London Labour fires the starting gun for the Inverclyde by-election; SNP Candidate Anne McLaughlin gets the trainers on to whizz about gathering votes

Dear All

The Battle of Inverclyde has started to select an new MP for Westminster.

Labour has fired the starting gun for the by-election contest.

This by-election is being held after the sad passing of David Cairns, a former minister who died last month aged only 44.

Far too young for anyone!

In the Commons, the Labour Party's chief whip, Rosie Winterton, stood up in the House of Commons and formally moved the writ.

In doing so, she automatically triggering the contest for the Inverclyde seat on June 30.

In the nearest equivalent Holyrood constituency, Greenock and Inverclyde, Labour's Duncan McNeil held on with a majority of 511 in the Scottish Parliament election last month.

So, the seat is winnable for the SNP if the hard work is put in and the candidate and campaign team work as hard as John Mason did in Glasgow East in 2008.

That boy knows how to work.

Labour has selected Inverclyde Council leader Iain McKenzie to defend Mr Cairns' former Westminster seat so he already has a persona in the community.

For the SNP, local girl and former Glasgow MSP Anne McLaughlin will contest the seat for the Scottish National Party.

So, it’s all singing and all dancing in Inverclyde.

But the starting gun has been fired by Labour, so we’re off!

And if we are very lucky, the people of Inverclyde might, just might see a real Tory in the shape of David Cameron walking about, trying to ask for votes.

Be easier to ask for a miracle.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University