AS THE summer draws to a close, so does my second Summer Surgery tour, having held 45 surgeries across our constituency over the past few weeks, taking my total to 206 surgeries since being elected.

Surgeries are not for show, but to provide genuine 1:1 time with your MP. No matter who you voted for, I am your MP and Westminster is your parliament.

I am pleased that to date my team and I have managed to solve over 1,400 constituent cases. Case work is the most important aspect of my job, and I will continue surgeries (of all sorts) to try and be as accessible as possible.

Following the successful first meeting of the Clackmannanshire Investment Forum, I am greatly looking forward to hosting the next one on September 13. There was great deal of positivity which came out of the last meeting, with everyone excited by the ideas and opportunities to bring private and public investment into Clackmannanshire. I am sure the next meeting will continue in the same vein.

Unfortunately, some SNP politicians have felt the need to make personal, political attacks over my efforts to identify and drive forward investment opportunities for our county, showcasing the worst type of politics; claiming credit for projects for which they have not worked for and taking photo calls where they were not responsible for delivery.

I, along with your local conservative councillors and MSP, try and keep politics in our respective debating chambers, not in local issues or community events. We work cross-party when it is in the best interests of our constituents.

So if you are at a local event and a member of the SNP criticises myself or my colleagues, please ask them what they have done in over 11 years of power in Scotland; the SNP have had the powers and the money to make a difference, and yet Clacks has been left waiting.

Meanwhile the SNP underspend in Holyrood to build up reserves to spend in the election year of 2021. In the meantime causing Clacks services to be cut and local community groups to suffer.

The election of Conservative and Unionist members across Clacks in the past year has radically changed our local politics - making it more competitive and challenging those who took Clackmannanshire for granted.

From the £8m in Westminster funding from the City Deal to the recognition of cross-party working of Conservative Councillors in the council by Audit Scotland, your local conservatives are combining local action with national voice to champion Clackmannanshire wherever possible.

Another issue that has continued over the summer has been the development of Greenfield House in Alloa. I attended the community meeting held in July, organised by local historian Robert Dingwall, to address fire and safety concerns raised by the community.

At the meeting I made clear my support and I have also written to the developer to push them to take action and engage with the concerned stakeholders.

I fully support the work of the local councillors, Alloa Community Council and key individuals who are trying to pressure the developer to take the action that was promised and deliver for the town.

Previously, concerns raised to the developer haven’t gone anywhere and now is the time to turn up the heat and ensure the community’s voice is heard.

As always, if you have any issues/concerns please contact me at my office on 38 Primrose Street, Alloa, by phone on 01259 764407, or by email –luke.grahamoffice@parliament.uk