Recent weeks have brought two very positive developments for Clackmannanshire, both rooted in sustained local pressure backed by real investment, and both the result of determined engagement to secure the right outcome for our area.
First, the Board of Forth Valley College confirmed that the Alloa Campus will be retained for the 2026/27 academic year.
This followed months of uncertainty, during which I worked intensively with the College, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government to strengthen the financial position facing further education.
Students, staff, trade unions and local residents also made their voices heard. That collective effort mattered.
Crucially, the Scottish Budget delivered a 10 per cent increase in college funding.
That materially improved the context in which the Board reached its decision. Without that additional investment, the outcome could have been very different.
It is therefore disappointing that Labour MSPs refused to back the Budget that helped secure Alloa Campus.
Budgets are about choices, this one chose to invest in colleges, and that investment has directly benefited Clackmannanshire.
The Budget also delivered record NHS funding of £17.6 billion, including £2.4 billion for primary care.
We are now seeing that investment translate into improved access locally.
I am particularly pleased that a new walk-in GP clinic will open this summer at the Community Healthcare Centre in Sauchie.
The clinic is expected to operate seven days a week between 12pm and 8pm, allowing patients to see a GP without booking in advance.
This is something I have pressed strongly for, I made the case directly to the Cabinet Secretary for Health that Clackmannanshire needed additional primary care capacity.
I set out the pressures local residents were experiencing and the strain on GP practices.
I am pleased that he listened, and that we are now seeing that case turned into action.
From speaking to constituents, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to secure an appointment, particularly during busy periods.
A seven-day walk-in service will provide flexibility and reassurance for patients, while easing pressure on local practices and NHS staff.
Accessible, timely healthcare is vital for our communities.
This new service will make a real difference to individuals and families across Clackmannanshire.
I will continue engaging with local health partners to ensure the service is implemented smoothly and meets local needs.
More broadly, this Budget removes peak rail fares and freezes rail prices, increases the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible children under one, maintains free prescriptions and bus travel, delivers 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare, and provides record investment in affordable housing.
Labour refused to support any of it.
It is not credible to refuse to back the funding and then welcome the benefits when they arrive.
Whether it is securing further education in Alloa or expanding access to local GP services, these improvements flow from decisions taken at Budget time.
There is more to do. Retaining Alloa Campus for 2026/27 must not become a yearly question mark.
Students deserve certainty. Staff deserve stability. Our community deserves firm, long-term assurances and that will be a priority for me moving forward.
When it comes to protecting local services, what matters is who is prepared to back the funding and do the hard work to secure it.
I will always choose to stand on the side of Clackmannanshire and our local communities.
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