A MONTH ago, I had the huge honour of being elected as your MSP – and I’ve hit the ground running.
I had the privilege of attending the Volunteer Centre East Lothian (VCEL) Inspiring Volunteer awards, which was quite an emotional afternoon.
Volunteers are the backbone of our society and it was incredible to hear how varied the volunteering efforts were: from conservation to youth work, all of them making such a huge difference.
I’ve asked questions about better cycling infrastructure following on from attending Pedal on Parliament, a protest for safer streets. I’ve also asked how we could make it easier to report anti-social behaviour, a topic of conversation that came up over and over again when I was knocking doors before the election.
My first speech was about independence, something that won’t surprise anyone who read my leaflet. For me, it’s the only way that we can get our hands on the powers we need to really change our society – from bringing down energy bills to taxing billionaires. The cost of living is impacting everyone and us politicians need to address it.
This week, I had the most amazing visit to Sanderson's Wynd Primary School. I’ve promised the P5s and P6s I’ll ask a question of the Cabinet Secretary for Education. They had lots of views on whether schools should move to a four-day week.
I think it’s so important for young people to feel their voices are heard. For democracy to work, we need everyone to engage, so it will be a real privilege to ask the question for them.
I hope that makes them feel empowered to get involved and make change happen, whether it’s volunteering for a local group – or becoming politicians when they grow up.
As your MSP, I want be responsive to the people I represent. I intend to do a lot of listening and then work out how to change things, to deal with the problems my constituents are facing.
So please get in touch, let me know what matters to you, and together, let’s look for solutions.
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