Glasgow East

Every traditional reason for voting Labour, either in general or specifically in Scotland, comes together in the East End of Glasgow. It is heavily Catholic, and not voting SNP is an article of faith to Scottish Catholics. It is strongly working-class, not something that can be said about the SNP, to put it at its mildest. And so forth.

But then, Catholics are extremely angry with New Labour, a pure product of student Marxism and of the related anticlerical, pro-Sinn Fein section of the old Irish subculture in this country, and therefore particularly hostile to Catholicism. And no one could accuse New Labour of being either working-class or in any sense for the well-being of the poor; very far from it, in fact.

If Labour does really badly in Glasgow East, then it is in very serious trouble indeed. And these days, it might.

Incidentally, I don't know how many times I have to tell people that the BPA will not be contesting anything before the European Elections next June. That is, assuming that the Electoral Commission lets us. It is now very clear in its absolute determination not to register us. It no longer even acknowledges receipt of the latest rounds of repetitive paperwork that it demands, and would presumably tell enquirers that it had never heard of us. I wonder why.

Oh well, I can't say that I wasn't warned.