When I am out knocking on doors, one of the biggest issues that comes up is potholes and the state of the roads.
In East Lothian, the problem is worse due to the rural nature of the area.
Many people rely on cars to get where they need to go due to poor public transport infrastructure and the distance to essential services, such as doctors, shops, and local schools.
We recently sent Freedom of Information requests to every council in Scotland, asking for the number of potholes that were reported each year.
Three councils did not provide this information in response to the FOI request. East Lothian Council was one of those three - and it even requested payment for the information. The fact that almost every other Scottish council had this information and willingly shared it does not reflect well on the Labour-run East Lothian Council.
But the figures we got back were pretty depressing. Nationally, there have been almost 110,000 potholes reported between April 2023 and February 2024. This huge figure shows how the Scottish road infrastructure is simply disintegrating under the SNP.
Ageing roads require proper maintenance, but the SNP has cut council budgets to the quick. Transport is a devolved power, and it is ultimately the job of this Scottish government to ensure the roads in Scotland are up to scratch.
I am committed to making sure that the south of Scotland is not neglected, and I will continue to stand up for the roads and wider transport network in East Lothian.
