THE Scottish Conservatives have selected their candidate to take on Dr Philippa Whitford in the Central Ayrshire seat in next month’s election.

Ayr native Caroline Hollins has been tasked with trying to overcome the majority that the SNP currently hold in the constituency.

The Tories came third in 2015, almost 5,000 votes behind Labour and 18,000 behind the SNP.

Caroline was brought up in Ayr and attended Ayr Academy. She now lives in Ayr.

She started her nursing career in Ayrshire and spent eleven years as a Midwife in Ayrshire Central Hospital, Irvine.

She has published papers on pregnancy and child birth which have been acknowledged globally.

She is particularly interested in women and children’s health and well-being and she is currently a Professor in Maternal Health at Edinburgh Napier University.

This is Caroline’s first foray into politics and she is looking forward to a short, sharp and successful campaign.

Caroline said: “Building on the recent success of the local elections, I call on all people who do not want another independence referendum to give me their vote in this election and send a message to Nicola Sturgeon to start to improve the government of Scotland and Ayrshire and forget about causing yet more division in the country.”