ON Thursday, we will go to the polls for a UK Election that no one thought was coming and I will be voting for Ronnie Cowan to continue as our MP. 

The announcement is one of the most extraordinary U-turns in recent political history and it shows that Theresa May put the interests of her party ahead of those of the UK. 

It was designed to strengthen her hand in the Brexit negotiations.

A few issues as well as political tactics are always apparent during elections and this election is no different.

However, whoever came up with the idea of Theresa May avoiding both the general public and the tv debates should be picking up their jotters on Friday. 

These two decisions alone have turned a so-called ‘strong and stable’ leader to a ‘weak and wobbly’ by-stander.

We have seen the damage the Tories have done with a small majority; including stopping the WASPI women from receiving their pension entitlement, introducing the ‘rape clause’, cuts to the Motability scheme and the removal of housing benefit. 

We should be in no doubt that even more Tory MPs would mean even more austerity and deep cuts as well as the hardest possible Brexit. 

Could Inverclyde’s economy and social fabric cope with this?
Now more than ever, it’s vital we send SNP MPs to Westminster to campaign and stop the Tory cuts, protect our pensioners, back our essential public services and help households meet the rising cost of living.