The Glasgow North East community voted with their feet on Thursday with only 20,638 votes being made.

Tommy Sheridan, who came in fifth place with 794 of the votes, believes the low turnout and the rising popularity of the BNP made the Glasgow North East by-election a ‘disastrous night for democracy’.

Speaking before the BNP party’s fourth place was formally announced, he said: "It’s already a sad night for democracy, It will be an even sadder night if the Nazi’s were to take third position tonight but I’m afraid New Labour have to answer for that.

"They have been in power for 12 years and instead of tackling poverty and inequality, they have been too busy lining their own pockets and making it an easy life for the millionaires."

Sheridan, who was the candidate for Solidarity, thinks the low voting turnout was a result of the way mainstream parties have carried out politics over the last decade.

"People are disillusioned, there is disdain all over the place and I think most people are saying ‘curse in all your houses’," he said.

"These people have been caught with their noses in the trough with their expenses claims, they have been caught lying over illegal wars and unfortunately, the rest of us are suffering from that as well."

There were three socialist candidates running in Thursday’s by-election, a situation Sheridan would have liked to have prevented.

"I was the last candidate to launch because we were trying hard to get a united candidate, perhaps not myself but someone backed by the trade unions," Sheridan explained.

"I’m afraid the other two parties rejected that and went ahead and selected their candidates and I think they have got derisory votes tonight.

"I will certainly lead efforts to bring people together." He added: "We do have to unite particularly given the possible vote for the fascists tonight."