FEMALE representation on Inverclyde Council is at its highest level ever.

Following the recent local authority elections, there are now three women councillors compared with just one last term.

Independent Lynne Quinn, Labour’s Natasha Murphy and Elizabeth Robertson, of the SNP, have brought the Municipal Buildings a much needed boost in female representation.

The unitary council was established in 1996 and there are now more ladies in office than ever before.

Miss Murphy is believed to be the district’s youngest ever female councillor following her election at the age of 25 while Mrs Quinn is thought to be the first woman to represent Gourock since 1935 and Mrs Robertson is the first ever female SNP elected member.

Despite their political differences, the trio are delighted that there are more women actively involved with the council and hope it can be a springboard for many more in the future.

Councillor Robertson said: “It’s much better having three than having one.

“I’m the first to have to get over the line for my party but I’m not the first to have fought hard to do so.”

Inverclyde had one of the worst records for female elected representation prior to the election.

But with an improved number of women on the council things are finally starting to move in the right direction.

Councillor Murphy said: “Nearly a quarter of all candidates at the election were female.

“We had one of the worst gender ratios in Scotland previously so we have done better.

“There’s not a lot of information about what the job entails and more of that would help.”

Gourock representative Mrs Quinn, who has been a local activist for a number of years, believes more women in the council chambers better reflects what is going on in communities across the district.

She said: “People who are active in communities across Inverclyde are mostly women but they perhaps don’t see a councillor to be a role suitable to them.

“It’s great that we’ve all got here but we need to look at what the barriers are and if we can change that then all the better.

“We’ve all got here on merit, it’s not a case of positive discrimination — we’re all community minded.”