AS I HAVE said on countless conversations and forums across the constituency since the election, being the Member of Parliament for Lothian East constituency is my number one priority.

To ensure I can carry out my constituency duties as effectively as possible, I have now started to recruit a team of staff to support me in this role and I am also taking steps to establish a constituency office.

One of the most important parts of a Member of Parliament’s role is representing individual constituents and local groups, and advocating on their behalf. In Scotland, MPs primarily deal with matters that continue to be reserved to the UK Parliament. These include many aspects of taxation and the welfare system, immigration and asylum, defence, broadcasting, employment law and industrial relations, financial services, consumer protection, and most aspects of energy policy.

In the short period since the election, I have already taken on a whole host of different cases for constituents, covering a very wide range of issues and concerns. While I am already holding constituency advice surgeries, constituents can also contact me at any time by emailing douglas.alexander.mp@parliament.uk. Often the issue can be dealt with immediately by a member of my team but, where required, we can also set a meeting, either face-to-face, online or over the phone.

August 26 to September 1 is Scotland Loves Local Week, organised by Scotland’s Towns Partnership. The annual campaign week seeks to highlight why choosing local is so integral to building better, stronger, more sustainable places and communities for the future.

I am pleased to be supporting the campaign’s important message on the significant impact that choosing local has. I am keen to promote and support East Lothian’s businesses, charities and other organisations, not only as part of Scotland Loves Local, but throughout the year.

Find out more about Scotland Loves Local and how to get involved in the campaign at lovelocal.scot