THE SNP candidates for the constituencies of Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South in the 2016 Holyrood election have been confirmed.

Irvine West councillor Ruth Maguire won a ballot for Cunninghame South and Kenneth Gibson has been reselected unopposed in Cunninghame North.

The Cunninghame South seat is currently held by Minister for Housing and Welfare, Margaret Burgess, who will be retiring in May next year.

Councillor Ms Maguire, 39, was regarded as favourite to win selection standing against candidates with little or no connection with the constituency.

She is North Ayrshire Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for Finance, Corporate Support and Welfare Reform.

She also chairs the local Violence Against Women Partnership and at national level is a member of COSLA’s Resources and Capacity Executive Group.

A Gaelic speaker originally from the Highlands, Ms Maguire has lived in west central Scotland with her husband and two children for twenty years.

Speaking after the announcement of her victory she said: “I am honoured to have been selected by Cunninghame South SNP as the party’s Scottish Parliamentary candidate for the 2016 election.

“I will do my very best for the members who have placed their trust in me to represent them.

“I am delighted to be selected and eager to begin the hard work campaigning for an SNP win in 2016.” “In Margaret Burgess, I have a hard act to follow, but I commit myself to do everything I can to win this constituency for the SNP next year.” Kenneth Gibson was SNP’s only nominated candidate for Cunninghame North.

If he is elected in May next year it will be his third term as MSP.

Mr Gibson said: “I am privileged to have been unanimously re-selected to contest Cunninghame North as the SNP candidate at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. I want to thank the members, branches and our constituency association for again placing their faith in me.

“Despite the incoherence and infighting that has engulfed our opponents, we will not take the forthcoming challenge lightly and will fight hard for every vote, working hard to retain and build upon the trust and confidence that people have increasingly shown in the SNP over recent months and years.

“There is a huge amount of ongoing work representing Cunninghame North, constituents and communities before we even consider launching an election campaign. Working hard in both the constituency and the Scottish Parliament will continue to be my priorities in 2015 and early 2016.” Kilwinning councillor Joe Cullinane will fight Cunninghame South for Labour while the selection process for their Cunninghame North candidate was postponed until after the leadership and deputy leadership elections.

The Conservatives will field their 2015 General Election candidate Jamie Green in Cunninghame North.