GREENOCK'S deprived and rundown town centre must get a £300m share of a UK Government fund to bring about 'desperately needed' major regeneration, the town's former MP insists.

Iain McKenzie is challenging his successor Ronnie Cowan — and MSP Stuart McMillan — to secure a 'lion's share' of the £4.6 billion worth of additional funding announced for Scotland in Chancellor Rishi Sunak's latest budget.

Labour man Mr McKenzie wants Inverclyde's SNP parliamentary duo to press for 'at least' £300 million for Greenock town centre, which was last year officially recognised as Scotland's most deprived area.

He said: "Our MP and MSP should be asking questions right now about this additional money."

But MSP Mr McMillan has accused Mr McKenzie of being 'disingenuous' because, he said, Scotland will actually get less grant funding from Westminster year on year.

A blame game erupted last year after a shocking report ranked Greenock town centre and east central as the most impoverished part of Scotland.

Inverclyde Council claimed it was the result of a Scottish Government 'cuts agenda' which has seen millions of pounds wiped from the local authority's budget in recent years.

SNP politicians, meanwhile, laid the blame at the door of the Labour-led council administration.

Former MP Mr McKenzie said: "Inverclyde needs to be in quick to lay down its demands for a lion's share [of the extra money].

"Our MP should be asking the Treasury for details on when this money will be made available, and who in Scotland, for example councils, will receive it.

"Equally, our MSP needs to approach Scotland's finance secretary [Kate Forbes] and have her also seek clarification on these additional monies proposed in the budget for Scotland."

Mr McKenzie added: "The regeneration of Greenock town centre is something that is desperately needed and long overdue."

He said that the whole of Inverclyde could benefit from the funding and also called on MSP Mr McMillan to ask the Scottish Government to match his suggested £300m figure.

The former MP urged: "When we find out the details our elected representatives need to quickly put forward Inverclyde's case for a substantial share.

"Inverclyde suffers greatly from deprivation and lack of investment from the Scottish Government.

"We could make substantial improvements around the district with a large share of this money.

"I'm aware that the Oak Mall is privately owned but we could change that, making Greenock once more a shopping destination and attraction for our cruise ship tourists.

"At the moment Greenock town centre shopping is an embarrassment.

"We could increase jobs and industry in the area, attracting outside businesses, growing our own business and promoting Inverclyde.

"It's now up to our MP and MSP to lead the way in these early stages to get the details, stand up for Inverclyde, make our demands heard and secure at the very least £300m of additional investment.

"Perhaps Mr McMillan could ask the finance secretary to match our Westminster share.

"We could certainly reinvent Inverclyde with half a billion pounds."

MSP Mr McMillan said: "I will always make the case for as much to be done to support Greenock town centre as possible however this call is disingenuous when we know that the money being referred to will see Scotland receive less grant funding in every year of the spending review than it has in 2021-22 despite the continuing challenges presented by Covid-19.

"This Tory UK budget ignores the support needed by up to 1,810 businesses across Greenock and Inverclyde and I will do all can to support the SNP's calls for the UK Chancellor to go back to the drawing board and come back with a package of measures that will support areas like Greenock properly."