November marked a significant milestone for my constituency hub (139 Dundee St, Edinburgh EH11 1BP) as we became fully operational. This culminated with a training week in Parliament (see pic above) where, as a team, we refined our approach to serving local residents and businesses.

Establishing our office and assembling a dedicated team has been a time-consuming process, but I am delighted that we are now able to serve our community to the fullest extent.

While I’ve chosen to be prudent with our staff budget, the current team of five is already making a substantial impact locally. They are diligently addressing the overwhelming volume of emails and letters I receive daily.

Our team is well-equipped to handle a wide range of casework, from potholes to pension credit applications. Lucie, our experienced caseworker, is the primary point of contact for most incoming requests for help. Salim specializes in Home Office casework, including passport issues, residents stuck overseas, and immigration matters.

Recognizing that some individuals and communities may be hesitant to seek help, Hannah is dedicated to proactively identifying those in need. She has already made significant strides in supporting Currie and Craiglockhart Primary School parents with additional support needs provision and organizing a meeting for over 30 heat network users facing increased energy costs.

Solomon plays a crucial role in ensuring that my actions in Parliament align with the needs of our constituency, and is key to progressing my Priavte Members’ Bill on rare cancers. He identifies casework issues that may require policy changes. He also drafts responses to emails from residents on policy matters in order to explain my position on issues ranging from the climate emergency to the election of Donald Trump.

Finally, Noel manages our office operations and coordinates seamless communication within the team.

When I ran for election, I said all I wanted was a chance to serve people and businesses in Edinburgh South West. My office is designed to fulfil that promise in full. I have deliberately not recruited any staff in Westminster, so my entire staff is committed to serving you right here in the constituency, so please don’t hesitate to ask us for help when you need it.