General Election: Angela Rayner and Gordon Brown on campaign trail in Kirkcaldy

Angela Rayner and Gordon Brown were in the Lang Toun to support Melanie Ward who is bidding to regain the constituency for the party in the July 4 poll. They were at St Bryce Kirk to discuss tackling child poverty - a key issue in Kirkcaldy – and were joined by Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader.

Mr Brown, who stood down as the town’s MP in 2015 and saw it won by the SNP, said: “Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy needs a dynamic local MP ready to speak up for the people of Fife. Melanie Ward has proved that she is a brilliant charity campaigner and a strong champion of social justice, She will conscientiously represent the needs of all Fifers at Westminster.”

> SNP

> As the campaign entered its final few days, Lesley Backhouse said the constituency was a two horse race between SNP and Labour.

In an update on her campaign page on Facebook, the SNP candidate said: “Between the impacts of Brexit, the austerity measures supported by Labour, and the cost of living crisis there are many challenges to tackle. I understand that.”She listed the need for more affordable homes, more support for harm reduction and safer communities, and on health said the SNP ”will resist any attempts by Labour to privatise the NHS.”

> Alba

> Neale Hanvey, who is defending his seat under the Alba Party banner for the first time, said his pre-election address leaflet was set to drop through letterboxes.

His campaign updates included outline his party’s five-point plan to combat child poverty includes extending free school meals to all primary and secondary pupils in Scotland - and he said he was the MP who successfully forced the U.K. Government to clean up the beach of radioactive material at Dalgety Bay.

There are a total of eight candidates standing in the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency, and they include Mags Hall (Scottish Greens), Jonny Gray (Tories), Fraser Graham, (Lib Dems), Sonia Davidson (Reform) and Caz Paul (Libertarian Party)