AFTER the passing of the Scottish Government's budget a few weeks ago, it was the turn of the local authorities to set out their financial plans for the year ahead.

IN these difficult economic times, many people in Banff and Buchan are facing enormous strains on their budgets as they struggle to pay the bills.

WHILE the 'Auld Alliance' might be historic, the relationship today is thoroughly modern.

THE Scottish Parliament recently debated and passed the annual budget for the coming financial year, the first that sees spending fall in real terms since the start of devolved government.

I WAS happy to hear that the UK Government has, at long last, accepted the calls of farmers and agreed to establish a supermarket ombudsman to oversee the relationship between food producers, sellers and consumers.

SINCE coming to Government in 2007, the SNP has set out to tackle Scotland's destructive drinking problem.

THE Scottish Government has taken great strides since 2007 towards bringing an end to policies that seek to tax ill-health.

WITH the festive period fast approaching there will no doubt be extensive coverage in the Press of the annual campaign warning motorists against drinking and driving at this time of year.

St Andrew's Day is a day that has for centuries held national importance for people in Scotland. Yet this year it took on a special significance, marking as it did the end of one national event and the start of another.

IN Scotland, we share our patron saint with the Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Greece.

AS all within the fishing industry will know only too well, we are approaching the annual fishing negotiations to determine the fishing restrictions that skippers will face in the coming year.

MANY residents across the North-east were affected by the terrible recent flooding.

THE SNP recently held its 75th annual conference in Inverness, marking a welcome return to the capital of the Highlands five years after the last time we held a conference there.

YOUNG Scots for Independence, the SNP's official youth wing, launched its new campaign to allow Scots, from 16 years and over, a say on the constitutional future of Scotland.

I WAS recently delighted by a Scottish Government announcement that will be of significant help to students from Banff and Buchan, and across Scotland.

THIS week saw some shocking figures released, showing that 68% of weekend calls to the ambulance service were alcohol-related.

A RECENTLY published report highlighted many of the benefits of life in Scotland's rural communities, praising the high quality of life enjoyed by many residents.

I WAS pleased to learn that work is underway to streamline the process needed to apply for housing in the North-east.

With the Scottish Parliament well and truly back from its summer recess, the Scottish Government recently published its legislative programme for the coming 12 months.

THE SNP Government has met its election pledge of putting 1,000 extra police officers on the beat in Scotland ahead of schedule.

WE all want to live in safe communities where nobody has to fear that they may become a victim of crime.

OVER the last week Scotland's flagship Climate Change Bill became an Act of Parliament when it was granted Royal Assent.

THE fishing fleet in Banff and Buchan has never been slow to innovate in terms of technology and the way it operates.

THE summer has brought a dreadful toll to Scotland's roads.

SHORTLY before the Scottish Parliament entered its summer recess at the end of June, Scotland's Climate Change Bill completed its passage through Parliament and passed into law.

WITH our summer now well under way it is that time of year for our traditional agricultural shows, and here in the North-east we have a fantastic schedule of events to head along to.

AS school pupils across Banff and Buchan start their summer holidays and many families head off for well-earned breaks, it seems an appropriate time to consider the success that Homecoming Scotland 2009 is having in attracting visitors from all over the world to Scotland.

THIS week marks ten years since pen was put to paper and a new political era dawned in Scotland. The advent of devolution marked a colossal sea-change in how Scots were represented within the UK, and was the result of decades of political struggle to achieve.

TEN years on from devolution and the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament, it is entirely fitting that discussion of the arrangements by which Scotland is governed should again be high on the agenda.

I HAVE often commented on just how much the North-east is recognised as one the world's best agricultural and farming areas, with a very close relationship between the people and the land.

THE FOURTH of June saw around 162 million people cast their votes across Europe for who they wanted to represent them in the European Parliament. In Scotland, the result was a clear and unambiguous message of support for the Scottish National Party and our record of unstintingly standing up for Scotland's interests.

LAST week saw the launch of a landmark document by the Scottish Government and COSLA, which seeks to bring together every agency involved in assisting and preventing violence against women in Scotland – and bring it to an end.

FOLK in Banff and Buchan, perhaps more than anywhere else in Scotland, scarcely need reminded of the important role that the European Union plays in our everyday lives.

THIS week will see every teacher in Scotland receive their own personal copy of the guidelines for the Curriculum for Excellence – a new approach to learning and teaching in Scotland which focuses on a more cross-curricular approach in the classroom.

Breast Cancer Awareness

FOR many years Scotland's housing situation grew steadily worse as more and more people found themselves unable to get access to council housing or move onto the property ladder.

BANFF and Buchan's fishing communities have endured many difficult years since the introduction of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy.

OVER the last few weeks I have visited both the USA and China in an effort to promote Scotland as an ideal location to do business, particularly in the field of renewable energy.

IT was with great sadness that I heard of the appalling tragedy which unfolded off the Buchan coast, with a helicopter going down and taking the lives of the sixteen people on board.

ALTHOUGH the opportunity may have passed to be giving something up for Lent, it doesn't end until the April 11 this year, and SCIAF are still running their Wee Box campaign to highlight the chance to give up something and donate instead.

IN THESE difficult economic times, people across Scotland are inevitably making adjustments to their budgets and are trying to maximise their value for money.

DEVOLUTION was always intended to bring about different policies between Scotland and the rest of the UK, reflecting the different needs and goals of people in Scotland.

WITH America going through a revolution in political thought at the moment, I was privileged to have the chance to visit Washington last week to talk about what part Scotland can play in what can only be described as a new era of global politics.

PEOPLE up and down Scotland will have welcomed the recent news that their Council Tax bills have been frozen for another year.

THE most important topic exercising minds in Holyrood over the last few weeks has without any shadow of doubt been Scotland's budget for the coming financial year.

THE PAST fortnight has certainly been one of ebbing and flowing by the opposition parties in the Parliament, with, in the end, an almost unanimous passing of the Scottish Budget, by 123 votes to only 2 against.

The 25th of January was a day of exceptional significance for Scotland.

THE SNP Government made a key announcement for the North-east last week, proving, once again, that they are delivering the goods.

THE new year was welcomed up and down Scotland in spectacular fashion.

IT has been a privilege to represent the people of Banff and Buchan in 2008, and I would like to wish all of my constituents a very Happy New Year.

THE fishing industry in Banff and Buchan and Scotland more widely, has had to make many sacrifices in its pursuit of a sustainable, profitable fishing industry.

SCOTLAND, and the North-east in particular, has for decades enjoyed the economic benefits of a thriving energy sector.

LOCAL authorities in Scotland are being given the opportunity to apply for a share of £25 million to help kick start a new generation of council house building.

BUSINESSES in Banff and Buchan, and Scotland as a whole, are coming under increasing pressure as a result of the current economic problems afflicting the country.

WITH Remembrance Sunday just passed, it is vital we pause for thought and pay tribute to the many Scottish servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country.

ACCESS to an NHS dentist is something that should be available to all who need it. It is a principle that is important to the SNP, but one that for too long before last May's election was neglected. In Banff and Buchan, and indeed across the North-east, the level of access residents enjoyed to an NHS dentist was woefully poor.

THE SNP recently held its 74th annual conference in Perth. The conference, which gives delegates the opportunity to set party policy, saw a number of Scottish Government Ministers speak from the podium.

THE economic turbulence of recent weeks is doubtless causing concern in households here in Banff and Buchan and across Scotland.

AT a time when the Scottish fishing industry faces a number of pressures such as high fuel prices and conservation obligations, it is vital that it receives as much support as possible.

NOW the Tories join Labour in the race to catch up with SNP policies.

SCOTLAND has a health system to be proud of, and in the year of its 60th anniversary, we can all appreciate the strengths of the NHS and take pride in its founding principle – that healthcare is free at the point of delivery.

THE Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), which was established as a limited company last week, will develop the expertise and investment models for a range of public infrastructure projects including new schools, hospitals and transport projects for Scotland at better value to the public purse.

WITH the summer recess drawing to a close, MSPs returned to Holyrood for yet another parliamentary year.

IT is not reasonable to expect patients or visitors to have to pay when they come to hospital; a car parking charge is the last thing people need at a time of great anxiety, stress or grief.

TALK of rising oil prices, inflation and 'the credit crunch' have been impossible to avoid in recent weeks, not only in Scotland but throughout the Western world.

I'M sure that people across Scotland have been riveted, as I have, by the coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

IT IS the responsibility of any good government to promote and protect a country's national industries. In times of difficulty when they are in need of support the Government must act.

THE recent Glasgow East by-election victory for John Mason of the SNP was a hugely important moment in Scottish politics and a testament to the momentum and continuing success of the Scottish Government.

SCOTLAND'S traditional political structures have been shaken to the core by a recent event in Glasgow East.

I'M sure that I am not alone in my relief at Alistair Darling's announcement that the planned tax hike on fuel duty has been shelved.

WHEN the SNP was given the backing of the people of Scotland last year, its over-riding pledge was to promote and, if necessary, defend Scotland's interests.

LAST Sunday I attended the commemoration service of the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster in Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen, a service which I found exceptionally moving.

WITH the summer finally upon us, MSPs have now departed Holyrood for their constituencies after a parliamentary term that has seen no shortage of activity or excitement.

WE are all aware of Scotland's unique culture and significant contribution to the world.

SCOTLAND has a proud history of delivering new and innovative approaches to public investment, and that is why I have proposed the development of the Scottish Futures Trust as the way forward – offering both better-value finance and secure investment.

LAST week saw a particularly important debate in the Scottish Parliament on the rising cost of fuel in Scotland's island and rural communities; as SNP politicians call for the UK Government to abandon the 2p rise in fuel duty, to apply to Europe for permission to cut fuel duty in rural areas, and to introduce a fuel price regulator.

ONE of Scotland's most valuable legacies and one that sets us apart from other nations, is our education system.

THE Scottish Government has initiated a five-point plan to alleviate the impact of rising fuel costs on the fishing industry.

AS we enter the month of May, we are afforded the chance to reflect on what can only be described as a momentous year for Scotland.

THE public response to the Grangemouth dispute has been overwhelmingly measured and responsible, and I want to put on record my thanks to everyone for their patience and efforts to conserve fuel.

SINCE taking over the reins of power at Number 10 almost a year ago, it is fair to say that Gordon Brown's tenure has been characterised by a series of errors and ill-judged moves.

THE SNP has called on Gordon Brown to rethink the abolition of the 10 pence income tax rate as families, already struggling to cope with the credit crunch, face soaring food bills.

HEALTH is one of the most fundamental issues within any Government's remit.

IT is very clear that the lack of provision of dental services in the North-east has been a very important issue for us all – and that is why the Scottish Government announced its plans to establish a new dental school in Aberdeen.

THE whisky industry is a staple within the Scottish economy. It is one of our most fundamental export products and key industries in terms of both earnings and employment.

FIGURES recently released have highlighted Labour's failure to create more social housing in Scotland over the last 10 years – compared to the burgeoning numbers being planned since the SNP Government took office.

THIS week saw another SNP manifesto promise delivered when the Graduate Endowment Abolition Bill was passed in the Scottish Parliament.

MORE than a few people in Scotland were left aghast lately when Scotland Office Minister David Cairns aired his true views on more powers for the Scottish Parliament.

FOLLOWING the SNP Government's £70 million injection to allow local authorities to freeze Council Tax, I am delighted that Aberdeenshire Council have taken the decision to do so.

THEY say a week is long time in politics, and in Holyrood last week that cliché rang true.

LAST week marked a historic win for Scotland's SNP Government when it faced down Labour and the Liberal Democrats to push through a budget that is firmly in Scotland's best interests.

COMMUNITY initiatives and good causes in Scotland were dealt a severe blow last week by Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs.

EVEN more good news this week as the SNP Government is investing £24 million to help more first-time buyers get into the property market through a shared-ownership scheme.

FOOD is a vital resource to Scotland, fundamental not only to our economy but also to our health, environment and rural communities. And with some of the finest food and drink in the world on offer here in Scotland, it is important that we harness and maximise the enormous value of our food industry.

IT has always been the greatest pleasure and privilege of my life to serve the people of the North-east of Scotland – and you have consistently elected me to do that as your MP in Banff and Buchan in every election over the past 20 years.

THIS year was a momentous one, and I would like to highlight the many goals we have realised for Scotland and its people. Winning the Scottish election in May was just the beginning – there have been numerous achievements in the months since the SNP came to Government.

AS the New Year approaches, it is time for both reflection and anticipation. A time to look back over what has been a magnificent 2007, but also to look forward to what promises to be an even better 2008.

SAINT Andrew's Day is a day with one simple purpose – to celebrate Scotland.

TO commemorate our national day of celebration, more than 60 of Scotland’s top visitor attractions were open for free on St. Andrew’s Day.

LAST week the Scottish Government set out its spending plans for the next three years in the SNP's first ever Budget.

THE Scottish Government wants to create a Scotland everyone can be proud of – and Glasgow securing the 2014 Commonwealth Games is a huge boost for all of Scotland.

A FEW old familiar myths about Scotland's financial status in the UK were well and truly scuppered last week as some home truths were revealed.

LAST week I was particularly pleased to be able to announce that a significant upgrade to a key route linking local communities and businesses in the North-east will take a significant step forward.

ANGER and disappointment have been the prevailing sentiments within the Scottish farming industry over the past three weeks as farmers were badly let down by the UK government.

MY recent visit to America was a huge opportunity to ensure that Scotland is using its Celtic connections and its positive image to gain recognition across the globe.

THERE was cause for more than a little embarrassment at Number 10 last week as Gordon Brown finally announced that his much anticipated General Election was, after all, a non-runner.

SCOTLAND is once again powering ahead with its plans to fulfill our renewable energy potential. We are so lucky in Scotland that there is such a great opportunity to generate sustainable energy, and ensure a future without nuclear power.

WITH the glowing autumn season now upon us, the familiar run-up to the festive period is coming clearly into sight.

THE Scottish Government continues its fight against anti-social behaviour this week with the introduction of on-the-spot fines.

AFTER a summer recess spent in the constituency, MSPs returned last week to the political flurry of the Parliament.

THIS week has seen the formal adoption of 'The Scottish Government' to replace our former name 'The Scottish Executive'. The re-branding of our name is of great significance as much of our research had shown the term Executive was both confusing and meaningless to many members of the public.

LOOKING back, this summer has been a turbulent time for our agricultural sector, and particularly for our livestock industry. The confirmed cases of foot and mouth disease in Surrey last month came as a severe blow to the sector.

ON August 14, I was delighted to launch a new Government White Paper. The contents of that paper will trigger what I believe will be a new era of constitutional reform and debate.

FOR the United Kingdom times are clearly changing.

FOLLOWING the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey, the spectre of livestock disease has again cast its shadow over Scotland and our rural life.

WITH the summer now in full swing, though the sun has been scarce, the summer feeling has nevertheless been in the air with the many seasonal festivals which brighten up our towns and villages.

ONCE again, we find ourselves in the midst of the summer agricultural show season, with a range of galas, fetes and fairs being held in showgrounds and village halls throughout the North-east of Scotland.

SINCE taking our place in government this May, the SNP has already made its distinctive mark on Scottish politics.

SINCE the SNP came to power at Holyrood, even some of our most hardened critics among the Press have been reluctantly forced to admit that we have hit the deck running.

I HAD the pleasure last week of attending the launch of the 14th ­annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy.

ALTHOUGH the Scottish Government approved planning permission for the proposed world-leading Peterhead carbon capture project, it was a great disappointment to receive a letter from the UK Department of Trade and Industry saying it does not consider that it is possible to revisit the proposals for the carbon capture competition.

ELDERLY people are amongst the most vulnerable groups of people in our society and as a civilised and advanced country we must do our best to protect them.

MY WIFE and I were recently the guests of honour at a dinner in the Palace Hotel in Peterhead organised by the constituency association to celebrate my 20th anniversary as the Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchan.

WITH the summer well and truly under way and the official bathing season kicking-off this week, the spotlight was on Scotland's beaches.

THE Post Office network plays a vital part in the life of our communities – and so last week's announcement by the UK Government that it supports plans to close 2,500 locations is a real blow.

SUSTAINABLE industry is the engine that drives our communities and keeps our towns, villages and communities thriving.

THURSDAY, May 3, will be remembered as a truly momentous day in our national history - it was the day the people of Scotland made their voices resoundingly heard.

OIL is one of Scotland's most valuable resources and indeed the boast of the North-east's flourishing industries.

MY NAME is Alex Salmond – and I'm running for First Minister.

THERE is little doubt that lively and sustainable local communities can only exist with successful local economies at their foundations.

SNP proposals for tougher action to tackle under-age drinking were discussed when I met community police officers in Edinburgh last week.

IN PARLIAMENT last week, pupils were at the forefront of debate. The SNP revealed that the Government is going back on its promise to the people of Scotland to improve the education system by cutting class sizes.

HEALTH care is a matter always close to home, and my SNP colleagues and I are campaigning to ensure it remains so.

IT WAS my great pleasure to accept an invitation to join Deveronvale's 'Bingo' Bremner and David Brown to watch their team take on Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup a week past Saturday.

FEW can dispute the integral contribution of local groceries and retailers to our rural communities and indeed town centres.

MORE than half of all driving fatalities occur on rural roads, and by the end of last year 61 people had been killed in Grampian alone.

REPRESENTATIVES of the National Farmers Union were out in force last week as they carried their ongoing campaign for fair prices for farm produce to the very doorstep of MSPs at the Parliament.

I AM always delighted to take the opportunity to promote Banff and Buchan constituency as a tourist destination whenever possible, and that is why I chose to broadcast my New Year message from the Kinnaird Head lighthouse in Fraserburgh.

AS THE Christmas and New Year festivities draw to a close, the time for New Year's resolutions is finally upon us.

IN ADDITION to the usual round of end-of-the-year events that I attend at both Westminster and Edinburgh, it is always a pleasure to pay a visit to people and places in the constituency at this time.

AS 2006 draws to a close, we have seen that the Parliament has been a flurry of activity, with more than 15 Bills becoming law, along with the many debates and question-times that have taken place since the turn of the year.

AS AN MP, it is my responsibility and honour to represent the interests of all my constituents – regardless of race, creed, colour, or sexual orientation.

GIVEN that many of us have sent – or are about to send – our Christmas cards, it was highly relevant that in Parliament we have held a debate about the threat of closures faced by rural post offices.

THIS week I had the pleasure of congratulating community activists in New Deer as they won the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Award, when I attended the ceremony which was held in Edinburgh.

THIS last week was a busy time for me, both on constituency business and at Westminster, when among other things, I held meetings with the chief executives of Aberdeenshire Council and NFU Scotland, and have been involved in tabling a very important amendment to the Queen's Speech.

LAST week at Westminster, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru called for a select committee to be appointed to review the way the Government discharged its responsibilities in relation to Iraq – both in the period leading up to military action, and in its aftermath.

IN THE Scottish Parliament this week, we saw the ethos of the people's Parliament being met as hundreds of physiotherapy students and graduates made the trek to Edinburgh to lobby their MSPs.

LAST week, once I had finished with my surgeries I headed down to Perth to take part in my party's annual conference, and I must say I was heartened to observe that the national Press was full of articles stating that the SNP were on the brink of Government.

THIS week I will be leading the Scottish National Party annual conference in Perth. In so doing, I will be addressing a party that is preparing to govern.

AT a time when the opinion polls are all showing a huge upsurge in support for the SNP, and party activists are enthusiastically gearing up for our forthcoming National Conference at Perth, we have all been saddened by the recent death of former SNP MP and deputy leader, Douglas Henderson, following a short illness.

LAST week in Parliament I was able to take part in a debate which highlighted that buying and producing food locally is a win-win situation for all involved.

PARLIMENTARIANS were back to work in Edinburgh this week after spending the summer recess (hopefully like myself) getting out and about seeing constituents in their own towns and villages.

WITH Westminster in recess, I have spent much of my time holding surgeries and meeting constituents at a wide range of events across the North-east.

MACDUFF was very much the centre of attention a week past Sunday, when I was delighted to open both the Scottish Federation of Model Boat Clubs’ regatta at Tarlair swimming pool, and the Banffshire Maritime Exhibition at 6-8 Duff Street, on the same day.

THE summer break gives me the opportunity to meet many people in their environment, instead of the usual office surroundings. Indeed, I have already seen a number of folk, most notably at the Turriff show.

I RECENTLY had the great honour of performing the opening ceremony of the Royal Bank of Scotland at New Deer.

THIS week has seen a real heat-wave hit Scotland – I hope everyone will treat the sun with the respect it deserves by using sun-block – and this can be seen as further evidence that global warming is taking place.

THIS is the time of year that I look forward to attending a wide range of local fetes and galas across the North-east, and I recently had the great pleasure of going along to one of my perennial favourites – the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy.

JUST before my parliamentary colleagues and I bid farewell to the chamber to herald the start of the summer recess, I was able to fulfil a personal milestone: during the last debate of the session I made my 250th speech.

IT HAS always been a great source of pride to me that we, as a nation, are noted for our tolerance and willingness to engage with people of every race, creed and nationality.

FINALLY, after two months, MSPs were allowed back into the debating chamber.

IT WAS my great pleasure to congratulate Richard Lochhead on his landmark victory in the Moray by-election.