By-election voters wield power

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If the eyes of Britain are on Glasgow East, then the constituents are far from self-conscious.

In areas like Parkhead and Shettleston everyday people rarely give a second glance to the ongoing political circus.

That does not mean, however, that they are ignorant about the importance of the by-election on 24 July.

Voters here know they have the power to cause a political earthquake and maybe even a long-term tectonic shift in Labour's fortunes.

With the party leaderless in Scotland following Wendy Alexander's resignation, Labour knows it is in a dogfight to hold this traditional heartland.

The spectre of recent by-election defeats in Crewe and Henley in England refuses to go away.

Questions over Gordon Brown's tenure in Downing Street also persist, adding to the sense of urgency for those on the campaign trail.

Some believe that a loss here, especially to the Scottish National Party, could precipitate a leadership crisis for the prime minister.

The irony of one of the UK's poorest constituencies delivering a knockout blow to a PM with redistributionist instincts is not lost on the people of Glasgow East.

There's high unemployment, some of the housing is in a terrible state of disrepair, serious drug problems and serious alcohol abuse problems William Caldwell One such voter considering a switch from his traditional loyalties is William Caldwell, who stays in the Calton area.

"It's always been Labour up to now but I have to confess I'm having second thoughts," he said.

"You only have to have a look round the constituency to see that it speaks for itself.

"There's high unemployment, some of the housing is in a terrible state of disrepair, serious drug problems and serious alcohol abuse problems.

"They've (Labour) made noises and token gestures about it but nothing serious has been done."

Mr Caldwell said he had not decided who would get his vote, but if it wasn't Labour, it would probably be the Liberal Democrats.

Another traditional Labour voter, Lilly Dickson, from the outskirts of Shettleston, summed up the party's performance to date as "so-so".

Local issues

She said she hadn't been following the campaign but would definitely turn out to back Labour.

For others, like floating voter John Moore, from Shettleston, there had been no standout candidate during the campaign so far.

"There's been a lot of input from all the parties round the area and they've been doing a lot of talking to voters," he said.

John Moore has yet to decide who will get his vote"I tend to go with the values that the parties put forward on the day and some of them change over time, so you've got to think about that."

Mr Moore said that as a relative newcomer to the constituency he would have to ask friends and neighbours about recent developments.

But he said he was aware of ongoing regeneration in housing and work Glasgow City Council had been doing with young people in the area.

Comments like these on issues such as poverty, crime and housing highlight another irony about this by-election.

While it is these issues which candidates need to address to engage voters, the issues themselves are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The people of Glasgow East have two more weeks of campaigning before they make their choice on 24 July.

In doing so, the stormy waters currently surrounding Labour will either crash against its traditional rock solid support in Scotland or breach the party's best defences and cause electoral damage.