Business as usual?
So what have our political leaders been saying about the events in Glasgow East? Cataclysm? Or small earthquake in Shettleston, not many voted?
Neither, thankfully. The odd indulgence aside, the SNP has, mostly, disavowed bombast - and focused on demanding policy changes on the issues that concerned the voters in the by-election: food, fuel, the economy.
Labour has sensibly rejected any suggestion that this is a minor matter - while, of course, asserting that the constituency will return their way at a General Election.
However, far from resigning, Gordon Brown said he was going to carry on working in the public interest.
Business, as he wisely didn't quite say, as usual.
Why wisely? Because business as recently usual got Labour into this mess - and won't get them out.
David Cameron called for a General Election (see previous blog.) And the Tories and LibDems traded insults over who had trailed the other two most successfully - and why.
According to the Tories, the secondary message from Glasgow East was that the LibDems were bust.
Absolutely. I can just picture voters going to the polls in Parkhead and saying, grimly, through gritted teeth: "Am I ever going to stick it to those smug LibDem ...........?"
According to the LibDems, this was an awful result for the Tories. OK, so they took third place. Big deal. Where's your Cameron bounce?
Children, enough. This result says very little about either of your parties - except that the Tories contrived to resist a squeeze better than the Libs in line with recent polls. Cease squabbling over the scraps.
Oh, and trade union leader Paul Kenny said there should now be a Labour leadership contest. Not necessarily to kick GB out, you understand. No, no. It would help deliver a strong verdict either way. Aye - as they say in Shettleston - right.
PS: Labour's Scottish leadership contest, delayed because of the by-election, will now get under way. Margaret Curran, anyone? Or might she be charged with regaining Glasgow East at the UK General Election, given that her Holyrood seat faces possible amalgamation?
I'm 
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