Wednesday July 3rd 2024
Keith Cockburn, Conservative and Unionist Candidate for Midlothian in the General Election, has written this open letter to Midlothian voters.
Dear Midlothian Voter,
I write to you on the eve of poll, asking for your vote.
I accept that we Conservatives have made mistakes during our period in government, and you may have strong negative feelings towards us.
However, if we cast our minds back to 2010, the country was even worse. Since then, we have rebuilt the shattered economy that we inherited from Labour in 2010.
We held a referendum on Scottish Independence and beat the SNP, and to this day, Scotland plays a huge role in our Union.
We faced the COVID pandemic storm as a nation, providing the furlough scheme that saved many, many jobs and protected our economy from long-term damage.
We opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and we supported our Ukrainian allies, helping to supply them with the means to defend themselves.
Unlike our opponents, we are committed to our national defence, in these very uncertain times, steadfastly maintaining our nuclear deterrent and increasing our defence spending.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine rocked the world’s economy, but we have slowly rebuilt our economy again and significantly reduced the high inflation caused by these two massive global shocks.
Looking ahead to the future in Midlothian, my whole campaign has been about creating a better future for you and your family and friends. I’m sick and tired of distracted politics and distracted politicians, finding excuses as to why they can’t do the job that you elect them to do, and if elected I will focus on Midlothian’s real priorities.
Midlothian is an enthralling mix of old and new. It is a historic County, yet now thriving and growing. You are unique and it’s exciting to see.
I believe that the people of Midlothian’s greatest concern is the state of critical infrastructure. The population here is growing and many good new homes are being built. This is so positive, but as well as building homes we need to build communities.
Critical infrastructure is lagging behind the house building. We must make sure that the funding of critical infrastructure in Midlothian matches the population growth and construction of homes.
If critical infrastructure is not properly funded and planned for then all the potentially good possibilities for Midlothian could be undone.
If we do not find the funding for and build the infrastructure to match the number of homes being built here, then your communities will suffer. Getting a doctor’s or hospital appointment will become harder, getting a place at the local school more difficult, and travelling to work a longer journey.
If we don’t address this big issue very soon, then I fear that the infrastructure issues you are currently experiencing will be just the tip of the iceberg. You need good, strong representation here, an MP who will champion and focus on your priorities, who will work with the Council to address their funding issues and who is not afraid to ask for help and support from all levels of government, at Westminster and Holyrood.
I will not be a Westminster-centric MP who will be largely absent, or tow the party line, and be easily whipped into keeping quiet. I will be shouting from the rooftops that you need support whilst you grow. I’m not a professional politician, but I have extensive business experience and I have been a hard-working political campaigner for more than a decade.
I would be honoured and humbled to work hard on your behalf.
Please vote for me and put me to work on July 4th.
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