Comment: on May 7, 2015, it’s Dave or Ed

Perhaps you will remember the previous fevered speculation of TV political editors offering their best guess as to the final date, usually for the full final year of a Westminster parliament.

Not this time, because for the first time the date of the General Election, May 7, has been set for years.

It changes the dynamic as we saw during last year’s referendum.

When the date of an election is fixed well in advance, the public, while keeping a wary eye on events, really focus their minds in the final weeks before they vote.

So as you make up your mind, let’s look at the choice.

In just two months, you will vote to decide whether David Cameron or Ed Miliband is Prime Minister of the UK. It’s that simple.

There is no other candidate for the top job. Put like that, the choice seems pretty clear.

David Cameron has led a government which has put the recovery of the economy of Scotland, just as much as that of the whole UK, at the heart of its purpose. Progress has been made. Progress we can all see.

It’s not that the UK economy has recovered, but it is clearly in recovery and a recovery that is the envy of all our European competitors.

David Cameron has halved the deficit. There are 185000 more Scots in work today than when Labour left office.

There are a record number of women in work and youth unemployment is falling; from April, employer National Insurance payments for anyone under 21 will be abolished, a further boost to jobs for young people.

The personal tax allowance has increased from around £6500 to £10500 and is set to rise to £12500. As a result over a quarter of a million Scots no longer pay tax at all.

There are over 35,000 new businesses and as a result, a greater percentage of Scots working in the private sector — over two million — a huge increase since 2010.

Inflation is at a historic low, mortgages too and finally, earnings are rising faster than prices.

By any standard, it’s been tough going to get here. Very tough. But look at France or Greece or Italy or any other European nation for that matter, where unemployment has spiralled and no recovery is in sight.

The UK economy is growing, our interest rates are lower, unemployment is falling.

The rest of Europe remains in the doldrums, so much so that our own hard won recovery has been in spite of and not because of any recovery there.

So the choice is between David Cameron and a government which will build on the recovery underway and Ed Miliband who revels in the charge of being an old fashioned socialist who wants to return to a high tax, high spend, high borrowing, state run Britain.

It didn’t work before, it won’t work again — just ask the French.

Meanwhile Labour politicians in Scotland pretend Ed Miliband does not exist, embarrassing themselves with a series of superficial and flashy announcements which like fireworks glitter for seconds and then leave nothing but an acrid smell of sulphur.

Is this the to be the fate of the UK on May 7? Chaos and more constitutional turmoil with Ed Miliband selling out Scotland in a deal with the SNP or a steady onwards path to economic recovery and stability with David Cameron, supported here in East Renfrewshire by a new Conservative MP, Dr David Montgomery?

Only David Cameron has ruled out any deal with the SNP, so don’t be deceived into thinking a vote for anyone other than David Cameron will stop the nationalists.

Too many people in politics, particularly some local politicians here in East Renfrewshire, want to be loved.

It’s not about being loved, it’s about representing the best interests of the country with the best policies and leadership for the country.

That’s what David Cameron offers and what Dr David Montgomery will stand up for on your behalf.