Martin Docherty, who is originally from Clydebank but now lives in Glasgow, will stand for the SNP at the forthcoming general election in May.

The 44-year-old said: “Coming from and having worked in West Dunbartonshire for over a decade, I believe I can represent the demands of our community and stand up for the region, to oppose austerity and demand full home rule.

“I want to ensure that West Dunbartonshire has a voice.” Martin grew up in a “very political” family, with his dad being a shop steward during the shipyard strikes of the 1970s.

He told how the impact of successive Westminster governments lead him to become a supporter of Scottish independence.

After joining Clydebank SNP, Martin was elected into the district council in 1992 — becoming Scotland’s youngest councillor, aged 25.

And in 2012, Martin was elected as a councillor for Glasgow City Council’s Anderston ward.

Martin said: “If elected, I will not vote for a Tory budget — I will not vote to pass on the failure of the bankers and the markets to the people of West Dunbartonshire. I will not support austerity which is forcing our community into food banks.

“I will demand full home rule, including the critical job creation powers we desperately need, and I will demand the full devolvement of benefits to Scotland and an end to the DWP’s targeting of our community’s most vulnerable.

“The general election on May 7 is West Dunbartonshire’s opportunity to make our voice heard loudly and clearly. The SNP is now the largest political party in West Dunbartonshire, and third largest across the UK.

“The SNP is not controlled at Westminster but controlled by Scotland. We can force Westminster to listen to the people of Scotland.

“The SNP will speak out against unfair policies like the Bedroom Tax and speak up for social justice for all. And we’ll fight tooth and nail against spending tens of billions on Trident when that money should be spent on public services and better childcare.” Outside politics, Martin enjoys spending time at home with his family and reading about local history, sci-fi, as well as meeting up with his friends.