LIBERAL Democrat candidate Andrew McGlynn had pledged to put East Renfrewshire before party if elected.

Mr McGlynn, who is hoping to become the first Liberal MP for the area since Joseph Johnstone in 1918, believes it is important for any politician to work with community groups to understand what issues affect local people.

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He insists it is not up to a politician to “dictate” policy, as the better alternative is for action to come from residents themselves.

Mr McGlynn told the Barrhead News: “I am not a servant of a party but I am a servant of a community.

“I know a lot of towns have lost the community structure we once had but we can still have that framework.

“You need to listen rather than preach and then shape your views on what you’ve heard.

“That’s very hard for a lot of politicians, as many of them go in with strong convictions.

“I do have strong convictions myself but I have gained more from listening.”

Latest analysis suggests Mr McGlynn can increase the Lib Dem’s two per cent share of the 2017 vote in East Renfrewshire.

He continued: “When you elect an MP, you elect them so they can make the right moral judgements in the job.

 

“You are not there to represent the constituents’ views 100 per cent but have to think about what you would do on a moral level.

“I wouldn’t necessary be a slave to a majority opinion in the area if I felt a majority was being unjust.

“As much as I wouldn’t be a slave to the majority, I also wouldn’t be a slave to the party’s interests.”