Tory candidate would keep her council role

However, she has pledged to donate her councillor’s £16,927 salary to a trust fund for her constituents.

Ms Mechan is standing just weeks after winning the Bearsden North ward in the local government elections.

She said: “The timing of the election isn’t ideal but I haven’t packed my bag for Westminster yet. Neither should Jo Swinson nor John Nicolson”.

A resident of Westerton, Bearsden for the past 14 years, Ms Meechan added: “What I would do is I would maintain my council work.

“I would donate my council salary. I would set up a trust fund to be used for the residents of Bearsden North until I decided whether to step down and call a by-election, but I certainly won’t be 
drawing two salaries”.

She stressed the importance of being a resident in the area and living with local issues and described her Lib Dem rival’s campaign as “confusing”.

Ms Mechan said: “Jo Swinson’s literature coming through my door talks about health and education. Those are devolved issues.

“If you are standing for Westminster, your job is to represent East Dunbartonshire at Westminster.”

Both Ms Mechan’s parents worked for the NHS. Her father was a dentist and her mother, a speech therapist.

Her grandmother Mary McAllister was the first nurse to be elected as an MP in 1958 — for the Labour party.

She joked: “Where she was blue Labour, I’m red Tory.”

Of the Conservative plan to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners, she said she didn’t believe this should be applied in Scotland, particularly 
because of the cold climate.

She added: “We are allowed in the Scottish Tories to deviate a bit where Scotland’s situation is a bit different.”

As far as Brexit is concerned, The Tory candidate said she was a “Remainer but not a Remoaner” and added: “Theresa May is a fabulously competent person. I cannot think of anyone better to get the best deal for Britain.”

One of Ms Mechan’s priorities is to oppose another independence referendum.

She said: “I believe in 
a Scottish Parliament because I want a strong Scotland 
within the UK”.