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May’s General Election will be the first time that UKIP have put up a candidate in every Lanarkshire constituency.

Donald MacKay – who is running in Lanark and Hamilton East – says the party expect to make gains and raise the party’s profile in Scotland.

The 55-year-old, who has been a member of UKIP for 20 years, says the party can help small businesses.

The owner of the Mortgage Information Centre in Quarry Street said: “Small businesses are under siege from politicians in general. They make life as difficult as possible for small businesses. They give us no support whatsoever.

“If you want serious growth you need to encourage people to start their own businesses and grow their own businesses.

“Minimum wages and employee’s rights – it all makes it as difficult as possible. UKIP would release small businesses from as much of this nonsense as possible so they can trade, make a profit and start to employ people.

“UKIP are in favour of leaving the EU. Many of the challenges we face are because of European rules that are forced upon us.

“I think we have to have immigration controls. That’s joined with the EU – we can’t decide who is admitted into our own country.”

Donald hopes to get third or fourth place in the vote and add 1000 votes to what UKIP received in the constituency in 2005.

His wife Janice MacKay is also running as a candidate for UKIP, in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.

She said: “If you are looking for a candidate who is firmly committed to the United Kingdom, believes Britain should govern itself without interference from the EU, abhors the full frontal assault on freedom of speech, then I am the only candidate who can fulfil those criteria and give you a genuine choice.

“To the female constituents, UKIP believes in merit and not gender quotas. I urge each and every one of you to carefully consider your valuable vote on May 7 and guarantee a vote for me will not be a wasted vote.”

For the first time UKIP are also fielding a candidate in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.

Neil Wilson (51) is standing and he hopes to take second or third place in the vote.

He said: “ I very much want to make sure that people in Motherwell and Wishaw know exactly what is going on how their money is being spent locally. I believe we should come out of the EU and save our tax-payer money. Billions of pounds could be put straight into our communities.

“There are areas in Scotland suffering with poverty and that money should go to them.

“We should have control over our own borders. We should have exactly the same system as the Australians and have a points system.”

And one of UKIP’s younger candidates is standing in the Airdrie and Shotts constituency, in the first instance of a the party fighting that constituency.

Matthew Williams (23), who is a computing student, said: “This is about raising the profile and then, in 2016, realistically look at taking seats.

“I felt [UKIP] was the only party that represented as being able to do something for the people. Not just in Lanarkshire but right across the country, people are let down by the political classes.”

UKIP are also putting forward a candidate for the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency with Kevin Newton running there.

They are also in the process of selecting a candidate for the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow ward.

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