SUSTAINABILITY is key as East Lothian grows.

With Blindwells, to achieve its aims of being fully sustainable, East Lothian’s newest town has cross-generational infrastructure and services ranging from a primary school to pathways, playparks, thousands of trees and electric vehicle charging points.

This means Blindwells will offer 21st-century lifestyles in a pedestrian-friendly, green environment, sharing characteristics with what are called 20-minute neighbourhoods.

This concept defines Blindwells as a town neighbourhood where children walk to school, no one drives to buy milk, and ensures a mixed community benefiting from and enjoying sustainable living.

In the same spirit, I’m pleased to have secured a banking hub, due to open when North Berwick’s last bank closes.

The internet has made bricks and mortar banks largely redundant, but banking facilities are crucial, and the most vulnerable need easy access to manage their private finances, as do local businesses.

Access to other services is also vital. The county’s population has grown from 55,906 in 1971 to 112,450 in 2022.

East Lothian Council has to work with the Scottish Government in developing the next Local Development Plan.

At Holyrood, John Swinney’s motion condemning cuts to winter fuel payments led some Labour MSPs either to abstain or vote with the SNP.

Labour dissatisfaction with Keir Starmer’s policies (and ‘freebie’ perks) suggests the long wait in opposition has made Labour forget about standing up for the weakest. One in six pensioners – and nearly a quarter of single women pensioners – live in poverty (Age Scotland).

Starmer’s strategic error in targeting them for cuts is matched by Labour’s disregard for rejoining the EU.

Speaking recently in Edinburgh, Lord Peter Mandelson said the EU won’t rush to welcome the UK back because “they have had it up to here with us”. “Us” shouldn’t include East Lothian and all other Scottish regions which voted remain. The majority rejected Michael Gove’s claim that leaving the EU meant “the UK holds all the cards”, a Brexit false promise costing the UK economy £140 billion. Independence in Europe is the ace in Scotland’s pack.