Investing in Our Future: A Financial Feast for the Northeast Tuesday, 12 March, 2024 Last week, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP presented his Budget, with a focus on allowing people to keep more of their earnings. Benefitting 27 million workers across the UK, the main rate of employee National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be cut from 10% to 8% which, further to the cut from 12% in January, will mean a tax cut of over £900 for a worker on average earnings. Two... Local NewsOpinions
Budget Breakthroughs: Boosting Banff, Buchan, and Beyond 12th March 2024 Last week in Parliament, what should have been a full and frank debate about the situation in Gaza, instead became a spectacle about parliamentary procedure and... Local NewsOpinions
Parliamentary Tensions and Local Triumphs: A Week of Contrasts 27th February 2024 Last week in Parliament, what should have been a full and frank debate about the situation in Gaza, instead became a spectacle about parliamentary procedure and... Local NewsOpinions
Courage and Commitment: King Charles' Health and Our Energy Future 13th February 2024 The recent news from Buckingham Palace of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis has touched us all. While we remain concerned, the encouraging update on His Majesty's... Local NewsOpinions
Braving Storms & Battling Disconnect: A Call for Digital Resilience in Banff and Buchan 30th January 2024 Since my last column, there has been a seemingly endless series of extreme weather warnings and events! No sooner had the heavy snow started to let up, than we... Local NewsOpinions
New Year, New Savings: Tax Breaks and Community Triumphs in Banff and Buchan 16th January 2024 Firstly, let me wish all my constituents a very happy new year in my first column of 2024. On 6 January, the year started with a welcome tax-break right across... Opinions
National Insurance Cut - More Money in Your Pocket! 6th January 2024 Historic National Insurance Cut Now in Effect! How This Change Boosts Your Earnings Great news for workers across the UK! The National Insurance rate has been... Westminster News
Banffshire Journal 19 December 2023 19th December 2023 As we approach the end of the year, we’ve seen ‘Small Business Saturday’ come and go again. As I travel around Banff and Buchan, I enjoy promoting and... Opinions
Banffshire Journal 5 December 2023 5th December 2023 As winter sets in across Banff and Buchan with colder temperatures now arriving, I encourage everyone to take extra precautions in icy conditions when outdoors... Local NewsOpinions
Banffshire Journal 21 November 2023 21st November 2023 It was an honour to attend the recent State Opening of Parliament and King Charles III's King's Speech – the first King’s Speech in more than seventy years. The... Opinions