Labour's Alan Gemmell kicked off his campaign to become the next MP for Central Ayrshire on Wednesday.

Following the announcement that a General Election would take place on July 4, the former diplomat immediately launched his bid in Prestwick and Irvine on Wednesday. 

In a speech to locals and Scottish Labour activists, Alan said: “I am proud to launch my campaign to be the Scottish Labour MP for Central Ayrshire.

"I grew up here and I live here so I know that our community deserves better than the past 14 years of Tory failure and 17 years of SNP broken promises.

“Over the next few weeks, I will set out my plans to change Central Ayrshire for the better. Together we can make the changes Central Ayrshire needs.”

He pledged the Labour Party would:

  • Make work pay, with a New Deal for Working People that will deliver wages that people can actually live on.
  • Set up GB Energy, a publicly-owned clean power company, headquartered in Scotland, to cut bills for good and create jobs.
  • Deliver economic stability so we can grow our economy and keep mortgages and prices low.
  • Cut NHS waiting times by investing in our NHS and funding more appointments in Scotland.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said: “This is a chance to change Central Ayrshire with Labour.

“Over the course of the last four years, we have changed the Labour Party and returned it once more to the service of working people. All we ask now is to do exactly the same for our country. 

"A vote for Labour is a vote for economic and political stability, an end to Conservative chaos, and a to deliver the change that Scotland needs." 

The current MP for Central Ayrshire, the SNP's Dr Philippa Whitford, announced some months back that she would step down at the next election.

This time round, the SNP candidate for the seat will be local activist Annie McIndoe while David Rocks has been confirmed as the candidate for the Conservatives.

At the 2019 election, Dr Whitford came top with a 46.2 per cent share of the vote, second was Derek Stillie for the Conservatives with a 34.8 per cent share, third was Labour's Louise McPhater with a 14.1 per cent share and Lib Dem Emma Farthing was fourth with 4.9 per cent of votes.