
Welcome to my newsletter, where I set out what I have been doing over the last month. If you want to see more of what I am up to, follow me on social media. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch through the details below.

We finally know the date of the General Election – Thursday 4th July. Up and down Scotland, Scottish Conservative candidates are ready to take on the SNP.
Over the next 6 weeks, our North East candidates will be working hard to secure every vote in their constituencies. With the SNP once again focusing purely on independence and Labour desperately scrambling for policies and prematurely measuring up the curtains, the Scottish Conservatives are putting the people first with policies aimed at improving the lives of everyone in Scotland.
Remember, only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives here in the North East can defeat the SNP. Labour & the Liberal Democrats are simply too far behind to win.
The Matheson scandal rumbled on this week with the new First Minister John Swinney defending his nationalist pal to the hilt. The SNP refused to vote for the reasonable sanctions put forward by the Standards Procedures & Public Appointments committee and further to that voted against the Scottish Conservative motion that would have forced Michael Matheson to resign.
One thing is clear in this sorry saga, the SNP will always put their party interests ahead of the country's - even in the most egregious cases of misuse of public funds. Michael Matheson must resign.
Whilst we have a new First Minister, it is business as usual in Holyrood, with the SNP continuing to overpromise and deliver only disappointment. A new report suggested that the SNP would deliver over 3,500 new teachers and classroom assistantswith much fanfare.
This promise not only turned out to be empty but also counterproductive. Instead of the promised £1 billion investment, the number of full-time staff members has actually decreased and there is a dangerous shortfall in students training. In light of this, John Swinney (who you may recall had a catastrophic record as education secretary), now faces a decision: abandon their key election pledge or push ahead with an uncosted plan that has seen no progress.
You can read more on this here

One of the huge privileges of this job is being able to step in and make a positive difference in people's lives.
When an Angus based 51-year-old Mum sadly suffered a stroke while on holiday and was told she had to fly home or lose insurance, The Courier newspaper and I intervened to ensure that Vicki got the insurance to which she was entitled. This must have been a traumatic experience for a family who should have been making cherished holiday memories. The process added unnecessary stress to recovery from a serious brain injury.
Fortunately we managed to obtain a positive result for Vicki and her family which you can read about in full here
Despite promises to upgrade the Toll O Birness junction since before 2007, when Alex Salmond said it would be a priority, no real action has been taken.
Would the latest FM do what the others have not and turn half-baked promises into real action?
You can watch the clip here
I held a Members’ Business debate in Parliament, focusing on the possibility of reopening the train stations at Cove and Newtonhill. These debates do not happen often, but I basically demanded chamber time after regular business so I could put the case.
See what you think. The Minister who closes the debate and gives the Scottish Government view did not shut this down. I will keep up the pressure and campaigning!

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the 40th Mannofield Guide Unit to answer some rather tricky questions following a motion I submitted to mark their 100th anniversary. Visits like this are my favourite part of the job as you get to hear directly from the next generation about their worries, concerns and interests.
I also learned a great deal about the fantastic work that the 40th Mannofield Guide Unit is doing in the local community which is hugely heartening to see them take such an active role to improve the lives of the people around them.
You can see the motion I submitted to mark the 100th anniversary here

It's always a pleasure to be out with the Aberdeen Conservatives speaking to voters about the issues that matter to them.
It was fantastic to see the positive reception our candidate, John Wheeler, was receiving in Aberdeen South and proof that if enough people unite being the Scottish Conservatives we can defeat the SNP.
Comentários