An Aberdeen community stalwart who said he is a lifelong Labour voter has announced his backing for the SNP at the general election.
Paul O’Connor, who is manager of Inchgarth Community Centre and has been an active worker in the third sector for more than 20 years, publicly declared his intentions in a video posted online.
Mr O’Connor said he would be voting for the SNP’s Callum McCaig in the Aberdeen South constituency, while he also voiced support for the Nationalist candidate in Aberdeen North, Kirsty Blackman.
He said: “I have voted Labour all my working life, indeed my family has always voted Labour.
“But on the 7th of May, I will be voting Callum McCaig, SNP, and endorsing Kirsty Blakckman because I believe it is the only way to have progressive politics and true representation at Westminster.”
Mr O’Connor, who was made an MBE in 2012 for his services to the local community in Garthdee, added: “I have represented the communities of the city of Aberdeen for some 23 years.
“In the third sector, I see all too well the effects of iniquitous policies of successive Labour and Conservative governments.
“I see the effects this has on our children, the disabled, the elderly and the vulnerable – the people who need our help the most.”
Mr McCaig said he was “absolutely delighted” to secure the support of such a well-known face in the local community.
He added: “I think it is symptomatic of the thoughts and decisions that are being made up and down the country. People feel that the Labour party in Scotland has completely and utterly abandoned them and they are seeing that progressive policies and the opportunity for a better Scotland lies with the SNP.”
Mr McCaig faces a tough challenge to oust Dame Anne Begg, who has represented the Aberdeen South constituency for Labour since Tony Blair’s landslide win in 1997.
Labour is defending a majority of more than 3,500 votes from the 2010 election, when the SNP were back in fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.
Bookmakers have installed the SNP as narrow favourites to win the seat this time around, however.
City councilllor Ross Thomson is standing for the Tories, while the Lib Dems are fielding Denis Rixon, the Green party have selected Dan Yeats and Sandra Skinner is standing for UKIP.