After her party kept the electorate guessing over the weekend, Margaret Curran appeared happy to keep the crowd waiting a little longer yesterday.

For nearly 10 minutes, all that could be seen of the diminutive Labour candidate for Glasgow East and current Glasgow Baillieston MSP was a three-inch high red box parked outside the Co-op on Shettleston Road, around which an expectant hum of photographers, cameramen, hacks, party apparatchiks and activists had gathered.

Until now, the big story of this crucial by-election had been Ms Curran's belated nomination, which was confirmed on Monday night only after four other candidates ruled themselves out, leaving accusations that the former Holyrood minister was the "fifth choice" to defend one of Labour's safest seats.

But the arrival almost made up for the wait. Wearing a red blazer the hue of which would have overwhelmed most digital cameras and punching out tailor-made soundbites which, while they may not have answered her many critics, at least provided a temporary distraction, Ms Curran appeared to be in fighting form.

Taking to the empty soapbox, the 49-year-old said the "Labour fightback starts here" and issued a series of jabs at her SNP rival, John Mason, who she said was "not even interested in Westminster".

The Nationalists had "lost all interest in antisocial behaviour", she claimed. "Their answer to crime is emptying our prisons. We'll have none of that in the east end of Glasgow. They also want to cut central heating and we'll have none of that either."

Why should people vote for you when you were the fifth choice of the party, came one question from the pack. "I am people's first choice and I believe I'm the best candidate," she replied.

How would you manage to serve as MP and MSP at the same time? "If you want a job done properly, ask a busy woman to do it," she countered, risking upsetting male Labour voters.

Has Gordon Brown endorsed your candidacy, has he called you? "Gordon Brown's a very busy man," said Ms Curran, admitting that she had not spoken to the PM. "But I'm sure I'll get a call from him when I win," she added.

As far as galvanising the beleaguered party grass roots, it wasn't a bad start. But when faced with more awkward questions, she faltered.

Having been asked three times about Wendy Alexander's flagship policy of forcing an early vote on independence, Ms Curran eventually gave a response, of sorts. "I am not frightened of the verdict of the Scottish people," she said, adding: "I don't think the Scottish people want independence. But my focus just now is on the issues that matter to the people - poverty, jobs, and regeneration."

Then, surrounded by a throng of balloons, banners, and party members - including fellow MSP Frank McAveety and a megaphone-wielding Glasgow councillor, Alex Glass - the firebrand was away, stopping off at a few shops along Shettleston Road for some carefully orchestrated meetings with would-be Labour voters. Their response appeared to be mixed.

Amid all the badge-wearing supporters that the MSP left in her wake was Alex Brown, 62, a customer at Daddyo's cafe, who has long since lost faith with the Labour Party. Still, he reasoned, at least this election is close enough to force the Labour candidate to campaign on the streets. "I think that's about five minutes in 10 years that we've had," he said.

Yesterday, though was a day for Curran candidates. Not far away, at the Bridge Centre in Easterhouse, was "the one socialist Curran in this campaign" as Frances Curran was described by Richie Venton, the Scottish Socialist Party's trade union organiser, at her launch.

The former MSP, who lost her seat after she and fellow socialists fell out with then party leader, Tommy Sheridan, was quick to point out the differences with her namesake: "The two of us were in the Labour Party at the same time, 30 years ago. She took the career and I kept the principles and that is the difference between the two Currans in this election."