The trust you put in me to be your MSP is an immense honour. Being elected last year to represent the place where I was born and raised made me extremely proud.

I will always work hard to get the best deal for Clydebank and will be diligent in calling out proposals that are not in the best interests of our town.

One such proposal is ScotRail’s suggestion that the ticket office at Clydebank railway station be closed, and that the facility at Dalmuir have its hours cut back. I noticed last week that one of the big losers in last year’s election was trying to have a go at me about ScotRail’s proposals.

You won’t be surprised to hear that this was long after I had actually robustly opposed them. As usual he was, as they say, too little too late. I welcome him catching up because I want to see unanimous political opposition to ScotRail’s proposals.

I sent in a comprehensive and robust response to the consultation, and I welcomed council colleagues joining me in this approach last week. We must ensure that we provide a strong and united voice against these proposals.

I also organised a meeting with ScotRail to highlight the need for investment in their service. I have sent my response to the Minister for Transport, so she knows the depth of my opposition to ScotRail’s proposals.

My strong and fundamental opposition to ScotRail’s position is detailed loud and clear to them. I know that you are rightly expressing concerns about the proposals, and I am being robust in speaking up on your behalf.

I believe that the proposals undermine the need for rail travel to be accessible and safe for everyone. Closing ticket offices and reducing hours ignores the needs of people with disabilities, older people, and anyone else who might feel uncomfortable relying on a ticket machine.

I have real concerns about the safety of women and vulnerable people using unstaffed stations at night and ScotRail’s proposals for our local stations increase my concerns.

I believe having staff in ticket offices is a key deterrent to antisocial behaviour in the stations and they help keep us safe.

The other thing that these proposals miss is the positive regeneration work that is enhancing our town. Instead of bringing such misguided proposals, ScotRail should instead be enthusiastic partners and join us and invest in our regeneration efforts.

So, my opposition is clear. It is my view that our railways must be accessible and safe for everyone, staff, and passengers alike. Rather than encouraging people to use our railway system these proposals will have the opposite effect.