EAST Lothian is the second-fastest growing area of Scotland and it’s now clear we cannot continue with an SNP Government which fails us nationally and a Labour administration which fails us locally.

All too often, East Lothian is forgotten about by career-minded Labour and SNP politicians.

The SNP and Labour sing from the same hymn sheet – for example on local council budget cuts, council tax increases and on deeply unpopular parking charges in the county, including in North Berwick. Nationally, Labour have voted for one bad SNP law after another, including Humza Yousaf’s Hate Crime Act and Nicola Sturgeon’s gender reforms. In East Lothian Council, Labour and the SNP are like two friendly peas in a pod – putting their own political positions ahead of the people’s priorities.

It’s clear to me that East Lothian is stuck. The SNP Government continues to be distracted by independence over the issues that really matter, such as the future of local hospitals including Belhaven and the Edington.

John Swinney has said that independence will be “page one, line one” of the SNP manifesto and every SNP MP elected will contribute to a mandate for independence.

So on July 4, the choice is clear: voters in East Lothian can either elect the SNP candidate, who will spend the next five years campaigning for independence; or they can vote for me to elect a local MP who will focus on your priorities and move on from decades of SNP – and Labour – neglect of our communities and services.

This election is also an opportunity to focus on what’s working. The UK Government is investing more than £2.9 billion in Scotland through Levelling Up projects, including £11 million here in Cockenzie. This will empower communities, drive innovation, improve economic dynamism and create opportunities across the county.

The UK Government have also provided a further tax cut for workers, putting £1,500 into people’s pockets since January. Neither Labour nor the SNP seem to care about the tax burden on ordinary hard-working families.

As part of the UK, Scotland is part of one of the world’s largest economies and can punch above its weight.

East Lothian benefits hugely from nuclear energy – something the SNP and Greens want to shut down at Torness. This is why I will stand up for local jobs and local industries, including our local nuclear industry.

A vote for me and the Conservatives is a vote to move Scotland on from the SNP’s independence obsession and get the focus onto the issues that matter, including: l Repairing the roads: We will fix and upgrade major and local roads across Scotland, including the A1.

l Ending long NHS Lothian waits: We will recruit 1,000 extra GPs, deliver faster access to GP and hospital appointments, and eradicate patient backlogs in Scotland.

l Restoring our schools: We will improve East Lothian’s education system through increasing subject choice, reducing class sizes and backing traditional exams.

l Making East Lothian safer: We will put 1,000 extra police officers onto Scotland’s streets and introduce longer sentences for dangerous criminals.

l Cutting your tax: The Conservatives will lower the tax bill for ordinary and hard-working individuals, families and businesses.

If elected, I will serve you and our local communities across East Lothian.

Scott Hamilton biography - I was born and raised on my family’s tenanted farm. I lost my father at a young age and stepped up to play an active role in the running of the farm, which I continue to do alongside my mother. I have been elected to serve as a councillor on two consecutive terms and believe strongly that engaging, listening and prioritising communities’ interests produce the best results.