THE first month since the election has been something of a whirlwind, so it is even more of a pleasure to be able to focus on the constituency and my responsibilities here in East Lothian.

When I arrived back from Parliament last week, I started by conducting an in-depth interview with the Courier on Friday morning in Haddington, covering a wide variety of topics. That turned out to be ideal preparation for an appearance on the BBC’s Any Questions? radio programme in the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine on Friday evening.

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I am not sure that many people were listening to Radio 4 that evening as it was the night of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, but I took the chance to discuss Cockenzie as an ideal location for renewable energy nonetheless.

On Saturday, I held advice surgeries in Dunbar with Councillor Norman Hampshire, and Tranent with Martin Whitfield MSP. I am keen to provide a constituency service that is accessible and responsive to constituents and their concerns. Part of that service will involve holding surgeries, although constituents can contact me any time at douglas.alexander.mp@parliament.uk

However, I know from my previous experience in Parliament that dealing effectively with constituents’ concerns is a key part of the job so have already started the process of recruiting staff to be able to offer that service over the coming weeks.

After the surgeries on Saturday morning, I headed to the fantastic Musselburgh Festival, where I met up with my new Edinburgh East colleague Chris Murray MP. We were together to watch the return of the Burgh Flag at the Old Town Hall.

The festival is an integral part of the town’s culture and history. I really enjoyed my first experience of it on Saturday afternoon and congratulate the organisers, this year’s official party and everyone else who was involved in its activities this year on another very successful week.