Final fight for votes under way

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Candidates in the Glasgow North East by-election have been fighting for votes, as polling day approaches.

Labour has accused the SNP of being "soft" on knife crime, while the Nationalists attacked their opponents on teacher numbers in the city.

The Tories and Lib Dems said more had to be done to give young people the skills they needed to find jobs.

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday to elect one of 13 candidates as an MP in the constituency.

The Glasgow North east seat was vacated by former Commons Speaker Michael Martin, who resigned amid the Westminster expenses row.

Education 'rip-off'

Hitting the campaign trail, Labour candidate Willie Bain said there was a lot of support for his party's call for mandatory jail sentences for those caught carrying a knife.

"I've lived in Glasgow North East and I know the problems knives cause," he said.

"No one should be afraid to walk the streets at night. It's time the SNP got the message - there is no excuse for carrying a blade."

The SNP claimed the Labour-run Glasgow City Council had allowed teacher numbers to fall by 308 in Glasgow in the past 12 months, despite funding from the Scottish government.

SNP candidate David Kerr, said: "Labour is ripping off children, parents and teachers. The SNP is investing in education in the city, with funding for colleges, apprenticeships, record support for students and plans to build new schools in the city where Labour is shutting them down."

'Ineffective' cut

Continuing the education theme, Tory candidate Ruth Davidson visited North Glasgow College, in the constituency, to highlight the importance of vocational courses.

She said: "For too long, society has valued academic learning at the expense of vocational skills. When Britain recovers from Labour's recession and Labour's jobs crisis, our country will need people with the skills to meet renewed demand."

And Eileen Baxendale, the Liberal Democrat candidate, called for a paid internship scheme for young people.

"Labour's recession risks leaving the poisonous legacy of a jobless generation," she said, adding: "Instead of pouring money into the ineffective VAT cut, we want our young people to not go more than three months without a right of access to a place in work, training or education."