Scottish Borders Council leader Shona Haslam stepping down

The Conservative leader of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is stepping down to take up a role with a think tank.

Shona Haslam, who represents Tweeddale East, has led the local authority since May 2017.

She said it had been an "honour and a privilege" to be council leader over the last four years.

SBC will meet to select a new leader on 25 November and Ms Haslam will remain as a councillor until the elections in May next year.

She said the authority had "achieved so much" including the Borderlands Growth Deal, launch of South of Scotland Enterprise and delivering iPads to pupils as part of its Inspire Learning programme.

"It has not been an easy four years either with serious floods in our towns, a fire at Peebles High School and of course Covid-19," she added.

"Our communities have joined forces and pulled together in all of these challenges and to see how this has happened has been one of the best things about this role.

"I am not leaving the public sector, or politics, and will be leading a new think tank in Scotland that focuses on how we build a stronger community in Scotland for the future."

SBC convener David Parker thanked her for her work and congratulated her on all she had achieved.

"She has made an enormous contribution to the Scottish Borders," he said.

"The focus she has placed on mental health and the huge amount of work she carried out on Inspire Learning in our schools are just two of the things I think she deserves great credit for.

"As the first female leader of this council she will have a special place in its history."