I hope you are all having a good summer and enjoying some fantastic moments from Team GB during the Olympics Games, including from our very own local Borders athletes.

The General Election campaign was just a few weeks ago but I’m already back working hard on all the issues that matter to you.

I want to share with you just a few of the things I am currently focused on.

I've been doing everything I can to make the positive case for the extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick, Newcastleton and onto Carlisle.

In the General Election campaign, I pledged to work hard to deliver the extension that we all want to see.

I am now seeking to bring together a cross-party consensus about the importance of this extension.

I was disappointed with a recent response I received from the Labour Government that they will not be immediately progressing the extension. They told me in a letter that they will need to review all transport proposals first. Any assessment of this scheme must surely recognise the big benefits it would bring to the Borders.

I recently met with local pharmacists to discuss their plight.

Pharmacies play an important role in our local communities but their sustainability has come into question recently.

The situation has become so stark that the National Pharmacy Association has launched a Save Our Pharmacies campaign.

I recently wrote to the Scottish Government to ask what more they can do to help pharmacies across the Borders and in other rural communities. I hope they will offer extra support soon.

Issues with seagulls have been growing worse for many years and this situation must now be tackled.

These birds are often a menace to local people and they can be terrifying to children.

It’s a problem mainly along the coast but I have heard from constituents as far inland as Hawick.

I hope to soon see the council work towards a solution that keeps people safe.