The Labour Party is now under new management. We have great new leadership from Keir Starmer.

Our new approach won’t just be different from Jeremy Corbyn but also from Tony Blair. Keir Starmer has a vision not just for the UK but for Scotland too and we certainly need it. The Scottish Parliamentary Elections are in May 2021.

I have read with great interest the comments of prospective SNP candidates for Clydebank and Milngavie. All seem to have only one policy: “independence”.

Simply saying to people we need to break from Westminster rule is a con trick. Every aspect of our life in Clydebank is controlled by the SNP government, and we have an SNP MP, SNP MSP and an SNP-controlled council.

They have presided over 13 years of failure in Scotland.

West Dunbartonshire is one of the places hardest hit by Covid. We, at times recently, have had the highest infection rate in Scotland. It took Labour councillors to force an emergency meeting at West Dunbartonshire to demand that the Scottish Government stop ignoring us and provide essential local testing facilities.

Child poverty in Clydebank remains unacceptably high. Our food bank user numbers are growing every day. Half of Clydebank residents in social housing claim to be in fuel poverty. SNP cuts to local government are four times higher than overall cuts to the Scottish budget.

Figures prove that the attainment gap between the richest and poorest children in Scotland is growing, with West Dunbartonshire figures amongst the worst.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been placed in to special measures after a multitude of failings at their flagship super hospital. We have the highest obesity rates in Western Europe and the highest drug death figures of any country in Europe, doubled from 2008. Wrapping ourselves in a Scottish flag won’t feed our children.

Labour have a plan to build back a better future: action to support jobs, fair funding for West Dunbartonshire, keeping health services local and investing in our schools to ensure every child has the best start with a fair chance and better childcare, and finally Scottish Labour will create a national care service.

Change must come and it starts by supporting and voting for Scottish Labour.