WHO knows what the SNP/Green deal at Holyrood has in store for East Lothian.

But it mustn’t impact on road infrastructure projects vital for the county.

Of course, global warming transcends all and improving public transport is essential. But the road network remains pivotal and not just for commuters and commerce.

The A1 is vital for the expansion of our transition to renewables. It’s in East Lothian where the North Sea’s offshore wind bounty is coming ashore. Transmission stations are being sited and the energy cabled south and elsewhere. All that means construction onshore and cabling offshore, and that means significant HGV traffic. Added to that is the traffic from Torness.

Compounding that, traffic on the A1 corridor has increased as communities along it have expanded and traffic, whether commercial or tourism, has grown. It may not be the death trap it once was but it’s still not the major arterial route it should be.

Similarly, the flyover at Sheriffhall is long overdue. Far from being part of an Edinburgh Bypass, it’s now an obstruction. As action was taken to ease congestion in Edinburgh, so must it be in trying to avoid it or access it now. It’s also at a junction that leads to the east of Scotland’s major hospital; being able to access that swiftly is vital for emergency vehicles. The SNP/Green deal mustn’t stop these vital projects.

I was in Shetland last week – a birthday break for my wife, who had never been, though slightly longer than intended as we were fog-bound for several additional days.

It was interesting, though, to see what even a modest benefit from an energy boon can do. Shetland, unlike Scotland, negotiated a very modest income from the oil and gas companies and it shows: bus and ferry services that run from early morning to late in the evening; schools in small communities; and excellent sports facilities.

Scotland missed out on oil and can only look in envy at Norway. But East Lothian can learn from Shetland. As wind energy comes ashore here, where’s our share?