IN THE midst of chaotic scenes and arcane procedures at Westminster it is vital that we don’t forget our friends and neighbours from across Europe who have chosen to make our communities their home.

They have been made to feel like strangers by a government which seems incapable of finding a resolution and a Tory party intent on tearing itself apart, while our communities pick up the pieces.

Theresa May has realised, all too late, that cross party working will be essential if progress is to be made but sticks determinedly to her red lines.

Meanwhile, Labour are almost as divided as the government and agreement in London seems a long way off.

The economic benefits of EU immigration to Scotland have been clear for a long time, but, more than that, Brexit is a human story.

The anxiety caused by being unsure if you will be able to remain in the place you call home cannot be understated. Families and friendships are coming under impossible strain. This can’t continue.

Politicians of all parties must support EU nationals through this difficult time as much as possible. The EU Citizens’ Rights Project in Scotland has found that those living in rural areas are less likely to be aware of the need to apply for settled status.

The number of people from other EEA countries in Clackmannanshire is small compared to elsewhere in Scotland, but losing them would leave a significant hole in the heart of our communities.

This week I hosted a public information meeting in Stirling which celebrated the contribution of EU citizens and gave them a chance to have their voices heard. I’ll continue to offer any assistance possible, to anyone affected by Brexit, in the weeks and months to come.

Away from Brexit, Holyrood considered the Climate Change Bill last week. This Bill represents a huge opportunity for the Scottish Government to place tackling climate change at the centre of its work, but it must be ambitious and unambiguous in its aims.

Action is needed now. We need to look at the challenges in reaching net-zero emissions and turn them into opportunities.

A just transition towards a low or zero carbon economy is vital, and we need to begin the process of creating green jobs now not leaving it too late as was the case with the Longannet closure.

When considering climate change every MSP has a responsibility to think decades into the future, not just to the next election.

The Scottish Government likes to boast of “world leading” targets when it comes to tackling climate change but in terms of innovation we’re behind other small countries like Ireland and New Zealand.

Climate change is already affecting communities across the globe and unless we alter course now we will feel it more and more at home.

Children and young people are keenly aware that they are the ones who will pay the highest price for our generation’s failure to act. We owe them their future and should do everything we can to protect it.