Something fishy over SNP election hopeful who was born in two places

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 21:09

THE Labour campaign in Glasgow North East is to issue thousands of leaflets branding their SNP opponent "two-faced", as the by-election campaign for the vacant seat began to turn personal yesterday.

The attack leaflet, likely to be delivered to more than 30,000 homes in the seat, will highlight how David Kerr, the Nationalist contender, wrongly claimed he was born in Cumbernauld the last time he stood in a by-election, in Falkirk nine years ago.

Mr Kerr, who was born in Glasgow, yesterday blamed the error on "an over-enthusiastic leaflet writer" and accused Labour of running "one of the silliest campaigns in by-election history".

But Labour by-election strategists plan to step up the personal attacks on Mr Kerr, claiming the row shows he had once been embarrassed to admit he was from the city.

Labour also questions his claim to have been born in the Glasgow North East seat. SNP election leaflets declare Mr Kerr was born "in Shettleston". But while his family lived in Shettleston at the time of his birth, birth certificates show he was born in a hospital in the south side.

Read further analysis by Edddie Barnes here

Campaigning in Glasgow yesterday, First Minister Alex Salmond ridiculed the attacks. "Nobody seriously expects David to be born in a hoose," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Kerr added: "We are trying to run a positive campaign and explain what we can do to unlock the potential of this area. The Labour Party wants to run one of the silliest campaigns in by election history."

But yesterday, Tom Harris, Labour MP for Glasgow South, said: "The SNP candidate has tried to blame his staff. If he can not tell you the truth about where he was born – what else is he not telling the truth about?"

The row over Mr Kerr's birthplace resembles the furore which kicked off the Glasgow East by election last year, when the Labour candidate Margaret Curran began her campaign by claiming "I have lived in the East End all my life". In fact, she lived in the south side of Glasgow. She went on to lose the by-election to SNP candidate John Mason.

Glasgow North East is Scotland's safest Labour seat; it was won in the 2005 general election with a 10,000 majority.

But visiting the seat for the third time in five days yesterday, Mr Salmond said: "I'm getting increasingly encouraged by the increased support, so I will be here with David because I think the swing is on for the SNP."

Also campaigning in the seat yesterday, former first minister Jack McConnell accused the SNP government of letting Glasgow down.

Commenting on the recent decision by the Scottish Government to ditch the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, Mr McConnell said: "The city is being ripped off and neglected by the SNP."

Labour campaigners say they believe a major difference between their Glasgow East defeat last year and this campaign is that the SNP had had another year in power. "In that time they've lost some of their sheen," said one insider.

However, the SNP says its polling suggests that the biggest group of voters in the seat are the "undecideds". The Nationalists claim there is evidence that this group will opt for the SNP come polling day, meaning they are still within touching distance of Labour.

Commenting on this article is closed