Ballad of Glasgow East

We are of course awash with comment on the Glasgow East by-election; evidently it would be a gross dereliction not to discuss the whole ghastly topic here. But taking my lead from Tom Freeman, I'm going to impose a poetical restriction. Instead of the limerick, however, we're going to be a bit more parochial. Scotland rejoices in a poet who achieved greatness in the genres of both reportage and disaster lays, and was also a sorry judge of his own talent. Taking all things into consideration therefore, it seems the case is well met by William McGonagall:

'Twas in the early hours of July 25 2008

That Scottish Labour met its grisly fate

For that was the night that the SNP were elected in Glasgow East

A momentous and politically damaging event to say the least

Alas! their sizeable majority was swept away

By voters anxious to have their say

By sending a message to Gordon Brown

That with petrol prices up he had grievously let them down

And so the balance of power shifted to Alex Salmond

Who found victory as sweet as a sugared almond

He declared that the people of Scotland had spoken

And of forthcoming SNP gains in Westminster this was surely a token

Pundits too were quick to seize this

As further evidence for their oft-preached thesis

That Gordon Brown's days were surely numbered

And that by him the Labour Party was sorely encumbered

Cameron claimed that this was one more rejection

Of Labour and called for a snap election

Tho' he knew this was a proposal of which Brown could only have thought ill

He wanted another chance to accuse him of lacking bottle

Contributions gratefully accepted...