THE SNP will have several candidates vying for your vote come North Ayrshire Council election day on May 5, and they were keen to express why they should receive your votes.

Speaking following the announcement of candidates earlier this month, Councillor Tony Gurney said he was delighted at the diverse range of candidates the party has.

With 10 women running across the county, this in fact makes up a majority of their 17 candidates in total.

The council hopefuls issued a joint statement ahead of the election, stating why they believe they are the right choice.

They said: “As everyone knows the last few years have been particularly difficult. The Tories in Westminster have caused the greatest hardship since the Second World War.

“The default approach of the Labour administration has been to constantly blame the Scottish Government for everything the Tories are doing at Westminster.

"This has contrasted sharply with our efforts to engage and work with our people and our communities and to then take those issues directly to the Scottish government.

“In the face of the worst instincts of the Tory party who have introduced policies aimed squarely at their donors rather than families, who have gleefully introduced the privations caused by Brexit, who have rigged the tax and national insurance policies to benefit the millionaires and not the mums, the SNP have still managed to reduce the cost of living for families in Scotland by 31 per cent compared to the rest of the UK.”

Running locally will be: Ardrossan: Tony Gurney and Jim McHarg; Saltcoats and Stevenston: Jean McClung and Davina McTiernan; Kilwinning: Scott Davidson and Sheila Gibson; Garnock Valley: Anthea Dickson and Margaret Johnson and for Arran (not pictured): Steve Garraway.