A PO plan which fails to deliver

I was very disappointed to hear that the Post Office in Innerleithen, which closed recently, is set to be replaced by a mobile service one day a week.

Post Offices remain absolutely vital for our rural communities in terms of the services that they provide and if these plans go ahead, they will not best serve the community of Innerleithen.

It is clear, with Innerleithen being a growing town serving those who live there and beyond in terms of vital services, that a mobile service for a few hours on a Friday simply isn’t going to meet the demand from residents.

I have made it clear to the Post Office that it needs to come up with a far better solution that will deliver services on a much more regular basis in Innerleithen to meet locals’ needs. While I have made my feelings clear, I would also urge those living locally to make their views known to the Post Office during the consultation period.

If we can have a strong voice on this regarding these plans, then hopefully the Post Office will come back to the table with a revised proposal that is much more appropriate.

A VOTE IS NOT THE ANSWER

We are continuing to see First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP Government talk up the prospect of a second independence referendum which is hugely unhelpful for businesses and people in the Borders.

What we need to do now is work together in order to get the best deal for the whole of the UK from Brexit negotiations. What is unhelpful is the uncertainty caused by the threat of another independence referendum by the SNP which is solely focused on one aim – to break up the UK.

It is clear to me that voters in the Borders made their decision in 2014 to remain in the UK and have no wish to reopen those divisions.

I am fully committed to delivering the best deal for our rural communities that will help them prosper in the future after Brexit and I have been very pleased that people locally have been making their voice heard in the negotiations.

I repeat my calls that an independence referendum should be taken off the table by Nicola Sturgeon who should be tackling the problems facing our roads, schools and hospitals as her top priorities.