When you're smiling, when you're smiling ...

If you were the Labour candidate in a 'safe' Labour seat would you say

"I am putting my name forward because I'm deeply committed to the communities of the East End of Glasgow. I am hoping to be the Labour nominee in order that we have a spirited campaign in the by-election."

A spirited campaign? Nothing about fighting to win? Is Margaret Curran talking down Labour's chances deliberately or has Labour written the seat off in the same way that Lib Dem activists have written off their party's chances (see Lib Dem Voice)

While we're on the subject, though, there's a fair bit of talk about how Gordon Brown will be mortally wounded if Labour loses Glasgow East to Scotland's Party - the SNP.

Would this be the same body of opinion that said that Brown couldn't survive a poor result in the English local elections? Labour got horsed but Brown stayed in place.

What about the voices that said he couldn't survive Boris Johnson winning the Mayoral election in London - Brown never moved an inch.

Crewe and Nantwich was the first bye-election defeat for Labour at the hands of the Conservatives Since Mitcham and Morden in 1982 - and in that election Labour's former MP, Bruce Douglas-Mann, had resigned the seat in order to stand as an SDP candidate, thus taking the incumbency advantage with him. Brown is still in office.
Labour lost its deposit in Henley but Brown is still in office.

Labour doesn't seem to appreciate just how much electoral trouble it is in, and I suspect that Labour members will allow Brown to remain leader right the way through to a serious cuffing at the next general election - whenever Brown has the courage to call it. Bring it on, I say!