ONE of the smallest council areas in Scotland, Inverclyde lies some 25 miles or so west of Glasgow on the southern shore of the Firth of Clyde – a coastal location which has shaped the area socially and economically for hundreds of years. Greenock, Port Glasgow and Gourock are its main towns, while the village communities of Inverkip and Wemyss Bay lie further south west. Leafy Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village are situated inland.

Heavy manufacturing was a major force for generations in those main centres and today several former industrial buildings have been turned into smart new loft apartments – part of a concerted drive to improve housing.

The lower Clyde area is famed for its trade and maritime history. Rope works, sugar refineries and shipyards flourished in the area from the 18th century.

Today Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow is the last shipbuilder in the area. The yard went into administration in August 2014, but was later taken over by Jim McColl’s company Clyde Blowers Capita. In an encouraging sign for the future the yard announced last year that it was taking on 150 apprentices.

The long-term decline of heavy industry has had a devastating effect. Its impact on job losses was only partly offset by the arrival in Greenock of IBM in 1951 to give electronics and light manufacturing a boost. Texas Instruments (Formerly National Semiconductor) has run a silicon wafer manufacturing plant in the town since 1970.

Today most work has shifted to the service sector, especially call centres. EE and IBM both have major call centre operations in Greenock, while the Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage Centre processes mortgage applications from throughout the UK & Ireland.

On September 18, 2014, Inverclyde had the narrowest No vote majority of any local authority area in the independence referendum, winning with 50.1 per cent, but since then the Yes case has gone from strength to strength.

Ronnie Cowan, a key figure in the local Yes campaign, was elected to Westminster as the SNP MP in May 2015 beating Labour’s Iain McKenzie by 11,063 votes, while Stuart McMillan took the Scottish Parliament’s Greenock and Inverclyde constituency seat for the SNP last year. McMillan beat the Labour candidate Siobhan McCready by 8230 votes.

Former SNP depute leadership candidate Chris McEleny, the party’s group leader on Inverclyde Council, is standing again for election next week, along with his father Jim, and is hopeful the SNP will take control of the council for the first time.

“We are putting up 12 candidates, more than any other party, and are hoping to get them all elected,” he said.

“The polls are showing we have a good chance of success and I believe we are the only party standing on a platform to deliver local services. The Unionist parties are making this election all about opposing a second independence referendum.

“The SNP support independence but for us this election is not about the constitution it’s about local services and issues.”

The Greens are not fielding any candidates, while in the Unionist camp Labour, the LibDems and the Tories have 23 contenders between them. Ukip has a lone candidate who, it is believed, stands little chance of getting elected, but whose presence could eat into the Tory vote.

Huge efforts and resources have been poured into trying to breathe new life into the area, but it is clear that despite the ongoing work whoever forms the next administration will face continued challenges. Unemployment remains a problem with a rate of 5.7 per cent, compared to the Scottish average of 4.8 cent. The most deprived zone in Inverclyde is in Port Glasgow – where many face considerable social problems, including drug and alcohol abuse, and poor health.

A study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published in April 2014 found that Inverclyde is second-worst area in the UK for life expectancy. The average life expectancy at birth from 2010-12 for men in Inverclyde was 73.7 years and 79.9 for women. It means the area’s male population has the second-worst outlook in the UK — just behind Glasgow on 72.6 years — with women faring only slightly better at 397th out of all 404 local authorities across the nation.

Given its history, Inverclyde has been traditionally a solid Labour voting area. However, the council briefly transferred to Liberal Democrat control in 2003.

Two years later, it gained national notoriety following a highly critical report from the Accounts Commission and the LibDem reign came to an swift end in 2007 when Labour became the biggest party again. Labour was in power in a coalition with the Conservatives until 2012, and since then has been a minority administration.

A strong sense of community identity exists in Inverclyde and local residents are proud of the area and its past. The £10 million Beacon Arts Centre, which opened in Greenock in January 2013, is one of the highlights of the ambitious regeneration programme.

Standing in Custom House Quay, overlooking the Clyde, it has a varied programme and also runs drama and dance classes for primary school children, teenagers and adults.