Following New Labour’s catastrophic by-election defeat, Solidarity Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan said; 

"This is a historic victory in Glasgow East for the SNP and I congratulate John Mason. Let us be clear it is a victory for a party to the left of Labour.  It is also a disaster for Labour if they don’t learn the lessons and stop attacking the poor, end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and get rid of Trident then next time it wont just be in Glasgow East but in the whole of Scotland where they will suffer. 

Of course in this close election the socialist vote was squeezed and many Solidarity voters no doubt voted SNP to help defeat Labour. However we ran a good campaign with an excellent local candidate and we will now prepare for the Council bye election where in last years Council elections we did very well."

  Solidarity candidate Tricia McLeish said;  "I would like to thank all those who voted Solidarity and I know many more socialists voted SNP to help defeat Labour.  The media, who have descended on Glasgow East for the last three weeks will now leave the constituency and ignore the good people of the area just as they have always done. Solidarity and myself are here to stay however.  Unlike any other party in Scotland we held our conference in Shettleston last year and with the new members that the party recruited during the campaign we will bolster and build a vibrant and campaigning Solidarity branch in the area campaigning on the issues that really matter and raising the banner of socialism.”