A LABOUR Party member is campaigning for an SNP candidate because he believes independence is the way forward for a fairer society in Scotland.

Charlie McCarthy, who joined Labour because he thought Jeremy Corbyn would stand up for working-class people, said he was supporting independence because it was the only way to protect Scotland from the Tory Party.

He is now canvassing for Amy Callaghan in East Dunbartonshire, the constituency currently held by LibDem leader Jo Swinson.

“People need to decide whether they want Boris Johnson or not – if they vote for Swinson they will get Boris,” he said. “She has always backed the Tories and she would rather have Brexit than Corbyn going into power.

“I have come to the conclusion that I need to support the best means of gaining independence for Scotland because we need protection from the Tory Party so I will be voting SNP in the elections.”

McCarthy said he was unhappy with Corbyn’s attitude to the SNP and his lack of commitment to a second independence referendum.

“My objection is that he seems to be taking advice from people with blinkered ideas of the SNP from 40 years ago,” McCarthy said.

Callaghan said she was “absolutely over the moon” that McCarthy was canvassing for her.

“The most important thing we can do is unite and create a more fair Scotland and that is what Charlie is doing.”