BORDERS-BASED MSP Michelle Ballantyne has been promoted.

The Conservative member for South Scotland has been named the shadow minister for trade, investment and innovation by her party’s new leader Douglas Ross.

Mrs Ballantyne, who set up a manufacturing business in Walkerburn in the 1990s, says she will use her role to champion local companies.

She said: "From whisky to salmon, Scotland is home to a wealth of iconic goods, and I am keen to promote our unique exports to the wider world and take advantage of the new trade opportunities that have been made possible by Brexit.

"This role will also give me the opportunity to champion some of the Borders’ wonderful producers such as Broughton Ales and the Borders Distillery which make some of the best beers and whiskies in the country.”

Mrs Ballantyne has announced she will be stepping down from her previous role of convener of the economy, energy and fair work committee.

And she says she is focused on helping businesses emerge from the coronavirus lockdown successfully.

She added: “It’s clear that there will be a great deal of hard work needed to repair the Scottish economy post-COVID, but the flexibility shown by the manufacturing sector in making PPE and ventilators has proven that the ingenuity is there.

“I will be working closely with stakeholders from Scotland’s manufacturing and financial services industries to encourage investment from the UK and beyond.

“I also look forward to highlighting the power of the union’s internal market, which accounts for over 60 per cent of the Scottish export market and is worth £85bn per year.

“This reliable trade will be vital in supporting the Scottish economy as we begin to enter the post-COVID economic landscape.”