The Labour candidate in Glasgow East sent out a mailshot pleading for support to her Nationalist opponent, it was revealed last night.

Margaret Curran's letter to SNP opponent John Mason said: "I want you to stand up for the east end with me by making sure you use your vote on 24th July."

The letter, which explained how to fill in an application for a postal ballot, said: "I need you to vote for me. Without that I can't do anything."

An SNP campaign strategist said: "This letter confirms two important facts in the Glasgow East campaign - that the SNP's candidate is the only leading candidate living in the constituency and that Labour's campaign is in such disarray they don't have clue about the east end.

"Labour must be desperate for votes if they are targeting the SNP candidate."

But Labour, who welcomed Taggart actor John Michie on to the campaign trail with Ms Curran, said the mailshot reaching out to every single voter in the constituency simply showed the strength of their organisational effort.

"People in the east end are telling me that they want more done to tackle knife crime, clean up the streets and deal with thugs and neds who make too many lives a misery," said Ms Curran.

While the SNP zeroed in on energy prices and inflation, and Labour walked the streets with community wardens to emphasise a concern with street crime, the Greens held the launch of their campaign.

A week after the front runners began their quest for votes, the Green Party's election bandwagon rolled into Glasgow East.

Dr Eileen Duke chose to pose under two community-owned wind turbines, in Easterhouse, to promote their policies of more open spaces, and energy efficient housing.

In an area where they admitted most folk are already living relatively green lives, through necessity rather than choice, the Greens are hoping for more converts, rather than any real electoral success.

Dr Duke, a retired GP, said: "Public transport is expensive, in the last 20 years the cost of going by train or bus has risen more than the cost of motoring. People here are already making green choices because they have to, as 60% do not own a car."

LibDem candidate Iain Robertson visited the National Swimming Centre in Tol lcross which will host events at the 2014 Commonwealth games. He was accompanied by Tavish Scott, his party's newly-declared leadership candidate.

Mr Robertson said: "I look forward to seeing the redevelopment of this wonderful facility and many others in the east end. However, we need a permanent revolution of regeneration.

This must start immediately and not wait for the 2014 games. If we invest in local activity centres, youth clubs, after school groups and sports teams we can keep young people healthy and safe. We can also offer hope to those children from the east end who can strive to compete for Scotland at our east end games."

The Tories welcomed Iain Duncan Smith back to Easterhouse, where his anti-violence, anti-poverty crusade took him on a visit to the Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project with the Tory candidate Davena Rankin.

Mr Mason, visited a community health shop in Barlanark to promote his campaign.

Mason and Nicola Sturgeon, the Health Secretary, later visited pensioner Elizabeth Thompson at her home in Springboig.

Mrs Thompson has recently had her heating installed, as part of the SNP initiative to tackle rising energy costs.