THERE is a vacancy for a strong opposition in Scottish politics that I, alongside Ruth Davidson, would like to fill.

I know that there are many people who have never voted for the Scottish Conservatives before or have even considered it. But this Scottish Parliamentary election holds a slightly different agenda: Scottish Labour is in a mess and continues to lose support; their weak leadership and infighting means they cannot hold the SNP to account.

SNP dominance means they are becoming complacent and are more interested in holding a second referendum than getting on with the job of governing Scotland. As part of Ruth Davidson’s team, I will work tirelessly to hold the SNP to account and back a fresh drive for a positive case for the Union.

My husband and I own an award-winning hotel and have first-hand experience of running a business; we too have a family and, like you, want them to grow up as part of a prosperous, confident Scotland and take full advantage of being part of a wider United Kingdom.

I have a reputation as a strong campaigner and have been involved in politics for a number of years, helping John Lamont MSP to secure victories in both the 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections.

My wishes for East Lothian are too many to list but here’s a few. Improvements to the East Coast Main Line are essential for jobs, tourism and investment and our commitment to reinstate East Linton station has been put at the heart of the Scottish Conservatives’ manifesto. Thought must also be given to provide more seats, increase the frequency of services, improve stations and extend the car parking capacity throughout the county.

Poor broadband connections and slow internet speeds are stunting the growth of businesses across the county and causing serious frustration for people at home. With access to the internet central to almost every aspect of daily life, including using vital public services, better digital infrastructure must be a priority for East Lothian. With barely half of premises in East Lothian connected to superfast broadband, the Scottish Government will struggle to meet its 95 per cent target. Conservatives will introduce a Universal Service Obligation on broadband by the end of the decade, giving everyone a legal right to broadband.

The state of local roads consistently tops the list of residents’ concerns in any canvassing or surveys. We want to see a dedicated central road maintenance fund worth £20m every year so that local councils can access to help them fund pothole repairs. This is an additional £100m over the course of the next Parliament.

It would be a privilege for me to represent you in the Scottish Parliament. As a businesswomen, netball coach and mother, I can bring my real life experience to the Parliament. I understand that we need great schools, good local hospitals, more college places and vocational opportunities for the young, fit for purpose roads and excellent public transport links. I will work with the Scottish Government to alleviate the burden of tax on businesses and lend support to our small towns and rural communities. I look forward to being your next Member of Scottish Parliament for East Lothian.