Speaking as he joined Glasgow East SNP candidate John Mason on the penultimate day of campaigning before Thursday’s by-election, Salmond said: 

"People in Glasgow and across Scotland are suffering from rising energy costs, rising household bills, and a range of other financial pressures.

"Yet Labour are doing nothing to help – instead they're fuelling the fire. Enough is enough, and people in Glasgow East can call a halt in this by-election.”

Cllr John Mason continued:

"With reports of food costs rising by 7 per cent and petrol prices increasing by over 20 per cent in the past 12 months, budgeting for household bills is becoming increasingly difficult for many people in Glasgow East. Now the added threat of increased vehicle duty will serve to make life even harder for innocent bystanders in Glasgow East.

"The London Labour Government's response has been inadequate. Labour had the chance in the House of Commons on 2nd July to reduce fuel costs at the pumps, leading to a reduction in people's travel costs, and in the cost of all the goods in the shops transported by road, yet they voted against easing the burden on hard working families.”

He added:

"This by-election allows the people of Glasgow East to send a strong message to Gordon Brown that they want action on these fundamental bread and butter issues. The SNP is on their side and by electing an SNP MP they will send a message that they want a change of direction and not more of the same." 

Meanwhile Labour’s candidate Margaret Curran said that she will "never, ever talk the east end down.”  

Speaking as she visited a hi-tech employer in Glasgow East, the MSP for Glasgow Baillieston said: 

"The people in this community are sick and tired of being talked down - from the Nationalists comparing the area to the Gaza Strip to sneering Tory commentators deliberately ignoring the improvements of recent years.  

"What we need to do is get more people off benefits and into work at places like the one I am visiting today."

Davena Rankin, Scottish Conservative candidate in the Glasgow East by-election also praised the “spirit and endeavour” of the people of Glasgow East.

Speaking as she visited the fitness suite at the Tollcross Leisure Centre Rankin said: “The social problems and challenges facing many here have been well aired and are problems which face communities around the country.

“But what has not been highlighted often enough is the spirit and endeavour of the people of Glasgow East – the hard working families, the voluntary groups, the small businesses, the everyday people living everyday lives who work together to create this fantastic collection of communities.

“Glasgow East has great people, some great facilities and our job as politicians is to work with them to keep building a better future for them all.”