As the election approaches, you might wonder why you should cast your vote, let alone vote for John Burleigh.

Allow me to share a story that might help illustrate the power of your individual vote.

Imagine a young girl was walking along a beach where thousands of starfish had been washed ashore. As she walked, she bent down, picked up a starfish and threw it back into the sea.

A man who had been watching her, approached her and asked, "Why are you doing this? There are thousands. You can't possibly save them all. What difference does it make?"

The girl looked at the starfish in her hand, threw it into the ocean, and replied: "It made a difference to that one."

This story beautifully captures the essence of voting. Each vote (starfish) might seem small, but collectively, they make a monumental difference.

Your vote is your voice, your power to shape the future of Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West.

Having listened to your concerns, shared your hopes, and understood the unique challenges our community faces.

If given the honour to serve you, I pledge to work tirelessly to bring about positive change.

Together, we can revitalize our economy, attract new businesses, create jobs, and preserve the beauty and heritage of our region and untap and harness the potential as they did back in the day.

So please ‘take a chance on me’, John Burleigh as first choice, and let's make a change for good.

‘Don’t you forget about me’ (your old teacher) because together, we can achieve great things.

The Greenock Telegraph has invited General Election candidates standing to represent Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West to share their views on key topics relevant to the area.

Today is their final column and the candidates' last chance to tell voters why they should vote for them.

Polls open for the UK General Election at 7am on Thursday, July 4.