Curran refuses to speak next to BNP candidate

Glasgow's election declarations descended into chaos after candidates refused to make speeches on the same platform as the BNP when the result was announced.

As the returning officer announced that Labour's Margaret Curran had taken Glasgow East back from the SNP, and invited her up to the podium to make her victory speech, Ms Curran stood her ground. Standing to the immediate left of the podium was British National Party candidate Joseph Finnie, and Ms Curran was seen to shout: "I'm not making a speech standing next to him."

Ms Curran then walked off the stage followed quickly by the rest of the candidates, to loud cheers from the audience who gathered at the SECC to watch the count.

An angry mob later penned in Mr Finnie and it required the efforts of police officers to prevent the scene turning violent. The BNP candidate, who polled 296, held up two fingers in an apparent call for peace, but it was met by several two-fingered salutes of another fashion and shouts of: "Scum! Scum!"

The disturbance almost erupted into violence when one onlooker appeared to push Mr Finnie, who immediately turned to react and had to be restrained by police.

Speaking following her dramatic exit from the stage, Ms Curran said: "I have not taken the privilege of speaking from the platform. It has been such a decisive victory for Glasgow and for Labour but I am not prepared to share a platform with the BNP, who are a disgrace to Glasgow and a disgrace to Scotland."

Ms Curran's stance was met by shouts of, "Good for you, Margaret!" and applause from supporters.

Ms Curran won the seat from the SNP's John Mason with a majority of almost 12,000 after losing a previous by-election battle in 2008 to him. Ms Curran added: "This is a resounding victory for Glasgow Labour and a damning indictment of the SNP. Glasgow and Scotland are rejecting the SNP because they have failed us profoundly. Labour has the answers and we will not stand by the side of people who will not stand up for Scotland or for Glasgow."

Scotsman