This week sees the culmination of months of passionate campaigning for the Scottish referendum.

I sincerely hope that the people of Scotland will vote to remain in the United Kingdom. We have a rich shared history and Scotland makes a substantial contribution to both our economy and the social fabric of our country.

Many constituents have expressed frustration that they will not have a say in keeping the Union intact, despite feeling passionately about it.

Sadly, the outcome will be decided by those on the electoral register in Scotland.

The referendum debates have again raised questions about the degree of devolution from Westminster – both in Scotland, but also in England.

The Scotland Act introduced in 2012 represented the biggest transfer of fiscal power in more than 300 years. However, I remain open-minded about proposals for further devolved powers to make the Scottish Government responsible for larger amounts of money, but only if England is not disadvantaged as a consequence.

Devolved power has become an equally hot topic in Wiltshire. I am aware of a local campaign to have a south Wiltshire unitary authority.

I fully appreciate the reasons why it seems like a satisfying solution to the sense of disconnection from Trowbridge that some local people complain of.

However, given how recently we went through a reorganisation to become a unitary authority, the plain fact is that no government, of any colour, would even examine the possibility of a further change for at least a decade.

In the immediate future it would be far better to work to ensure the benefits of economies of scale are felt locally by making the area board system work better for us by engaging fully with these decision-making bodies to hold our council to account.

I have had conversations with senior council officers over concerns raised with me about erratic social care.

I am pleased that the issues brought to me are being addressed, but I am monitoring progress carefully. I hope new recruits will be found in the coming weeks so the vital role of looking after the vulnerable in our community can be more reliably delivered.