Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney visited Robertson Park alongside SNP candidate Gavin Newlands on Sunday to take in the town’s food and drink festival and meet the campaign team pounding the streets with just hours to do until polling stations open.
Current polling projections have the Paisley and Renfrewshire North seat on a knife-edge, with Electoral Calculus predicting just a few hundred votes could separate the parties when the votes are counted in the early hours of Friday morning.
The SNP’s candidate made clear that it is all to play for in Renfrewshire and that every vote matters.
First Minister John Swinney told activists gathered in Robertson Park: “Keir Starmer will be the next Prime Minister. The real question is, who do we trust to put Scotland’s interests first.
“Labour MPs who will quietly stand behind Keir Starmer as he imposes more austerity and ignores Scotland’s interests, or strong SNP MPs like Gavin who will always fight cuts and stand up for Scotland?
“Labour and the Tories both support £18 billion of cuts which will be disastrous for our public services. These cuts are a political choice.
“Let me be clear – we will never choose austerity.
“We will choose to fight the cruel two child benefit cap, we will choose to keep the NHS in public hands, while Labour talk about more privatisation.
“And we will always choose to put Scotland’s interests first.
Gavin said: “I was delighted to welcome our First Minster to the constituency and he was overwhelmed with the reception he received from the voters of Paisley and Renfrewshire North.
“As we enter the final few days of the campaign my campaign team and I are hitting doors across the constituency in our final push to get our message across to as many people as possible.
“It has been humbling speaking to constituents that I’ve helped over the years tell me the difference that help has made in their lives – and it’s that work as our constituency’s MP that above all I want to carry on after polling day if I’m re-elected.
“The choice is clear this Thursday – more austerity repackaged by Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party or strong voices at Westminster standing up for our communities and standing up for Scotland.”
Headline photo: John Swinney talks to voters at Robertson Park alongside SNP candidate Gavin Newlands