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I would like to start this column by wishing all readers of the Banffshire Journal a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes.

I am sure that most people will be hoping for a break from politics over the festive period after the first winter general election since 1935.

David Duguid has launched a scathing attack on the first minister, accusing her of “ignoring” rural communities such as the coastal towns in Banff and Buchan.

In 2017, the Conservative took the constituency from the SNP – overturning a 14,300 majority.

Banff and Buchan was a closely contested seat in today’s election but retained by Conservative David Duguid.

The constituency threw up one of the most surprising results of the 2017 election when Mr Duguid and the Tories overturned a 14,300 majority to take the seat from the SNP.

Visiting an Aberdeenshire farm, the Prime Minister announced that some £211 million is coming to Scotland’s farmers.

I welcomed the findings of the Bew review on EU convergence funding, following a campaign by Scottish Conservative MPs to set a past wrong right.

Our new Prime Minister is a strong advocate for the Union and will stand up against Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. They are running scared from Mr. Johnson and his positive vision for the whole United Kingdom outside of the EU.

As an MP with a large rural constituency, I like to know how communities outside towns feel about their safety.

Rural crime is on the increase and I know that acquisitive theft – for example tractors or metal from less well protected farms – is a large part of that.

I think it’s fair to say that the public are utterly fed-up of politicians talking about Brexit – yet, I’m afraid that is exactly what I am about to do!

Last week in Westminster, I was pleased to welcome Robert Goodwill MP, the new Fisheries Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and food to his role. One of his first official duties was respond to the Agriculture and Fisheries debates in which I spoke.

While the technicalities and timings of our departure from the EU continue to be debated at Westminster, MPs have also been working on post-Brexit immigration policy.

This will be very important after we leave the EU.