Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the result of Wednesday’s parliamentary vote as a huge victory for the people of Scotland, and especially for the people of Banff & Buchan. The budget now being passed, local authorities will receive their spending budgets from Holyrood, and policies announced in the bill will be able to go forward.
Welcoming the budget, Mr. Stevenson said:
"This is wonderful news for Banff & Buchan. We faced the threat of a possible 22% increase in council tax thanks to the same parties who brought us the 90% increase already seen in the past 8 years of their Liberal/Labour coalition.
"I look forward to seeing the great budget boosts to the North East take place such as a new prison, more funding for ARI, further work on the AWPR, and most definitely a freeze on council tax.
"Thousands of small businesses in Banff & Buchan will receive a huge boost through the reduction and then abolition of business rates, a vital move which will encourage small business growth and start up.
"This is a major change which represents a huge reduction in the overheads for small businesses giving them a real chance to compete with the multinationals and major chains that are squeezing the heart out of Banff & Buchan’s High Streets.
"I will continue to press for future investment in the North East, and expect to see more good news in the future."
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
