By the time Thursday the 24th of July comes along, Labour will be thinking they have fought an election campaign already. And that is just to get a candidate in place to fight the Glasgow East by-election!
Firstly, Councillor George Ryan pulled out of the selection meeting at the last minute, citing the catch all "family reasons" for his decision. The other two candidates were then told the meeting would be cancelled, effectively saying to them that they will not be chosen to be the Labour candidate.
How Labour can afford to turn away two people who are actually WILLING to stand for the party is beyond me, but that is another story.
So, after the dead cert for the candidate withdrew, Labour apparently were scurrying about looking for someone to stand. The leader of Glasgow City Council, councillor Steven Purcell was apparently asked but he ran a mile.
According to the Sunday Herald, eventually Margaret Curran MSP is going to be asked. And she was fourth choice.
But this is just incredible short-sightedness in my opinion. It is just solving one problem by creating several more.
For one, it would probably mean a further by-election in this area if Curran was to resign her Baillieston MSP seat. How would the electorate take to that?
Secondly, she is one of the likely contenders to replace Wendy Alexander as leader in Scotland. They haven't got many to choose from as it is, so if another one were to go, you'd be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Of course, Labour may have a masterplan up their sleave just waiting to be delivered in the shape of John Reid.
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