With the election less than five months away Cllr O’Kane has laid out what he describes as the “stark choice” for voters – it’s Labour or Tory.

The Neilston, Uplawmoor and Newton Mearns North representative believes that the choice for local communities is clear.

He said: “We face a choice in May between five more years of David Cameron with tax cuts for millionaires, a cost of living crisis for families, no answer for youth unemployment and policies like the hated bedroom tax; or a Labour Government that will end the bedroom tax, freeze gas and electricity prices until 2017, increase the minimum wage to £8 an hour, cut tax for the lowest paid, introduce a new top rate of tax and fully deliver more powers for the Scottish Parliament.

“I know that local people want to see a Government that will work in the interests of everyone and not just a few at the top, that’s why it is so important to get the Tories out of Downing Street.” Cllr O’Kane also hit back at Tory candidate for East Renfrewshire Dr David Montgomery who is hoping to win over voters in Barrhead and Neilston ahead of May 7.

The Tory hopeful last week told The News he hoped to capitalise on the number of voters in Barrhead who have become “disillusioned” with Labour.

He said: “There has always been a huge tradition of voting Labour in Scotland because that’s what you did. But if they really thought hard about it they would realise that the party that has fought to give them jobs and opportunities and get people out of welfare dependency and into work that pays has been the Conservative Party.

“And I am trying to convince people of all colours that we have a strong plan for getting the recovery really cemented and growing the economy.

“My view is Labour are likely to lurch further and further to the left, and when that happened the last time it resulted in near bankruptcy in 2007 and 2008. We do not want to go back to that.” However, that didn’t go down well with Cllr O’Kane, who said: “David Montgomery’s suggestion that local people don’t think when they vote and support Labour out of some unthinking loyalty is both patronising and insulting to the people of Barrhead and Neilston.

“I grew up in this community and I know that we think carefully before going to the polls in every election - my experience from talking to local people on the doorstep has always been that they are loyal to Labour because of the investment, regeneration, excellent schools and new jobs delivered over the years. Labour never takes that loyalty for granted and we will continue to work hard for local people.” He went on to say a vote for the SNP could let the Tories in by the back door, with many people tempted to support the Nationalists in the aftermath of the referendum: He said: “The SNP will tell you that by voting for them you can send a message to the Tories and Westminster but why just send a message when you can send David Cameron and the Tories packing by voting Labour and helping to deliver a Labour Government across the UK. In East Renfrewshire – it’s a two horse race, only Labour can beat the Tories here. A vote for the SNP could easily mean waking up with a Tory MP on 8th May.” Paul hopes that fresh Labour policies such as thousands of extra nurses funded by a mansion tax, a stop to fracking in Scotland and a publicly owned railway service will allow voters to see that Labour is serious about delivering change for the people of Barrhead and Neilston and across Scotland.”