THE Labour Party have this week announced who their candidate for May’s Scottish Election in the Cunninghame North Constituency.

Johanna Baxter, who grew up in Saltcoats, was announced as the candidate on Sunday afternoon.

After her selection, Johanna said: “To be selected as a candidate to represent the area you were born and raised in, for the Party you have dedicated your life to, is the greatest honour.”

The daughter of well-known local jeweller, John, Johanna is married to Mark and they live in Skelmorlie. She is currently a trade union official and an elected representative of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee.

Johanna will be standing against incumbent MSP, the SNP’s Kenneth Gibson, who is hoping to be elected for a third term in office and Jamie Greene, of the Scottish Conservatives, who also stood at the General Election, coming third behind the SNP and Labour.

The Labour candidate is up for the fight and is keen to get her message across that there is more than just nationalism and the SNP available to locals in the constituency.

She said: “Kenny Gibson and the SNP have been in government now for eight years - they have had the power to transform people’s lives for the better in that time but they have not done so.

“Since they came to power more children than ever before are leaving school unable to read, our police numbers have been cut, the funding for our local council has been cut and there’s not enough social housing to meet demand.

“People’s lives have got more difficult and rather than seeking to improve them they’ve been arguing about the constitution and trying to blame everyone else.

“This is one of the most beautiful areas of the country and yet we still have one of the highest levels of unemployment in the country - I will be arguing for the inward investment we desperately need to bring good quality jobs to our area.

“I will be arguing for a bold and fair tax policy to reverse the Tory cuts being passed on by the SNP to local authorities and education and I’ll be arguing for more help for first time buyers struggling to buy their own home.

“Given the choice between using the powers available to us or making cuts, I believe we should choose to use the powers available to the Scottish Government today to avoid cuts, to invest in our future and protect our children’s education. “And I’ll provide a voice for those the SNP are leaving behind.”

Johanna said: “If Kenny Gibson thinks he’s simply going coast to victory in this election he can think again. You don’t need to be a nationalist to have pride in this place.

“I love our local area and will work tirelessly to regain your trust in Labour.

“If you elect me your will be electing someone who will fight for you with every fibre of their being.”