IT is a privilege to be writing to you after another busy year as the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran.
I have been working hard for the constituency and was delighted that the Three Towns has been successful for Pride in Place funding.
This funding will be £20m over 10 years for revitalisation and regeneration. My staff worked incredibly hard on the application and I am looking forward to working with the local community to invest in our area together.
There have been many positives from the autumn budget this year, in particular, the removal of the two-child benefit cap, which will help lift 95,000 children out of poverty in Scotland.
The budget has also cut energy bills by £150, frozen fuel duty, increased the minimum wage, and is investing an additional £820 million more pounds in Scottish public services.
Westminster continues to be busy and I am still sitting on the Finance and Petitions Committees, as well as chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Credit Unions, Phasing Out Animal Experiments in Medical Research, and Dog Advisory Welfare.
A personal highlight this year was winning the RSPCA Pawprints award for championing animal welfare in Parliament.
Over the year, I have held lots of face-to-face surgeries and individual meetings where constituents can raise issues or concerns that they have. I look forward to continuing this approach.
In the office, so far this year my team has dealt with 9,759 emails and 5,564 cases, with enquiries ranging from social security, health, housing, foreign policy, animal welfare, immigration and more. Please do get in touch if we can be of any help.
In the meantime, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and a very happy and prosperous New Year.
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