LABOUR’S Inverclyde general election candidate has been backed by his party’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman.

The MP, who has previously served as Labour’s acting leader, is championing Gourock councillor Martin McCluskey ahead of next year's poll.

She said: “People in Inverclyde have a choice at the next General Election – they can return an SNP MP to sit on the sidelines, or elect Martin to be part of a Labour government that will change our country for the better.

“I’ve known Martin for many years and worked with him in the past.

“I’ve seen how hard he works and how completely committed he is to his community.

"He knows how to get things done and will be a strong voice for Inverclyde in Parliament.”

Mr McCluskey, Labour’s candidate for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, said: "Harriet has contributed so much to public life in her forty-one years as a Member of Parliament.

"Her recent investigation into Boris Johnson exposed his lies and is a step on the way to restoring faith in public life.

"At the next election, we need to finish the job she started and remove the Tories from government.

“The only way people in Inverclyde can do that is by voting Labour - a vote for any other party risks letting them back in."