LETTER TO CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THE ELECTION

I am extremely grateful to the 19,142 or 40% of voters in Angus and Perthshire Glens who placed their trust in me to represent their views and ambitions at Westminster.

Being from Perthshire and representing Angus for five years, I am uniquely placed to deliver a high quality and responsive service, not just in the large towns but across this vast swathe of Scotland I now have the privilege of representing.

During the campaign there was no area I did not visit from Kinloch Rannoch to Montrose and from Craigo down to Dundee and Perth. There are few constituencies in the UK Parliament as vast as Angus & Perthshire Glens and none so beautiful.

It was a great pleasure to speak with so many on their doorsteps about their hopes and ambitions but also their anger and frustration over the many challenges we face from education to health through to war in Europe and the enduring cost of living crisis which is merely the latest manifestation of austerity.

As an MP elected in 2019 for Angus, I demonstrated the application required of all effective representatives, those of professional competence, care and compassion upheld by drive and a commitment to make a positive difference. This is why in less than five years I assisted over 12,000 constituents. I will continue with this level of service as the first MP for Angus & Perthshire Glens and improve on it where I can.

I am back in Westminster now and have been sworn in ready to speak up for my constituents in this new Labour dominated Parliament. The new Government needs a bit of space to get off the staring block but thereafter they can expect to be held to account by me and my colleagues in the interests of the people of Scotland.

This was a landslide election result. I saw Parliament fill today with 650 MPs 335 of whom are newly elected to this sometimes baffling institution. There was nowhere for all the Labour MPs to sit so they had to sit up in both public galleries as well as stuffing all the government benches.

It was also a difficult election for my Party and colleagues, most of whom are now former colleagues. I recognise voters here had reservations in voting SNP at this election. I will not forget their decision to stick with me and I will repay their confidence.