Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Hopefuls hit campaign trail as polling day looms Eight are keen to get messages out
Monklands’ eight General Elec tion candidates are seeing their campaigns enter top gear in the final week of campaigning before polling day.
Voters will be heading to polling stations once again next Thursday – for the seventh time in just three years – for the snap Westminster election announced last month by Prime Minister Theresa May.
Contesting the Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill seat are SNP incumbent Phil Boswell, Labour’s Hugh Gaffney, David Bennie of the Liberal Democrats and Robyn Halbert of the Conservatives; while the Airdrie & Shotts candidates are Neil Gray of the SNP, Helen McFarlane of Labour, Jennifer Donnellan of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrat Ewan McRobert.
The SNP won both seats from Labour in 2015; and representatives of the two main parties told the Advertiser of some of the issues being shared by voters – as all eight hitting the campaign trail in earnest to get their message to voters ahead of polling day.
Coatbridge SNP candidate Mr Boswell said: “Brexit is a very serious concern which people are raising on the doorsteps; there’s concern about the impact on the number and quality of jobs and on conditions, such as the working time directive and zero-hour contracts.
“I’m out every day and there’s no danger of taking things for granted; I’m working as hard as I can and reaching out to people who I’ve helped and to local groups to understand even more of what’s going on in the community and signposting them to each other.
“My campaign didn’t start until after the local elections as that had to take priority, and it’s very encouraging to see that activists are still enthused to get out in numbers and do it all over again, delivering thousands of letters and election addresses to voters.”
Labour’s candidate in the Coatbridge seat is Hugh Gaffney, who is also conducting three canvassing sessions per day to meet voters.
He said: “It’s very busy but really good, and our team is getting bigger and bigger with more support all the time. Voters are fed up with independence and are raising that when I speak to them.
“The NHS and police are also issues that people mention; and I’ve had lots of people giving me encouragement. It’s a large majority to try to overturn at 11,500 but we’re working hard and I think people are coming back to Labour, so it could be close.”
Airdrie SNP candidate Mr Gray said: “The campaign seems that it’s very much being fought on national issues across the country; people don’t want to see another Tory government given a free hand and want to see strong MPs standing up for Scotland.
“Being the incumbent comes with strengths and advantages – I can speak about my 170 surgeries and 3200 cases, opening offices in both Airdrie and Shotts, and my work in parliament.
“It’s a record I’m proud of and people are saying they’re impressed with my work rate over the past two years and would like to see me returned as MP.”
Labour’s representative in the seat is Helen McFarlane, who is also busy covering the length and breadth of the constituency. She said: “It’s been excellent to see that after a few years of tough times, people are returning to the Scottish Labour party in great numbers. People are excited about our plans for a £ 10 minimum wage, protecting people’s pensions, and bringing back control of some industries like our train service.
“Scotland voted to remain as part of the UK and needs politicians to address health and social needs, education and the demand for jobs in Airdrie & Shotts, and move on from the obsession with the constitution. Scotland is stronger as part of the Union.”
Polling takes place from 7am to 10pm next Thursday, June 8.
•See next week’s Advertiser for personal manifesto statements from all eight of the local candidates.