In the first televised debate between the candidates from the four main parties competing for the Glasgow East by-election, Labour’s Margaret Curran came out the clear winner.
Speaking after the televised debate David Cairns said:

'Margaret won this debate hands-down.  She came across as a passionate fighter for the East End, in contrast to the SNP candidate who did not have the courage to even mention his party’s core policy of independence once in 35 minutes. Now we know why Alex Salmond does all the talking for the SNP in this campaign.

“Councillor Mason was complacent over accusations of cronyism in the SNP-run Scottish Government and was out of touch with voters in the East End over the SNP’s planned Local Income Tax.

“In contrast, Margaret showed herself to be the fighter that people who have met her know her to be.  If anyone needed proof of Margaret’s passion for the East End, she surely showed it here. Cllr Mason floundered without having Alex Salmond there to speak on his behalf as he has being doing thus far in the campaign.

“It is telling that in 35 minutes Cllr Mason did not mention independence once. He himself has said that breaking up the UK is his reason for being in politics, and now he is trying to hide that from the people of the East End by not mentioning it a single time. “