LAST week, the SNP suffered two humiliating defeats in the Scottish Parliament, both of which highlight significant issues for residents in East Lothian.

The first defeat was on the reintroduction of peak rail fares, something that will hit East Lothian commuters hard.

During the parliamentary debate, I reminded Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, of her visit to East Linton station.

This station was supposed to provide a fast and reliable service for local travellers. Yet there are only five trains a day to Edinburgh, and only one of them is operated by ScotRail. This is far from the service we were promised.

To make matters worse, commuters on ScotRail trains will see the removal of off-peak fares.

North Berwick to Edinburgh commuters, for example, will soon face a 70 per cent increase in fares – rising from £8.80 when the scheme ends to an eye-watering £15.

This is an extortionate price for a service that is already unreliable and where passengers are frequently jammed in like sardines due to reduced carriages and a reduced timetable.

The SNP promised a reliable and affordable train network, and present service levels are far from delivering this.

The second defeat came on the issue of free school meals for primary six and seven pupils – a policy first proposed by my party.

John Swinney pledged to expand free school meals to these year groups, but has since broken this promise, which resulted in the Scottish Conservatives forcing the vote at Holyrood.

It’s clear that both Parliament and the public support this expansion of free school meals.

Many local parents have written to me expressing their strong support for universal free school meals for primary-aged children. Children learn better if they have eaten properly, and that’s why this policy is vital.

Sadly, we are now seeing a litany of failed policies and broken promises from the SNP.

East Lothian deserves better than this.