I was happy to join Cllr Sir Jamie McGrigor at the latest Argyll and the Islands strategic group meeting.

With Scottish Government representatives in attendance, many pressing local and national issues were discussed, from the road equivalent tariff, air flights to and from the Islands, infrastructure challenges fuelled by our huge industrial growth, fuel poverty in rural Scotland and much more.

17% of Argyll & Bute's population lives on islands and Argyll & Bute has more inhabited islands than any other constituency in our United Kingdom. This means we should not be sidelined by central governments that can, at times, seem indifferent to the challenges we in island communities face.

Since the last local elections, island communities have councillors like Sir Jamie McGrigor and myself fighting hard for our constituents and their concerns all year round and I can give my proud assurance of that continuing.

Cllr Alastair Redman