KILWINNING Councillor Joe Cullinane has been selected as the Labour Party candidate for Cunninghame South for the 2016 Holyrood elections.

Born and bred in the town, Mr Cullinane has served as a North Ayrshire Councillor since 2012. After graduating in 2008 with a degree in Politics and History he joined the local office of Westminster MP Katy Clark.

He is a member of the Council’s Planning Committee and Local Review Body and represents the Council on the Communities & Lifelong Learning Advisory Panel. He will fight the seat as a Labour and Co-operative candidate.

The selection was welcomed by boss Katy Clark: “I am delighted Joe has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the Scottish Parliament election in 2016. He is an excellent campaigner who will work hard as a candidate and be a strong MSP.

“I have known Joe for many years and he is the candidate to win Cunninghame South back for Labour.” Speaking after his selection Joe said: “It is an honour to be selected as the Scottish Labour and Co-operative candidate for Cunninghame South.

“Over the next two years I will be working hard to win people’s trust and demonstrate that it is Labour values that can and will deliver for this area and the whole of Scotland.” The Cunninghame South constituencey – which includes Kilwinning, Saltcoats and Stevenston – is currently held by SNP’s Margaret Burgess who was elected in 2011 defeating the previous MSP Irene Oldfather (Labour) with a majority of 2,384. Irene Oldfather had been the MSP since the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999 winning three successive terms.

Scottish Parliamentary elections have been every four years since 1999, but the next one is slated for 2016 to avoid a clash with the Westminster ballot.