An Irvine-born former diplomat is in the running to be Labour's candidate for Ayrshire Central at the next UK General Election.

Alan Gemmell has announced his intention to stand with the hopes of driving change and bringing a "new era for Scotland".

The son of a council binman and factory worker, Alan spent his childhood in Girdle Toll. and from a young age his parents' solid work ethic, coupled with growing up in the former Labour stronghold, cemented the now 45-year-old's long-standing dedication to the Party.

He said: "I have been a member of the Labour Party for 22 years. I first campaigned with Labour in the 1997 devolution referendum.

"In 2001, Stuart MacLean, my gran’s neighbour got me involved in campaigning, told me about the importance of Labour to working people and encouraged me to join. I’m grateful to him for that. No matter where I have been in the world, I have always been a member of the Cunninghame South CLP."

The former Irvine Royal Academy pupil says his ordinary working class roots and support from family and his community afforded him "extraordinary opportunities", and he's not wrong. 

Through his globetrotting career in public service, Alan has represented the UK around the world, rubbed shoulders with royalty and most impressively, brought about real international change. 

He has held various roles within the Home Office, the British Council and most recently as Trade Commissioner for South Asia, not to mention receiving an OBE in the Queen's New Year's honours list in 2016. 

He says: "As British Trade Commissioner for South Asia I led a team of over two hundred people that delivered £4.5 billion in trade and investment deals and secured over 18,000 new jobs across the UK.

"With the Scotch Whisky Association, I secured a major reduction in whisky tariffs in India - resulting in many more bottles sold, and safeguarding jobs back here in Scotland.  

"I negotiated directly with Tata to win their £4 billion investment in an electric vehicle battery factory - creating 5000 jobs – for the UK."

Now, at the peak of his career, he has returned to the place that gave him the strong start he needed in life, in the hopes he can help pave the way for others.

He said: "For the child of an ordinary working family in Irvine, thanks to great teachers, support from the council and the 1997 Labour Government, I’ve had extraordinary opportunities. 

"I did my public service overseas and represented the UK around the world.  Now I’d like to use that experience to come home and represent in Parliament the community where I grew up in."

Labour lost the Central Ayrshire seat to the SNP in the 2015 General Election after Dr Phillippa Whitford defeated Brian Donohoe - now Sir Brian - who had held the seat for 23 years.

Alan, who campaigned for Labour in the area in the late 1990s, says Ayrshire has had years of failings at the hands of the SNP in Scotland and the Conservatives across the UK and now is the time for fresh faces.

He said: "After a disastrous decade with broken SNP promises in Holyrood and repeated Tory failures in Westminster people are looking for a fresh start with Labour.  We need fresh candidates to kick start a new era for our party in Scotland.

"The next election could not be more important for our country and the result in Central Ayrshire is critical.  

"If we win here, we win a Labour victory in 2024 - and are on track for a Labour Administration in Holyrood."

The Central Ayrshire seat stretches from part of Kilwinning in the north to Prestwick and Troon in the south and also includes Irvine and a collection of rural villages, including Annbank, Mossblown, Tarbolton, Loans, Symington and Dundonald.