A BARRHEAD councillor has opened up about her struggle to cope with debt.

Angela Convery, who represents Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor for the SNP, revealed how she was left with council tax arrears while in a low-paid job.

She is hoping that, by speaking out, she cam encourage others who are plagued by similar problems to come forward and seek the support they need.

Councillor Convery told the Barrhead News: “It really took me a while to get the courage together to talk about this.

“A lot of people had been coming to me and telling me about their problems with money and I don’t want them to think that I don’t understand what they are going through.

“I understand that people get themselves in situations like that and I am available to talk to anyone who might need it. Don’t be ashamed.”

Cllr Convery said financial troubles have followed her for much of her adult life, either while on benefits or in low-paid jobs.

Her council tax debts built up during her time as a bus driver.

She added: “I didn’t have a massive amount more money working than I did when I was on benefits but now I had rent and council tax to pay off of it.

“I tried so hard to make it work, to make it stretch to cover everything, but I just couldn’t manage it.

“When I ran for councillor, the SNP group knew about my situation and were extremely supportive.

“Being elected was one of the happiest days of my life.”

The council debts were paid off last year, shortly after she was elected in May.

Looking forward, Cllr Convery wants to help others escape the poverty trap.

She said: “I know how hard it is. I’ve been there.

“I can’t promise I can fix their problem but I can certainly try my best. It’s about opening a line of communication about the issue and, hopefully, that’s now been done.”

Cllr Convery also revealed she has had plenty of support since posting a message on social media which outlined her financial struggles.

She added: “Coming forward and telling my story was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Before sending it out on social media, my hand hovered over the send button for what seemed like a long time.

“When I originally put the post up, I was worried about the reaction and I was waiting for people to come back at me.

“Instead, it was amazing to see how much support I got. People were nothing but lovely about it.

“This just shows the positive effect my transparency has had.

“This was the main reason I wanted to become a local councillor – because I know what it is like out there.”