I’m delighted to receive this award for Cruelty Free International’s Parliamentarian of the Month, recognising our search for greater information about the way animals are treated in UK laboratories. The public has made it clear it wants an end to the continued high level of animal suffering in UK laboratories. I will continue to use my platform in order to… Read more »
I was very pleased to hear the news that Conor Howard will return to East Lothian following the Greek Court dismissing the extradition against him from Qatar. I’m delighted that the nightmare for him and his family is over, and he is able to come home. It has been fraught and so unnecessary. I was pleased to be advised by… Read more »
I was delighted to get the chance to visit the new visitor centre at the Glenkinchie Distillery yesterday. The Glenkinchie is a key part of East Lothian’s food and drink industry, as well as our local and international tourism. I was extremely impressed with the new visitor attraction, and even more so by the commitment of Diageo to build on… Read more »
The Scottish Government announced this morning that East Lothian would be placed in Tier 3 of the new tiered Coronavirus response strategy. As I said in the East Lothian Courier this morning, I had hoped that East Lothian would be put into Tier 2: “As soon as you move to local authority areas as the basis for a decision then… Read more »
I met with the medical and administrative staff at the Riverside Medical Practice on 6 October after a large number of complaints from residents in the area relating to the difficulty in getting appointments, especially the 8am booking system. The staff and management team at Riverside were keen to say that they cared greatly about their patients and were worried… Read more »
Tomorrow (9 October) new measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) are to come into effect. There are specific measures in place for areas in the Central Belt, including the area covered by NHS Lothian, which includes East Lothian. You can find full details at the Scottish Government website. It’s disappointing and hard for many. However, the evidence is… Read more »
I was happy to table the following motion in the House of Commons, congratulating the Glenkinchie on receiving a Green Tourism Gold Award. The motion reads: “That this House congratulates the Glenkinchie Distillery in East Lothian for its receipt of a Green Tourism Gold Award; welcomes the commitment of Diageo to improving the sustainability of its distilleries and attractions; notes… Read more »
Today I visited the site of the works on the A68 to meet with Bear Scotland officials and see for myself what has been happening following the landslip. I was hugely impressed by the work and was delighted to hear that it seems that the road will reopen on Monday, albeit initially with traffic lights operating at the site. A… Read more »
I was pleased to sign this cross-party letter to Liz Truss (International Trade) and George Eustice (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) asking the government to clarify its commitment to protecting UK food standards in light of future trade deals. East Lothian is rightly famed for it’s fertile land and high quality produce, with farms across the county, and several local… Read more »
I was impressed to read about the fundraising work being done by Alex Brown, from Tranent, and more than happy to table a motion in Parliament congratulating him on the work he has been doing to raise money for local causes in East Lothian. You can read the full report at the East Lothian Courier website here, and read the… Read more »