Candidates contesting the Renfrewshire North and Cardonald constituency are making their final push ahead of polling day on Thursday 7th May 2026.
The SNP’s Michelle Campbell is campaigning on support with the cost of living and improved access to services, including GPs and transport. She has also backed proposals for a £2 bus fare cap, saying it would help people get to work, education and appointments.
She said the campaign has focused on speaking to residents about “the issues that matter to them”, including support for families and opportunities for young people.
Scottish Labour candidate Mike McKirdy is a retired consultant surgeon at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and says his campaign has focused on the NHS and delivering change.
He said: “The overwhelming message from voters is that the country needs change, and that Labour offers hope of a fresh start, fixing the basics and building a better Scotland.
“As a retired NHS surgeon and lifelong public servant, I’m serious about delivering real change, not soundbites.”
Dr McKirdy has said his experience in the NHS shows that services can be improved, and that Scottish Labour has a track record of delivering change in healthcare.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party candidate Jack Hall has been campaigning on community safety and local services.
He said concerns about antisocial behaviour have been raised by residents, and that people “deserve to feel safe in their own community”. He has also called for safer streets, lower taxes and a greater focus on local issues.
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate Grant Toghill said his party would focus on reducing energy bills, including through an “emergency insulation programme”.
He said: “People in Renfrewshire North and Cardonald tell me that their pay cheques just don’t go as far as they used to.
“With our plans for an emergency insulation programme, the Scottish Liberal Democrats will bring down energy bills and protect you from volatile fossil fuel prices.”
Reform UK candidate Moira Ramage has a background in law and has lived in the Bishopton and Erskine area for more than 30 years.
She has said she wants to see lower taxes, support for businesses and policies that reward work, as well as opposition to measures she says increase household costs.
Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate Jim Halfpenny is also standing. The party says its candidates are campaigning against cuts to public services and for measures including higher wages, investment in housing and increased funding for the NHS.
With polling day approaching, voters will choose between candidates from across the political spectrum as they decide who will represent Renfrewshire North and Cardonald at Holyrood.
Go to our main Renfrewshire North and Cardonald constituency page, here: https://www.renfrewshire24.co.uk/elections-2026-renfrewshire-north-and-cardonald.
Candidates
- Michelle Campbell – Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Jim Halfpenny – Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
- Jack Hall – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Mike McKirdy – Scottish Labour Party
- Moira Ramage – Reform UK
- Grant Toghill – Scottish Liberal Democrats