A FORMER councillor is calling for more to be done to tackle poverty in East Renfrewshire.

Douglas Yates has expressed his concern about the number of people in the area who are struggling to make ends meet.

And he has urged those in power to look at ways in which to ease the misery.

“Barrhead, Neilston and Uplawmoor are well-known for their community spirit,” said Mr Yates. “These are places where people help each other and have compassion for their neighbours but, in Levern Valley, there are hundreds of households whose lives are restricted because they are fenced in by poverty.

“We need to turn compassion into action. We need to put this situation right so that everyone has a decent standard of living that allows them to grow and progress in their lives.”

Mr Yates wants those in power to reshape the economy to prevent people getting “swept into poverty by the currents of unemployment or low incomes.”

He added: “We can make sure that the services we all rely on – like the NHS, education and social security – are properly funded and able to help us all and we can use benefits to help free people from the restrictions that poverty puts on their lives.

“Poverty exists in our communities and it’s restricting people’s lives but, together, we can solve it.”