By John Lamont MP
No matter which party you represented or voted for, I want to say well done and thank you to everyone who took part in the recent Scottish Parliament election.
Standing for election is not easy but it's vital for democracy that people engage and put themselves forward for public service.
In particular, I want to congratulate my colleagues Rachael Hamilton MSP and Craig Hoy MSP on winning their respective seats. Both fought strong local campaigns, backed by dedicated teams of supporters and activists who worked incredibly hard over many months. Their victories reflect the trust that many people across our communities continue to place in Scottish Conservative representatives who focus on local priorities and delivering practical action.
Here in the Borders, it was a strong result for the Scottish Conservatives. It demonstrated once again that we are the only party truly focused on the issues that matter most to local people.
Over many years, we have shown that commitment through campaigning on key issues. We fought to keep our community hospitals open. We have consistently campaigned for the extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick, Newcastleton and onto Carlisle. We will continue to fight to protect 24/7 cover at Hawick Fire Station, secure more GP appointments for local patients, and improve roads including the A1, A7 and A68.
Local people regularly tell me that they support us because we focus on those key issues that impact their everyday lives. They back us to beat the SNP because we are not distracted by the divisive issue of independence.
However, despite our strong results in the South of Scotland, there is no hiding from the fact that voters rejected mainstream parties, especially Labour, and it was a very disappointing night for my party nationally. People still feel let down by the last Conservative UK Government and we must reflect and continue to learn the lessons of the mistakes that were made.
We must refocus our efforts on being local champions, determined to deliver action on the issues that matter most to families and businesses.
Our party must unite and show that we have the positive ideas to get Scotland and the UK back on track, lower bills for hard workers and provide people with opportunities to get ahead.
We have to demonstrate a vision for a more aspirational country with a stronger economy, secure borders and better run public services. That is what the public are crying out for.
