STEWART PATERSON, JULIE PRICE and MICHAEL McGARRITY

While his campaign team made light reference to renaming Empire biscuits as freedom biscuits, independence biscuits, or even fiscal autonomy biscuits, SNP candidate John Mason and yesterday's designated "big gun" John Swinney, the Finance Minister, were only concerned with turning up the heat on Labour as they visited an east end bakery.

Despite weekend polls showing Labour still 14 points ahead of their nearest rivals, both were still confident that in 10 days they will secure a historic victory.

After posing with a strawberry tart outside McPhie's Bakers in Shettleston Road, Mr Mason said: "We are aiming at a 22% swing and we have made up 16%. Already this constituency has turned from being a safe seat for Labour to a marginal."

Mr Swinney said: "We started off 47% behind and after a week of campaigning that is down to 14%.

"This is now about electing another Labour MP to Westminster to support a government that is failing to protect households from rising food and fuel prices or electing someone like John Mason who will speak up on their behalf on these issues."

Asked if the predicted "political earthquake" was still coming to the east end, he said: "Yes, we have made fantastic progress in the first week. We have eroded a commanding lead.

"A lot of Labour voters have told us they are switching and we expect to see even more between now and the election."

Labour eschewed the bakery and instead opted for Gladiators, a children's initiative to tackle obesity.

Margaret Curran visited the programme in Easterhouse that works with 2000 children a week to address obesity, health and antisocial behaviour issues.

Ms Curran said she backed reported Westminster plans to bring knife victims and their attackers together.

She said: "I would support the Westminster government, to illustrate the real impact that knife crime has.

"I think some people don't realise the dreadful consequences of carrying a knife and I believe we need to stamp down urgently and effectively on knife crime, and that's part of it, showing people the real human consequences of using a knife."

The Conservative candidate Davena Rankin, chaperoned once again by Scottish party leader Annabel Goldie, dropped in on the Co-op in Shettleston, where she bemoaned the lack of facilities for young people.

She said: "There should be safe places, like internet cafes, where young people can meet up, hook up to the internet and have a drink of juice. Nothing posh, just somewhere warm, safe and secure."

Few passers-by seemed interested in the Tories. But brothers Derek, 28, and Marc Gattens, 29, gave the candidate their tuppence worth.

Derek said: "There is nothing for young people to do around here. The only place to go is one park which is known as the stain pit' because it is full of stains. People just end up turning to cannabis, or worse."

The Tories left knowing they will have to work even harder than the SNP to turn the trend of Labour voting in Glasgow East. The Gattens brothers admitted that if they had to vote it would be for Labour since that is who their mother always went for.