2021 was another tough year for us all, with Covid still impacting us in all aspects of life – be that health, wealth, business and public services we all took for granted.

2022 sees us in the grip of Omicron, which is expected to peak in mid-late January, but we do so in a much healthier position than at the beginning of 2021.

We have the highly effective vaccine programme with an amazing take-up, with Scotland leading the UK in first, second and booster jags. If you haven’t had any of your jags or booster, please do so – it could literally save your life.

The First Minister recently talked about a new revised strategic framework for dealing with Covid as we hopefully move pandemic to endemic status. We need to be ready to deal with this when me move out of the pandemic.

My focus as your constituency MSP will be to ensure we recover as best we can.

Priorities will be helping our health and care services recover, and re-opening the Edington Hospital as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Secondly, working with local business to recover from the dual issues of Covid and the impact of Brexit, with its impact on recruitment and staff shortages.

Thirdly, working with East Lothian Council education authorities to ensure no pupil is left behind following Covid. Having recently met with the chief executive, director and head of education, I am very heartened by the approach they are taking and their plans moving forward.

In East Lothian, we also need to maximise the opportunities the new green economy will bring; I will be saying more on that shortly.

We also need to tackle the longstanding issues of poverty in some of our communities; again, more to follow very soon.

I look forward to working with all our communities in 2022, leading East Lothian in its recovery – I wish all the best for 2022.