Glasgow East by-election: Candidates answer YOUR questions

Scotsman.com has teamed up with our partners at Yoosk to give you the chance to question the candidates in today's Glasgow East by-election.

This is a selection of your answers:

Answers from John Mason:

'bmcall' asks: "The Scottish Labour Party has been making much of your hardline stance on an independent Scotland. If a referendum on independence returned a "no" response, can you say definitively how long you would wait before a second referendum?"

John Mason answers: "The SNP Government began a National Conversation with people across Scotland on our constitutional future last summer. The National Conversation has engaged people and organisations across the country and we will continue that work towards a referendum on Scottish Independence in 2010. A referendum I hope and expect we will win. The question of a second referendum is not one I plan on having to face, however based on previous experience with the defeat of the devolution referendum in 1979 and a second devolution referendum in 1997 I would expect it to be a generation before the question was put to the people of scotland again."

'Wrighty@ asks: "Could you guarantee voters that an independent Scotland wouldn't mean an accompanying lowering of the standard of living - especially in areas like Glagow East?"

John Mason answers: "The most recent figures on Scotland's economy show that with only 85% of oil revenues from the North Sea coming to Scotland the Scottish economy would be in a far healthier position than that of the UK, infact it would be in surplus whilst the UK economy currently has a huge deficit. With such a resource at scotland's disposal living standards would be on the increase. Norway, which is of a similar size and population with a similar north sea oil industry is recognised as having one of the highest living standards in the world. The Norwegian government has also taken action to insure itself against declining oil reserves by investing some of the revenue from oil in an oil fund that is able to invest in new technologies and industry, support pensions and provide a long term gain from oil resources. I would want to see Scotland take the same action and hope that my election will lead Gordon Brown to return a share of the current oil windfall to Scotland to start such a fund."


Answers from Davena Rankin:

'Stacey' asks: "This is a quote from a Glasgow East constituent: ""He (Cameron) seems like a nice wee laddie, but he's from another planet," says one. "He's got nothing in common with people here or people in South-East London or with people in Belfast". How will the Tories ever overcome this perception in areas like glasgow East?"

Davena Rankin answers: "We are already overcoming this perception – the reception that David Cameron got when he visited was fantastic. I have met people all over the constituency who will be voting Conservative for the first time in their lives, and the reason they are doing this is that they can see we are a force for positive, safe change."

'Simpson' asks: "This by-election is a two horse race, and the Tories are not one of the runners, so would you consider urging Tory supporters to vote tactically for either the Labour or SNP candidates? And if so, which one?"

Davena Rankin answers: "Firstly, I am in it to win it. And secondly, I don't believe in voting tactically, you should vote according to what you believe. And if you want a positive, safe change, then you'll be voting Conservative."