Battle commences in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth as General Election is just six months away

And that is despite the fact that Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East is one of the safest Labour seats in Scotland.

Present incumbent, Gregg McClymont has a whopping 13,755 majority but the SNP says it is playing to win in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East.

Especially as its party membership has increased five fold to 1150 following the independence referendum. North Lanarkshire was one of just four areas where the Yes vote triumphed at 51 per cent to 49 per cent.

And MSP Jamie Hepburn believes that the party can take it all the way within this constituency.

He said: “We now see in the opinion polls that many people are currently saying that they will vote for the SNP next year.

“Given our strong base in the area, it means that it is eminently possible for the SNP to win within this constituency.

“Of course, it will require considerable effort, and I am confident that there will be a great number of local SNP activists working hard to see the election of an SNP MP for the area.

“We are in the process of putting our candidate for that election in place.’’

However, Mr McClymont said: “The referendum rollercoaster has brought new life back into our politics in Scotland and has energised the Labour team ahead of the General Election.”

Locally, Labour will be listening to the concerns of voters. This will be be a straight choice between Labour and the Tories. Locally, people understand that the SNP can’t deliver at a UK level.

Only Labour can beat the Tories and with our commitment to an energy price freeze, saving the NHS, a new £8 an hour minimum wage and getting people back to work are exactly the kind of change we need in Scotland”.