I have it on very good authority that Grant Thoms has decided not to stand for the SNP in the upcoming Glasgow North East by-election.
The 'Tartan Hero' blogger sent emails to fellow SNP members in his constituency on Sunday as a consequence of a change of heart and a change of mind on whether to stand in the by-election.
Given that SNP HQ had accepted Grant as the only person for the SNP candidacy we can expect some selection issues up ahead for the Nationalists. No doubt the rife speculation is just around the corner (though I think the best gossip is that Grant neglected to include the Springburn Branch Secretary in his Sunday email list!)
Anyway, as much as I think that the SNP are missing out on a first class candidate I must admit to being pleased that Grant will be spared the media circus that this by-election would have thrown his way. The SNP head office, incidentally, will be somewhat relieved they have been spared a difficult situation surrounding its candidate's views on Catholic schools but that's another story...
So, the upshot of all of this is that the door is now wide open for both the SNP and Labour in the race to replace Michael Martin as the MP for Glasgow North East.
(Note - I had this up on Twitter a good few hours ago, met with shock and surprise by some so maybe it goes down as a scoop? (though not has good as others out there) Either way, feel free to follow me here if you happen to have a Twitter account. I humbly admit Twitter is an enjoyable and rewarding experience.)
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5 comments:
Fair play to Grant, by-elections are a totally different beast to working your local patch while 58 others do the same across the country. I don't think I'd want the News of the Screws rooting through my bins.
And at least he pulled out well before the night of the selection meeting, unlike a certain Labour cllr in Glasgow East!
Sad to see Grant missing out at this stage, hopefully he ends up in Holyrood, where every Scottish politician worthy of the name should aspire to be.
I'd chalk it up as a scoop - hasn't appeared anywhere else.
Yep, 58 of your colleagues going through the same process is a much more preferable situation. I wonder if he'd get back into the PPC spot if an SNP candidate was put up and lost out.
Interesting that you think looking to Holyrood is a more "worthy" aspiration MB. Not sure if Anne McLaughlin would budge over so happily anyway.
I note that Grant Thoms stood unsuccessfully for the SNP in the Glasgow Anniesland Westminster by-election in 2000.
Perhaps one by-election is understandably enough for most people in a lifetime.
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