Osama Saeed for Glasgow Central

It's about time I got round to telling my blog readers the news that I have been selected as the SNP's candidate for Glasgow Central at the next Westminster elections.

I look forward to expending my campaigning energies to get elected, and thereafter to represent the interests of my constituents.

The next general election will in my opinion be the last ever election to Westminster held in Scotland. 60% of Scots believe that we'll be independent within a decade. So much has changed in the last two years - remember people laughing at  Alex Salmond's claim in 2005 that the SNP would win 20 Holyrood seats to take power? How many seats did we win in May this year? That's right. This is why the unionist parties in Holyrood oppose a referendum on our constitutional future. They know that if it's set, the SNP will win the argument.

To achieve independence, it's essential that there be a lot less Scottish MPs in the House of Commons carping about how Scotland is too wee and too poor. They shamefully put their careers before their country. Very simply, turkeys don't vote for Christmas, and Labour's turkeys aren't going to vote for all our Christmases.

It would be a privilege to be part of the dynamic team of SNP MPs in the Westminster Parliament. When it comes to the issues that matter for us in London - the economy, energy, broadcasting, nuclear weapons - it is only the SNP MPs that can be trusted to stand up for Scotland. The handful of them there have for the last few years been acting as the only effective opposition on the big issues. Earlier this year they forced the first Parliamentary debate on Iraq after the invasion, as well as putting impeachment proceedings against Tony Blair in front of the House. It was Angus MacNeil that instigated the cash-for-honours investigation.

After independence, the House of Commons will certainly miss us. The party provide very good opposition, but as we've seen for the last few months, we're not bad at government either. No doubt the popularity from this will help in the Westminster campaign.

The SNP will be in Glasgow Central to win it. In May, Govan fell to our charms, while we were a whisker away in Kelvin, with major bits of both being part of the bigger Glasgow Central. It helps whenever a sitting MP retires, and Mohammad Sarwar standing down will have an impact. His replacement for Labour is his son. It's a transaction I look forward to charging 100% inheritance tax on.

Comments

[asmwp]

Is Sarwar's son not in jail?

[HTK2007]

Osama,

You are by far one of the most eloquent, talented, articulate and big-hearted individuals that the Muslim community has to offer.

You have taken a lot of (unjustified) critcism over the past few months, however, that has not stopped you from working tirelessly on behalf of the good citizens of Scotland who want to live in peace and harmony.

Can I take this opportunity to wish all the best for the upcoming campaign and hope that one day you will be able to make Scotland proud.

Take on the war criminals and hit them hard. Show them up to be the liars and charlatans that they really are.

iA you will win - Go on my son, I certainly am proud of you!

WS

PS Remember the colour Red symbolizes blood... Millions of peoples blood!

[Mountjoy]

This is excellent news. I may be working in Glasgow by the time of the next general election, so if I live in Glasgow Central you will definitely have my vote. Good luck.

[Abu Sinan]

Here's hoping you win, Insha'Allah. Here's also hoping to a free and independent Scotland in the near future!

[joe90]

Osama,
you and the SNP almost received the ultimate accolade, the imprimatur which would have meant you would have joined the pantheon of the world's liberation movements!

New http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7075988.stm>Labour 'shift' over independence
BBC 03 Nov 2007
Mr Cairns warned his party that it had to find a way of articulating "an innate pride in Scotland" without the "reactionary nationalism" of the SNP.

If only this New Labour robot had said "radical nationalism". Still, now New Labour is trying to steal the SNP's clothes, as well as the Tories and the BNP's - that is recognition at least.

I love it when New Labour accuse anyone of being 'nationalist' - they are the biggest British nationalists of the lot, not only that, British Imperialists as well, which in my book amounts to the same thing.

Fancy being accused by New Labour of not wanting to follow your American orders and butcher and maim millions of innocent defenceless people in Lebanon, Palestine (WB & G), Iraq and Afghanisan - you should plead guilty as charged!

All the best Osama!

ps
'Reactionary nationalism' in action -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7075724.stm>Campaigners make Trident protest
BBC 03 Nov 2007

And at the opposite end of the spectrum of humanity, which doesn't even qualify for reality as the rest of us knows it - we have New Labour's best pals dropping the same nuclear bombs the rest of us are trying to get rid of -
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18652.htm>USAF Struck Syrian "Nuclear" Site
Information Clearing House
from JPost.com staff
02 Nov 2007

I don't quite know what to make of this report from JPost - the link to Al Jazeera seems to be in Arabic. A precis-type translation would be handy.