I really appreciate your generous comments Ian, especially from someone with very different national politics.

Thank you very much for your time and the refreshments - it was a pleasure hearing about all of your team’s work ensuring everyone in society can be all they want to be.

Must be the largest winning victory of any candidate contesting under STV.

In Autumn 2023 I wrote a supportive plea to both ER Council and the last Conservative UK Gov to support the Retail Trust’s application to build these facilities, and thanks to their support along with a range of other partners, including many in the private sector, this has come to fruition today.

Serving in elected politics at any level is a privilege and these two incidents, I believe, point toward the need for a serious debate as to why parties are struggling to attract dedicated individuals of high calibre covering working hours, perceptions, fair access and other such barriers.