Labour dominate Glasgow. But will David Cameron notice?

By Graham Fraser
Protest: The BNP's Joseph Finnie at the centre of the action© STV

While the people of Britain wait to find out what government will be formed in Westminster, the people of Glasgow sent a clear message on election night. They want Labour in Number 10.

Labour won everything in Scotland’s largest city. I am sure that if a raffle had been held to break up the proceedings, they would have walked away with a nice hamper and some signed football strips from the Old Firm.

The first result of the night was not a Westminster one, but the by-election of the Drumchapel and Anniesland ward on Glasgow City Council. This by-election was sparked by the resignation of Steven Purcell but, despite some negativity which has surrounded the Labour Party over the departure of the ex-council leader, their candidate - Christopher Hughes - won comfortably.

After Labour held Glasgow Central and won Glasgow East back from the SNP by a comfortable margin, the secondary story of the Glasgow election count was revealed. There was always going to be animosity between candidates and supporters of the British National Party and their counterparts from the various socialist groups.

At the Glasgow North East by-election last November, the BNP’s candidate Charlie Baillie was booed and heckled throughout his speech by the socialists and others. That night, the rest of the candidates voted with their feet and left the stage as Mr Baillie was speaking.

This time around, a fracas kicked off when a BNP supporter was apparently filming the protests against them. The protesters did not like this at all, and police had to stand between the two.

Joseph Finnie’s the BNP’s candidate for Glasgow East, was at the centre of it all and when he shouted "British jobs for British workers", I thought for a brief moment there would be some fisty cuffs. Thankfully there wasn’t, although James Nesbitt - SSP candidate for Glasgow Central - gave Mr Finnie a wee shove on the back.

The British National Party received 4,564 votes from across the seven Glasgow constituencies - one in every 50 people who voted.

But it would be wrong to think the BNP was the big story of the night. Labour’s dominance is what I will remember from the SECC. Glasgow, as expected, voted red. However, thousands and thousands of people across England and Wales voted blue. The Conservatives took many of their target seats and some that weren’t even in their wildest dreams.

If David Cameron moves into Number 10 in the coming days, the people of Scotland’s largest city will be hoping he doesn’t ignore the fact that some people rejected his call for change.