THE newly-elected MSP for Largs and surrounding towns and villages has snubbed an approach to outline his plans for the area over the next five years.

The News sent a string of emails and interview requests to Kenneth Gibson after local people helped re-elect him to the Cunninghame North seat.

We asked to sit down and discuss his aspirations for the area and proposals to create fresh employment opportunities with the imminent closure of Hunterston B Power Station at the end of this year.

However, these requests were met with silence.

Rival politicians have criticised the SNP man for refusing to communicate his plans to voters.

Largs Labour councillor Alex Gallagher said: "It seems strange to me that the people of the North Coast have put their faith in Mr Gibson, yet he seems unwilling to communicate his plans for the next five years to us.

"I am sure he has ideas and plans, but it would nice for Cunninghame North to know what these are.

"My own hope is that the local authority gets the funding required from central government for the plans outlined and would want to co-operate with both Mr Gibson and his wife, MP Patricia Gibson, going forward."

Tory West of Scotland list MSP Jamie Greene, who has an office in Largs, was runner up for the Cunninghame North seat, receiving a 28 per cent share of the vote.

He said: “It’s disappointing that Kenneth Gibson has chosen not to respond to this newspaper's request. It’s ultimately up to him to justify his reasons for doing so.

“As a west Scotland MSP, I am deeply concerned over the long-term impact that the closure of Hunterston will have on employment locally.

“It is the responsibility of the Scottish Government to bring forward a detailed strategy for re-skilling and transitioning the workforce to new roles once the plant is fully decommissioned.

“But just as importantly, there needs to be a clear strategy for the future of the Hunterston site – it’s a prime location with excellent transport links into Glasgow and beyond, so we can afford to be ambitious in our plans."

He added: “As I repeatedly said during the election campaign, I want to spend the next five years focusing on our recovery and delivering for North Ayrshire – that means creating well paid jobs in the region, sorting out our ferry links and supporting our health service to make sure it meets the needs of local residents.

“My sole focus is delivering for the people of North Ayrshire and giving them a voice in parliament – whether they voted for me or not - and I will work with the local paper to communicate what I am doing to readers.

"I will be watching Mr Gibson and the SNP Government like a hawk to ensure that they deliver for our local area.

“This means tackling the ferries fiasco, addressing the shockingly high rates of poverty and reducing drugs deaths."