East Lothian SNP candidate David Berry tells carers' hustings he doesn't know about respite care

Word has reached my ears that East Lothian SNP candidate David Berry told an incredulous audience at a hustings meeting in Haddington that he didn't know about the respite care situation in East Lothian.

It was all the more remarkable because:

•  the event was run by carers
• he was until last May the Leader of East Lothian Council until he stood down to "hand over the reins to someone whose more emollient style may be more effective in continuing the teamwork"
• he is still an administration councillor in the area

You would think, wouldn't you, that he would have properly researched what the Council's provision was and what local people needed before turning up at the event? 

He's written about this on his own blog, where he said:

The hardest question for me was about a major lack of respite provision across the county. Although I knew there was a problem, despite my involvement with ELC’s revamp of ASC and listened closely at the last CEL AGM, I simply had not appreciated either its top priority, nor its scale and frankly admitted as much.

Although he acknowledges his own shortcomings, there's no offer to do more to help struggling carers. I'm sure that's not the response local people would expect from someone who wants to be their MSP.