2008 Glasgow East by-election

Glasgow East by-election

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Glasgow East parliamentary seat
Turnout	42.25%
First party Second party Third party   Candidate John Mason Margaret Curran Davena Rankin Party SNP Labour Conservative Popular vote 11,277 10,912 1,639 Percentage 43.1% 41.7% 6.3% Swing 26.1% 19.0% 0.6%
MP before election David Marshall Labour Subsequent MP John Mason SNP

The 2008 Glasgow East by-election was a by-election for the UK Parliamentary constituency of Glasgow East which was held on 24 July 2008. The election was triggered when, on 30 June 2008, the sitting MP David Marshall stood down due to ill health.

The by-election was won by John Mason, candidate of the Scottish National Party, who defeated the Labour candidate Margaret Curran. Curran subsequently regained the seat for Labour at the 2010 general election.

The election was significant as it was the second safe Labour seat to be contested, and to be lost, since a downturn in political fortunes for the Labour Party and incumbent UK Labour Government under the Premiership of Gordon Brown, and was also held in the wake of the resignation of the Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament, Wendy Alexander. The seat was the third-safest Labour seat in Scotland, and their 26th safest seat in the UK.