As Parliament returns, it is an appropriate time to consider the record of the current SNP administration and its impact on East Lothian and across Scotland.
After so long in power, if the SNP had any new ideas they would have delivered them by now. Instead, they remain woefully out of touch as they obsess over the arguments of the past.
On education, as I highlighted in my last column, they are not on course to meet their promise to eliminate the attainment gap in our schools, while Scotland’s universities face a growing financial crisis.
Doctors’ leaders have said that the NHS is “dying before our very eyes” under the SNP. Hundreds of East Lothian residents experience long and painful waits for treatment they desperately need or having to pay for private care if they have the means.
The housing emergency remains acute, with more than 10,000 children in temporary housing and new social housing builds at their lowest level in a decade.
Many of our other essential local public services are also at breaking point, with councils bearing the brunt of SNP cuts. Locally, close to £50 million has been cut from East Lothian Council’s budget over the last 12 years.
I take no pleasure in highlighting these failings. I believe East Lothian is the best place to live in Scotland, but I also want residents to have the best public services.
My focus will always be on helping unite our country and ensuring the significant additional funds coming to Scotland from the Labour UK Government are invested in restoring our public services rather than wasted on the SNP’s pet projects.
Over the coming months, we will be working to demonstrate that only Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour can offer new thinking, new energy and a new direction for Scotland.