THEY HAVE descended on Glasgow East like vultures: the media commentators who have treated the residents of one of Europe's poorest and most desperate areas as no more than the butt of "sophisticated" jokes; the political analysts for whom the by-election has no meaning outside its implications for the future of Gordon Brown.

Next Friday, when the votes have been cast and the result is known, these people will leave with neither a backward glance nor barely a thought of what this by-election will mean for a constituency that desperately needs help to improve lives that have for so long been blighted by poverty.

This is not a battle for political point-scoring or an excuse for laughing at a community that has largely been failed by the political system. It will have repercussions far beyond the constituency boundaries - not least for a prime minister whose reputation for fiscal probity looks increasingly to have been built on sand and whose grip on power is loosening by the day. This is, or should be, about which candidate and which party is capable of bringing some hope to Glasgow East.

Does Labour deserve to hold on to its 26th safest seat?

It is a myth that the party has ignored this constituency. There have been initiatives and some successes. The Commonwealth Games should bring further improvements. It is, however, undeniable that much of the area continues to suffer from poverty, and that ill-health and addictions continue to ruin the lives of too many of its people. Labour rule has brought relief, but not enough and too slowly.

The question is: how can this by-election best help Glasgow East? A narrow victory for Labour may persuade the party that more needs to be done. A defeat may focus minds on how to shore up support in the next general election. A Nationalist victory may bring a new broom, new ideas, new energy.

If this were an election for the Scottish parliament, we would argue that the SNP has brought a tangible improvement to life in Scotland, both in the sense of a more exciting and dynamic vision of the country and in an increased sense of self-confidence. We would say Labour's London control freakery has prevented the party from formulating a coherent strategy for Scotland. And we would point out that the party's woeful performance in opposition at Holyrood does not merit support from the electorate.

But this is not a Holyrood election. It is a by-election in which the important issues are entirely local.

Our advice to the constituents of Glasgow East, should they want it, would be only this: vote simply for the party you believe will spend more money on your area and provide more support for your lives. Don't vote to bring down Gordon Brown, or to save him. Ignore the "wider" issues; ignore the political analysts, the media commentators and the party hacks. They have ignored you in the past and they will not care about you in the future. Be completely selfish.