I KNOW that many will have been very excited over the recent news that a Covid-19 vaccine trial has been successful and could be available in the coming months. This is a giant step forward and I am sure many will be feeling optimistic that this will get us back on track to normality.

I would like to encourage people not to feed misinformation surrounding the vaccine and to be cautious of ‘fake news’. We need to be careful not to buy into conspiracy theories and to be critical of what we read, especially on the internet. Any vaccine which is released will go through all the proper processes to ensure it is absolutely safe – any article which says otherwise is not factual. We need to ensure that everyone feels confident in using the vaccine, as protecting ourselves is the only way which we can protect others.

This week, I undertook judging for my annual Christmas card competition, along with Monica Patterson, the chief executive of East Lothian Council, and Jo Stewart, co-founder of Stewart Brewing. This is always a highlight of the year, as I love seeing the creativity of the children who live across my constituency. It is always very difficult to pick the best design, as the schoolchildren always produce very impressive artwork. The winning card is sent out to local businesses, stakeholders and colleagues, and I am always delighted to distribute a card from a local pupil. I look forward to announcing who has won in the coming weeks and sharing the design.

We need to stand by young people in this unprecedented time and ensure they have the support they need to get into employment, apprenticeships, education or training. The Scottish Government has launched the Young Person’s Guarantee, which will provide support for young people and employers. Young people deserve to know that throughout this difficult time, work is being done to make opportunities available to them. Visit myworldofwork.co.uk/youngpersonsguarantee