecturer and a man, born and still living in the constituency, who has only to walk down a street in the area to provoke recognition. He is also the secretary of the local Labour Party but is having to fight this by-election at a time when many local people blame the Labour Government for the impact of the recession on them. His problem is also Labour incumbency and, while confident and articulate, he struggles to answer the question of why, by voting Labour yet again, locals will see any change in their lives. He admits that some Labour voters are "thinking hard" about their vote this time, but takes comfort from the fact that, unlike Glasgow East, the SNP do not have a real councillor base in the seat. With crime of all kinds an issue in the area, Mr Bain believes that his theme of painting the SNP government in Edinburgh as "soft on crime" because of their belief that community sentences should replace jail sentences for short-term offenders is hitting home. Scottish Labour has recently seized upon the mantra "Vote SNP, Get Tory" as a way of rousing its anti-Conservative base but it doesn't quite work in Glasgow North East where Ruth Davidson, the impressive Tory candidate and another former BBC journalist, will have to work extra hard to win third place. Like the Tories, the main concern of Eileen Baxendale, the Liberal Democrat candidate and former social worker, will be to beat a host of fringe candidates who include John Smeaton, the hero of the Glasgow Airport terrorist attack, who is standing on a "clean up politics" platform, and Tommy Sheridan, the hard-left Solidarity candidate, who will hope to appeal to the old-fashioned socialist instincts of Labour voters in the constituency. Bob McIntyre, another retired longtime Labour voter, who lives in Lambhill, says he that defected to the SNP at the last council election. "I'm thinking about going back to Labour. Anyway, the SNP will never win here." That view is backed up by Gail Forester, who runs a florist's on Duke Street. Minutes after meeting Mr Kerr, she says how much she likes him, adding: "But Labour always win here." Mr Kerr, and the SNP, have their work cut out to prove her wrong and ensure that Glasgow North East does not remain a place of Nationalist trauma. Candidates Charlie Baillie BNP William Bain Labour Eileen Baxendale Lib Dem Ruth Davidson Conservative David Doherty Scottish Greens David Kerr SNP Kevin McVey SSP Tommy Sheridan Solidarity John Smeaton Independent John Swinburne Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party Michael Hughes Independent Result in 2005 Michael Martin Speaker 15,153 John McLaughlin SNP 5,019 Doris Kelly Socialist Labour 4,036 Graham Campbell Scottish Socialist 1,402 Daniel Houston Scottish Unionist 1,266 Scott McLean BNP 920 Joe Chambers Independent 622 Majority 10,134 Turnout 28,418

LOAD-DATE: October 19, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: David Kerr, the SNP candidate who was born in Glasgow North East, says Labour has failed the constituency as he attempts to overturn a majority of more than 10,000. The seat, once thriving, is now a monument to urban decay PHOTOGRAPHS: JAMES GLOSSOP FOR THE TIMES Willie Bain, the Labour Party candidate; and Ruth Davidson, standing for the Conservatives

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: TIM

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Guardian Unlimited

October 14, 2009 Wednesday

Salmond downplays SNP chances of winning Glasgow byelection

BYLINE: Severin Carrellguardian.co.uk

LENGTH: 930 words

ABSTRACT SNP leader launches campaign for seat of former Commons Speaker Michael Martin with claimed that his party are 'underdogs' in the contest

FULL TEXT Alex Salmond has downplayed the Scottish National party's chances of winning the Glasgow North East byelection after discovering that many local voters appeared unwilling to switch their vote from Labour. The SNP leader launched his party's campaign today for the seat vacated by the resignation of the former Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, in an uncharacteristically downbeat mood, admitting that his party were "underdogs" in this contest. The first minister is also expected to play a less prominent role in the campaign, with polling day confirmed for 12 November, after admitting that his boasts of an SNP victory in the Glenrothes byelection last November had been a serious error. Salmond also made himself the figurehead in that campaign, visiting the Fife constituency repeatedly. But to his embarrassment, Labour defied many predictions by holding the seat with a comfortable 6,700-vote majority due, in part, to at least nine separate visits by Gordon and Sarah Brown. Salmond admitted after losing Glenrothes that he had failed to have his "finger on the political temperature" in the seat. He said today: "We can win, we don't have to demonstrate that ... People know for the first time there is a chance of an SNP win. But I think it's a better position, on reflection, not to boast that we will win but just to say that we can win, if the people so choose." David Kerr, the SNP's candidate for Glasgow North East and a former BBC Scotland journalist, said many voters in the constituency were sympathetic to SNP policies, such as independence and a referendum on independence, but were failing to endorse the party. He said: "Yes, we're the underdog in this campaign. It's our job to win over those people who perhaps have supported independence over the years but for whatever reason are stuck with the Labour party ... if we can convey that message over the next four weeks then I'm not saying we will win, but we've got a very good chance." Salmond said he still believes the SNP could repeat its dramatic victory in the neighbouring seat of Glasgow East in July last year, when John Mason overturned a 13,500-vote Labour majority following a campaign that saw repeated visits by the first minister. But other party officials believe the SNP is under-spending in this campaign, saving its money and energies for the general election. Labour has been scathing about the SNP's campaign: it has hired a private firm to deliver election leaflets, and Kerr is seen as the unpopular third choice SNP candidate, after two other frontrunners dropped out. The SNP is urging local voters to end Labour's dominance of the constituency. Labour has held the seat, in its various forms, for 74 years, and Martin had a 10,134-vote majority at the last election. Yet unemployment had risen since 1997, increasing to 18% of the male population, and the constituency still had some of the worst poverty indicators of any in Scotland. "If ever the cry 'time for a change' was apposite, it's certainly in this constituency," Salmond said. Kerr claimed the byelection campaign would test three administrations: the Labour-led local council which had closed local schools; the Labour government in Westminster, which had destroyed the economy; and the SNP government at Holyrood, which was planning to spend £2bn investing the Glasgow area. However, he was unable to say how many local people directly benefited from key SNP policies to introduce free NHS prescriptions, freeze the council tax or abolish rates for small businesses. Nearly a third of local voters receive benefits, giving many state support for prescriptions and council tax. Kerr said he knew "anecdotally" that numerous small shops in the area were benefiting from having zero business rates, and added that council tax had risen 50% in Glasgow since 1997. Willie Bain, the Labour candidate and secretary of the local constituency party, contested Kerr's claim that Labour had failed the constituency. He said 10,000 families were receiving working family or child tax credits; 10,000 pensioners were getting up to £56 a week in pensions credit and five new secondary schools had been built. He admitted that unemployment had increased, but pledged to convene a "jobs summit" if he was elected. "There has been a great deal of progress [under Labour] but there needs to be more," he said. Labour officials fear the SNP could win the byelection if Labour supporters fail to vote; many traditional Labour voters are furious about the expenses scandal and are critical of Martin's controversial role in heading off investigations into the issue. Bain downplayed the SNP's implication that he was favourite to win. "I have campaigned in enough byelections to know that anyone who predicts the outcome is exceptionally foolish. Byelections are always very close," he said. The other candidates in the byelection include John Smeaton, the former baggage handler who attacked one of the Glasgow airport bombers, who is standing as an independent backed by the Jury Team. The Tories have selected another former BBC journalist, Ruth Davidson, 30; Eileen Baxendale, 64, a councillor, is the Liberal Democrat candidate; and the Scottish Green party said today its candidate was David Doherty, 24, an energy saving campaigner. Other candidates declared so far are Kevin McVey (Scottish Socialist), Charlie Baillie (BNP), Tommy Sheridan (Solidarity) and John Swinburne (Scottish Senior Citizens).

LOAD-DATE: October 14, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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The Sunday Times (London)

October 11, 2009 Edition 1; Scotland

Election date set; TOP STORIES FROM THE UK ; A defiant 'IRA' funeral and a surprise Nobel prize

SECTION: ECOSSE;FEATURES; Pg. 16,17

LENGTH: 163 words

Politics A date has been set for the Glasgow North East by-election, which was forced by the resignation of former Commons speaker Michael Martin. Labour has selected Willie Bain, a law lecturer, to fight the seat, which will be decided on November 12. The SNP's candidate is David Kerr, while Ruth Davidson will stand for the Tories; both are former BBC journalists. Eileen Baxendale, a councillor and former social worker, will stand for Liberal Democrats and environmental campaigner David Doherty for the Green party. John Smeaton, the hero of the Glasgow Airport terror attack, last month signalled his intention to stand as an independent candidate, backed by the Jury Team. Tommy Sheridan and Kevin McVey are the candidates for Solidarity and the Scottish Socialist party respectively. The BNP have put forward Charlie Baillie. Martin won the seat in 2005 with a 10,134 majority over the SNP. By the time of the election the area will have been without an MP for six months.

LOAD-DATE: October 11, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: STS

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The Herald (Glasgow)

October 9, 2009 Friday Final Edition

Labour candidate clear favourite in two-horse race for Glasgow seat; Campaign finally begins after Speaker's resignation

BYLINE: BRIAN CURRIE

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 7

LENGTH: 566 words

THE by-election to replace former Commons Speaker Michael Martin as MP for Glasgow North East will take place on November 12, five months after he stood down. The Labour Party confirmed yesterday that the writ for the by-election would be moved when MPs return to Westminster at the beginning of next week. Ten candidates are fighting to represent the constituency which is one of the poorest in the UK but the winner is expected to be either Labour hopeful Willie Bain or the SNP's David Kerr with Mr Bain already installed as the bookmakers' clear favourite. Although the date of the contest has only just been announced, campaigning has been under way for months. Mr Bain, 36, a law lecturer and local party activist who lives in the constituency claimed yesterday he had been receiving a "very positive" reception. He said: "People here are furious because Glasgow is being ripped off by the SNP. They've cancelled the airport rail link, cut money from Glasgow's housing and regeneration and want to build schools in other parts of Scotland but none in Glasgow." Mr Kerr, 36, an ex-BBC journalist said after "74 years of labour neglect" it was time for a fresh start. He claimed: "The SNP are supporting the people of Glasgow North East through these tough times by freezing the council tax, phasing out prescription charges, taking real action on crime and investing billions in infrastructure to support local jobs while Labour let people down." Adding some spice to the campaign is John Smeaton, the Glasgow Airport baggage handler, who is standing as an independent. He's backed by the JuryTeam but was embarrassed in interviews following the announcement that he wanted to become an MP by being unable to answer questions on their policies. Hoping to make a comeback to frontline politics is Solidarity convener Tommy Sheridan who was an SSP MSP for eight years. John Swinburne, the former Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party MSP, is also standing and has pledged to give his salary to pensioners and other charitable causes in the constituency if he wins. Fighting the seat for the Tories is another ex-BBC journalist Ruth Davidson, 30, while Eileen Baxendale, 64, a South Lanarkshire councillor and former social worker is the LibDem candidate. Tory candidate Ms Davidson said: "I am delighted that at last this dithering Labour Government has finally decided to set a date for the Glasgow North East by-election. "It is a scandal that people from the area have been without Westminster representation for so many months."

Ms Baxendale vowed to campaign on "the issues that matter to local people" such as the state of the economy, jobs and crime.

The other candidates are David Doherty, of the Greens, Kevin McVey, SSP, and Charlie Baillie, BNP. Glasgow North East was created by boundary changes in 2005. It has the smallest proportion of owner-occupiers in Scotland and the lowest number of people in professional or managerial occupations. The seat contains deprived areas including Possil and Riddrie, Robroyston and Milton. Council figures show it has a working age population of around 57,000 but it has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and around 18,000 people claim benefits. Most of Glasgow's asylum seekers live in the constituency. In 2007 a report on child poverty by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said it had some of the highest rates of child poverty in Scotland.

LOAD-DATE: October 9, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: CAMPAIGN TRAIL: By-election candidate Willie Bain, right, and Labour MP for Glenrothes Lindsay Roy, left, chat to a local resident in Glasgow. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: GH

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The Mirror

October 9, 2009 Friday Scots Edition

DATE SET FOR GLASGOW NE BY-ELECTION; POLITICS

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 10

LENGTH: 110 words

THE Glasgow North-East byelection will take place on November 12, it was announced yesterday. The seat became vacant when speaker Michael Martin stepped down in June. Labour has selected law lecturer Willie Bain, 36, while Eileen Baxendale, 64, is standing for the Lib Dems. Ex-journalist David Kerr, 36, will represent the SNP while Ruth Davidson, 30, is the Tory candidate. David Doherty, 24, will stand for the Green Party. Glasgow Airport hero John Smeaton is contesting it as an independent backed by the Jury Team. Other candidates include: Kevin McVey (SSP), Charlie Baillie (BNP), John Swinburne (Scots Senior Citizens' Unity Party), Tommy Sheridan (Solidarity).

LOAD-DATE: October 9, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Evening Times (Glasgow)

October 8, 2009 Thursday Final Edition

Labour sets poll date for Martin seat; Hopefuls set to battle it out on November 12

BYLINE: STEWART PATERSON Political Correspondent

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 5

LENGTH: 293 words

THE long-awaited Glasgow North East by-election will take place on Thursday, November 12, it has been revealed. The Labour Party will formally move to call the election when the House of Commons returns on Monday. The SNP and Labour will battle it out over the next five weeks along with candidates from at least seven other parties. Voters will chose their successor to former Commons speaker Michael Martin, who had represented the area for 30 years. Mr Martin resigned as Speaker and MP earlier this year following criticism of his handling of the MP's expenses scandal. Labour has come under pressure to set a date for the poll and has been criticised for leaving the area without an MP for so long. The party didn't want to hold the poll over the summer and when they failed to set a date before the Commons broke up for their summer recess it had to wait until this month. Labour have academic and party organiser Willie Bain as a candidate. The SNP have exBBC journalist David Kerr hoping to emulate John Mason's success last year in Glasgow East. The by-election also sees two former MSPs looking to return to politics, with Solidarity leader Tommy Sheridan and Senior Citizens Party leader John Swinburne also standing. Former baggage handler John Smeaton, who shot to worldwide fame following his actions during the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport, is standing as an independent candidate, backed by ex-Tory Party Chairman Paul Judge's Jury Team. Labour remain favourites to hold the seat, but the SNP are expected to at least make inroads into the huge 10,000-plus majority enjoyed by Mr Martin for so long. Eileen Baxendale of the LibDems, Ruth Davidson, Conservative, Kevin McVey, SSP and Charlie Baillie, BNP are the other candidates announced so far.

LOAD-DATE: October 9, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: ET

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Guardian Unlimited

October 8, 2009 Thursday

Glasgow North East byelection will be held on 12 November

BYLINE: guardian.co.uk

LENGTH: 130 words

ABSTRACT Contest will choose replacement for ex-Speaker Michael Martin

FULL TEXT The byelection to replace Michael Martin, the former Speaker, will be held on 12 November, the Labour party announced today. The seat of Glasgow North East became vacant when Martin stepped down as an MP in June. A Labour spokesman said: "We can confirm we will move the writ for November 12. We will move the writ next week when parliament goes back." Martin was replaced as Speaker by John Bercow. Declared candidates so far are William Bain (Labour), Ruth Davidson (Conservative), Eileen Baxendale (Liberal Democrat), David Kerr (SNP), Kevin McVey (Scottish Socialist), Charlie Baillie (BNP), Tommy Sheridan (Solidarity), John Smeaton (Independent/Jury Team), and John Swinburne (Scottish Senior Citizens).

LOAD-DATE: October 8, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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The Sun (England)

September 25, 2009 Friday Edition 1; Scotland

I'll set aboot Westminster; SMEATO'S ELECTION WAR CRY PEOPLE'S CHAMPION VOWS TO CLEAN UP COMMONS

BYLINE: MATT BENDORIS

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 8,9

LENGTH: 1031 words

PEOPLE'S champion John Smeaton last night vowed to "set aboot Parliament" - as he launched an ambitious bid to become a Westminster MP. The airport terror attack hero will fight the crucial Glasgow North East by-election on an independent anti-sleaze ticket. Smeato is battling to succeed shamed MP Michael Martin - who was forced to quit as Commons Speaker in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal. And the former baggage handler insisted victory will see him launch a ferocious fight to clean up politics - from the INSIDE. Last night the Scottish Sun columnist said: "Like most folk, I'm sick, fed-up and really angry with our politicians. "It's time to stand up for the ordinary person and make a real difference." Smeato has joined forces with the new political movement The Jury Team - which is bankrolling candidates across the UK. It will see the 33-year-old, from Erskine, Renfrewshire, slug it out with all the major parties in the Labour stronghold. Anger He'll also face the likes of controversial socialist Tommy Sheridan, in what is being tipped as one of the most hotly contested by-elections in years. In May, ex-sheet metal worker Mr Martin, 64, below, became the first Speaker in 300 years to be ousted after his botched handling of the expenses row. That didn't stop him being rewarded for failure with a peerage - and he will now enter the Lords with the title 'Baron Martin of Springburn, of Port Dundas in the City of Glasgow'. He will also be able to draw a goldplated pension of up to £82,000 a year. Smeato became a worldwide hero when he helped tackle the suicide bombers during the Glasgow Airport terror attack on June 30, 2007. His catchphrase "This is Glasgow - we'll set aboot ye" was a huge internet hit around the world, and he was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal by Her Majesty last year. But he says his anger over expense-fiddling politicians made him determined to stand as an MP. He said: "Even when they were caught out claiming for things like mortgages which had been paid off, they then write cheques for several thousands of pounds as if it was nothing. "I've been an ordinary working-class bloke all my life and I can't afford to write huge cheques willy nilly. And it's our money in the first place. "The big parties treat us all with utter contempt." John has promised not to shy away from controversial issues, including immigration. He said: "We need a clampdown on crime and we certainly need a better health service in the area. "And we need a tougher and fairer stance on immigration." John took a bow at the Labour Party Conference in 2007, after being invited to attend by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He has also been courted by SNP leader Alex Salmond, while the Tories were keen to get him on board. But he has NEVER nailed his colours to any political mast. And Smeato insists that's what attracted him to The Jury Team - because the anti-sleaze movement is not affiliated to any party. He said: "The Jury Team are an organisation that are there to help people like me, who want to have our voices heard and make a difference. "They want independent people in parliament and have made it possible for me to stand. "Like me they are as disgusted by how our politicians are just there to serve themselves." The keen historian added: "Parliament has always been better off when it's had independent members. "The abolition of the slave trade and the building of the railways was all done in Parliament by private members bills. "Independents like me can stand up for what we really believe in. "We don't have to obey the party whip just to get promoted." Smeato will have to overturn Labour's 10,134 majority they held at the last general election - but he's confident he can cause a shock. John - who married his American sweetheart Christy MacPhedran in June - said: "The Labour Party have had 30 years to bring investment and jobs into the area. But I've spoken to plenty of locals and they haven't noticed many changes. "The people of Glasgow North East keep voting Labour back in and they continually get nothing out of it. "Unemployment is still high and drug and gang crime still rampant. "That's why I want them to vote for me as an independent." Voters will go to the polls in November, although an exact date has yet to be set. And Smeato vowed: "I'm ready to rock the boat - and believe me I will. It's time for me to set aboot parliament." mattbendoris@the-sun.co.uk SLEAZE-BUST BID By MATT BENDORIS EX-Tory grandee Sir Paul Judge is the man behind Smeato's bid to stand as an independent MP. The 60-year-old London millionaire became disillusioned with the political system over the MPs' expenses scandals. And it prompted him to set up a new movement The Jury Team - aimed at "cleaning up politics". Last night Sir Paul said: "John has a very strong set of morals and principles - that's the sort of person we need in Westminster." Premier Brands founder Sir Paul, left - who's worth up to £30million - met Smeato for the first time just last month. But he said: "John stands a good chance of being elected." HERE'S WHO IS ALSO STANDING WILLIAM BAIN (Labour) The Springburnborn 36-year-old, who now lectures law in London, was Michael Martin's agent. DAVID KERR (SNP) A 35-year-old favourite of Alex Salmond. He stepped in to replace the party's original choice James Dornan. RUTH DAVIDSON (Tory) The gay ex-BBC radio presenter, 30, was a Territorial Army soldier and Sunday school teacher. EILEEN BAXENDALE (Lib Dem) Ex-social worker, 64, is a South Lanarkshire councillor and campaigns for minority groups. KEVIN McVEY (Scottish Socialist Party) Locallyraised and a union rep for 20 years. Labour expelled him in 1989 for his far-left views. TOMMY SHERIDAN (Solidarity) The controversial 45-year-old former MSP and anti-poll tax activist was leader of the SSP until 2006. CHARLIE BAILLIE (BNP) The sparky stood in 2007 Holyrood poll, and two council by-elections. Also a former Euro candidate. JOHN SWINBURNE (Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party) Pensioners' activist, 79, was MSP for Central Scotland until 2007. 'Big political parties treat us with utter contempt' 'We need a clampdown on crime & better healthcare' 'It's time to stand up and help make a difference'

LOAD-DATE: September 25, 2009

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: Battle ... Springburn in Glasgow North East seat

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SUN

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Morning Star

September 9, 2008 Tuesday

Feature - Around Scotland; Malcolm Burns reviews the latest goings-on in Scotland

BYLINE: Malcolm Burns

LENGTH: 1268 words

Local income tax ploy? The minority SNP government presented us with its legislative programme for the next year as the Scottish Parliament opened last week. Most attention has been paid to the merits and demerits of the plan for a "fairer" local income tax to replaces the "hated" council tax. As far as I can see, there are three main problems with this - the replacement's not particularly fair, it's certainly not local and it would cost Scotland a fortune. Even if the UK Department of Work and Pensions can be forced to allocate Scotland's £400 million of council tax benefit to the Scottish Parliament, as it implacably refuses to do, the proposed local income tax will still leave a shortfall of hundreds of millions of pounds in the budget for funding local government in Scotland. After the freeze, the cuts. No-one believes that the SNP tax is "local." The rate would be set nationally, probably at 3 per cent. And the tax wouldn't even be collected locally by councils, but putatively by the Inland Revenue according to some as yet unknown and uncosted method which the Scottish government hopes will transpire. In fact, it would virtually eliminate local taxation altogether and undermine the last vestiges of local democracy. The fairness claim is also a con. You could devise a local income tax which was fairer than council tax, but this one isn't. What is so fair about a tax which shifts the burden from property owners to workers and, in particular, the much-vaunted "hard-working families" that politicians usually love so much? In short, the SNP local income tax proposal is almost as half-baked as John Swinney's disastrous plan for a Scottish Futures Trust, which has already unravelled so much it hasn't even made it onto the legislative programme. As the partisan vote on Wendy Alexander's punishment over funding fibs showed, the SNP government is a minority administration and it simply doesn't have support for key elements of its programme. Could it be that SNP First Minister Alex Salmond isn't really serious about getting the flawed local income tax proposal on the statute book, but really just wants to claim that Labour opposed the abolition of the "hated" council tax? The end is in sight THE polls close on the Scottish Labour leadership election today and the result is due on Saturday. All the candidates have made much of the idea that whoever wins will have a mandate from the whole party. The way that the votes have stacked up will show that this is not quite the case. The votes in the parliamentary section will largely go to the Establishment candidates for leader and deputy, Iain Gray and Johann Lamont. The MPs and MSPs were mostly gutted and backboned by new Labour HQ before they were allowed to get seats. Sadly, their votes each count as much as hundreds of ordinary members. The interesting thing, though, will be how the constituencies and affiliates have voted. Look out for the proportion who have voted for Cathy Jamieson and Bill Butler. Win, lose or draw, I think that they will demonstrate large support at the grass roots. I think that Butler has done well in his deputy leadership campaign and his vote, in particular, will indicate whether the left in the party is still in fighting shape. Staff keep up pressure UNISON, Unite and GMB unions representing workers for West Dunbartonshire Council are calling on the whole community to support a lobby of the special council meeting tomorrow. Party political control of West Dunbartonshire has been volatile, to say the least. The unions and community groups hope to persuade the warring factions to see some sense and reverse a decision which damages the council's own workers, their families and communities. The unions are justifiably angry about a controversial SNP motion agreed during a council meeting last month, despite a demonstration outside the chamber by hundreds of workers and local people. Effectively, the council voted to withdraw thousands of pounds due in back payments to low-paid women workers, cut public holidays for workers by a third and renege on other terms of an already tough single-status employment deal passed on a Labour motion only three months before. The unions and community groups want the council to think again. The lobby of councillors takes place tomorrow from 1pm at Garshake council offices, Dumbarton, before the council meeting at 2pm. Let's kick the scum out The fascist BNP is putting up a candidate for the Glasgow Baillieston council ward. That's the seat vacated by the SNP as a result of John Mason's victory in Glasgow East. Whether Labour or SNP win the by-election on Thursday September 18, I hope and expect that the citizens of Glasgow will give the traditional hostile reception to the odious BNP candidate Charlie Baillie wherever and whenever he appears. Already, the Glasgow Campaign To Welcome Refugees has mobilised activists to put out Unite Against Fascism leaflets and public-sector union UNISON is throwing its weight behind the anti-fascist action. Let's kick this scum out of Scotland. Last whimper of 'Wendygate' The Scottish Parliament came back from the summer recess last week, not with a bang but a couple of whimpers. One less-than-fizzy firework was the government's legislative programme, some of which is OK, some rubbish and some already doomed because of parliamentary arithmetic. The other whimpering sound was the vote held over from the last session on whether Wendy Alexander (pictured) should spend a day in the parliamentary can for fibbing about donations to her hilarious non-election campaign for leader of the Labour MSPs just a year ago. I would have voted to suspend Alexander for a day. As far as I can see, the rules were broken and she was responsible. Yeah, I know, I'm Mr Probity. But she should count herself lucky. In many jobs, the level of mendacity shown by the Alexander campaign team would have been sufficient for the sack, not just a rap over the knuckles. The lower paid you are, the more likely the sack would be. We should all be so lucky. Alexander's campaign manager Jackie Baillie bleats that her former leader has "paid a very high price." Boo hoo. The Labour Party has paid an enormous price for the casual hubris displayed by Alexander and Gordon Brown in co-ordinating shoo-ins instead of democratic elections for leadership positions. It is paying an enormous price for the casual fraud, perpetrated by its leaders on its members, of seeking donations from business people, hoping to keep them hidden and then spuriously claiming that everything was above board when they were rumbled. Anyway, that sideshow is hopefully now over. Move along folks, there's nothing much to see here any more except a partisan display of the voting strengths and weaknesses in the Scottish Parliament. Labour lined up to get Alexander off the hook. The SNP dutifully lined up on the other side. The Tories all sided with Labour, probably on the basis that they know how it feels to be caught with your hand in the till. The Lib Dems apparently took the notion that this was a free vote seriously and split 50-50. The way to grow old It's always a pleasure to be in the company of Tony Benn. As he ages, he seems to get more optimistic but no less radical, which is a good way to grow old. I caught up with him last week at a meeting with trade unionists in the STUC Centre in Glasgow before he headed off to appear in one of his perennially sold-out stage shows, this time at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre. As he pointed out to the gathering at the STUC, it was the show which had sold out, not the performer. Popular socialism indeed. Encore.

LOAD-DATE: September 9, 2008

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

12 of 14 DOCUMENTS

The Herald (Glasgow)

April 13, 2007

Election nominations: candidates

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 6

LENGTH: 462 words

THERE are a number of additions to the list of nominations for Holyrood published yesterday in our election supplement. Campbell Martin is standing as an Independent candidate for the Cunninghame North constituency seat; Jim Fairlie of the Free Scotland Party should be added to the list of candidates standing in the Perth constituency. The list of parties and individuals standing in the Glasgow regional list has now been updated and includes the following: British National Party 1. Kenny Smith 2. Walter Hamilton 3. Charlie Baillie 4. William McLachlan Christian People's Alliance 1. Abdul Dean 2. John Dunn 3. John Kerr Communist Party of Britain 1. Elinor McKenzie Independent Green Voice 1. Alistair McConnachie Nine Percent Growth Party 1. Neil Craig Publican Party 1. Martin Carroll Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers 1. Derek Cooney We published the regional list for the South of Scotland as provided by the returning officer for Dumfries and Galloway. However, election officials listed candidates alphabetically and not in the ranking decided by the parties. The corrected list is: SNP 1. Christine Grahame 2. Michael Russell 3. Adam Ingram 4. Alasdair Morgan 5. Aileen Campbell 6. Aileen Orr 7. Andrew Sharp 8. Duncan Ross 9. Iain White 10. Andrew Wood BNP 1. Thomas Sweeten 2. Martin Clark 3. Jennie Noble 4. Michael Bell Christian People's Alliance 1. Stephen Cotter Scottish Christian Party 1. William Thompson 2. John Healy 3. Mark Smith 4. Robin Mawhinney 5. James Faulds 6. Coral Thompson 7. Owen Fielding 8. Peter Smith 9. Stanley Hay Conservative 1. John Scott 2. Derek Brownlee 3. John Lamont 4. Murray Tosh 5. Colin McGavigan 6. Bill Stevenson 7. Tony Lewis Green 1. Chris Ballance 2. Abbie Marland 3. Donald McKinney 4. Linda Hendry 5. John Blair-Fish 6. Mandy Meikle 7. Michael Scott Labour 1. Claudia Beamish 2. Jalal Chaudry 3. Margaret McDougall 4. Frank McGowan 5. Kirsty Welch 6. Ali Syed 7. Kirsty Connell Liberal Democrats 1. Jim Hume 2. Patsy Kenton 3. Joe Rosiejak 4. Paul McGreal 5. Iain Dale 6. Catriona Bhatia 7. Marianne Andrews 8. Ruby Kirkwood Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party 1. Don Sharp 2. Isobel Hutchon 3. Alex Park 4. Tom Mulholland 5. John Higgins 6. Alan Eeles 7. David Mathieson 8. Louis Howson Scottish Socialist Party 1. Colin Turbett 2. Charlotte Cameron 3. Denise Morton 4. Norman Lockhart 5. Jamie Hindhaugh 6. Liz Swan 7. Joy McLelland Scottish Voice 1. William Stirling Socialist Labour Party 1. Robert Cochrane 2. Linda Muir 3. Rose Ann Rose 4. Alan Jones Solidarity 1. Rosemary Byrne 2. Graeme McIver 3. James Monaghan 4. Sarah MacTavish 5. Lesley McIver 6. John Dennis 7. Daniel McGregor UKIP 1. Peter Neilson 2. Tony Lee 3. Douglas Watters 4. Helen Hay 5. John Curtis 6. Thomas Findlay Independent 1. Paddy Scott Hogg

LOAD-DATE: April 13, 2007

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: NEWSPAPER

JOURNAL-CODE: GHERLD

13 of 14 DOCUMENTS

Evening Times (Glasgow)

April 12, 2007

Sheridan's mum joins council election race

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 2

LENGTH: 395 words

HIGHLIGHT: Alice Sheridan will be up against SSP's Keith Baldassara

TOMMY Sheridan's mother, Alice, has joined more than 200 hopefuls in the race to run Glasgow. The veteran campaigner will stand for election on May 3 in the new Greater Pollok ward. Across Scotland thousands of local council candidates - including some independents and a new party in East Kilbride campaigning on local issues - have put their names forward under the new proportional voting system. Alice Sheridan will represent her son's new party Solidarity and go head to head with the Scottish Socialist Party, which he co-founded. She will be up against serving SSP councillor Keith Baldassara, once her son's close friend, in what could be a bitter contest. They will fight the new Greater Pollok seat alongside six other candidates, including three Labour hopefuls - Alex Glass, who was the Nitshill councillor until recently, Tommy Morrison and Rory O'Brien. Mrs Sheridan is thought to have a lot of support due to her reputation as being a firebrand campaigner. She stood for election in the early 1990s for Militant Labour and again in 1999 in Battlefield in Glasgow. The 69-year-old, who has beaten cancer and served time in prison, now lives in a sheltered housing complex inCardonald. A total of 207 candidates have declared their intention to fight for council election in Glasgow. That includes four members of the British National Party - Kenny Smith who is to stand in Springburn as well as being on the party's Glasgow parliamentary list, Charlie Baillie, who is to fight Newlands Auldburn, William McLachlan, a candidate for East Centre and Walter Hamilton, who will stand in Shettleston. Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane has announced she will also stand for Glasgow City Council in the new Southside Central ward. Meanwhile, an anti-BNP rally is being organised by Unite Against Fascism in Glasgow today. It will be attended by Chris Geddes of Scots indie band Belle and Sebastian, as well as political and union leaders. The rally at Renfield St Stephen's Church is aimed at creating a broad campaign against the party in Scotland. It is to be attended by Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar, as well as Sandra White of the SNP, the SSP's Rosie Kane and Patrick Harvie of the Greens, who were all MSPs before Parliament dissolved last week. Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and Osama Saeed, of the Muslim Association of Britain Scotland, are also expected to attend.

LOAD-DATE: April 12, 2007

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: NEWSPAPER

JOURNAL-CODE: EVETMS

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