BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

Malcolm Bruce MP

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By-pass welcomed but overdue and still to be delivered

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I believe the majority of people in Gordon will welcome the long delayed announcement of the go-ahead for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, but will still want to know where the money is coming from, especially for hard pressed local authorities' contributions.

More to the point is how long it will take to build and open as it will make a huge difference to many businesses located north and west of the city whose major markets are down south.

I am sympathetic to the argument that just building another road does not solve traffic problems and the AWPR does not solve the problems of the Haudagain roundabout, a third Don crossing, the Tipperty section of the A 90 or the Inveramsay Bridge.

All these road improvements are necessary and justified for the traffic growth that has taken place but we must build in public transport options.

It is a tragedy that when the Deeside and Buchan railway lines (and the Kemnay - Alford spur) were closed the wayleaves were not protected as they could now be brought back into use.

Nevertheless, there is no excuse for not proceeding with the investment in commuter services and new stations at least between Inverurie and Stonehaven especially if it was integrated with connecting dedicated bus services.

Over the years, I have campaigned for transport improvements under a succession of different administrations and my experience is that it takes cross party support and sustained local pressure and always takes longer that seem reasonable. The present SNP administration is no different and it would do well to remember that the proposals for the route came from our local transport body Nestrans which includes representatives of local councils and businesses.

In addition to that it was the previous administration that gave the commitment in principle and identified the line of route which the road will follow. It will continue to require active monitoring and pressure to ensure it is completed as proposed and the other essential transport improvements are not forgotten.

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Airline collapse calls for new get you home scheme

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The collapse of Globespan disrupted many people's travel arrangements in the run up to the Christmas period. It is clearly disappointing to lose the routes the airline had developed out of Aberdeen.

It would also make for a bleak Christmas for the staff of the airline many of whom found out about the collapse from the media rather than the management.

The sad reality is that Globespan was operating on the margins and had been known to cancel services and routes at short notice. It clearly required a rising market to succeed and in the economic recession failure was perhaps inevitable. It is only unfortunate that its demise could not have been managed in ways that did not let so many people down so suddenly.

Of course, I hope that other airlines might pick up some of the routes and the staff but that may be a little forlorn in the present climate.

What concerns me in all this is the refusal of the Government or Civil Aviation Authority to support a levy and compensation scheme for ticket only purchases. This is something I have been calling for for some years and I will raise it again when the House returns.

The collapse of airlines without warning happens all too often and the authorities need to be better organised to manage it in ways that limit the damage and disruption.

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Thanks again to my card designers

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Once again I want to thank all the schools that took part in my Christmas card competition. The standard of entries on the theme of a Christmas song or carol was particularly high this year.

For the fifth year in a row Braehead School in Bridge of Don produced a prize winner - actually this year two second and equal third along with Kennethmont.

The overall winner, however, was Emma Power from Kintore Primary with a delightful picture of carol singers under a lamp post. By pure serendipity, the day I presented Emma with her prize was also her tenth birthday (and her twin sister's, of course).

So, thanks to the young artists and their teachers for making such a difficult choice from really well designed cards.

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Leaders' debate novel but still choice is local

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The agreement between the broadcasters and main party leaders to allow for televised debates during the General Election that must take place within the next six months caused quite a bit of comment over the holiday period.

I have slightly mixed feelings about it as we only have one vote and that is cast for our local MP and it will be a sad day if Presidential style 'beauty contests' take over from choosing the best local representative. After all, in countries with Presidential systems, voters have separate votes to decide their local parliamentary representatives, as distinct from the vote for President.

However, I can see that the leaders' debates will add interest to the election and give people a chance to assess the leadership qualities of the main contenders to head a Government.

Of course people have had a chance to judge Gordon Brown as Prime Minister but there are questions to be asked of Nick Clegg and David Cameron. On the basis of polls so far, Nick Clegg, stands to gain as people get to know him better. He has also made it clear that he wants to be Prime Minister and believes that the Liberal Democrats have the best people, ideas and policies to lead the country.

David Cameron is presenting himself as almost the Prime Minster in waiting, but again, polls and anecdotal evidence suggest that people are not sure about his policies or his personal qualities.

Other parties may complain but it seems reasonable that the parties that are fighting seats right across the UK and have the base to form a Government should be treated differently from those who are fighting a limited number of seats or have yet to prove their ability to win seats in Parliament.

I do not believe a legal challenge will work or should stop the broadcasts. Of course, it might prove a useful publicity stunt for some parties but ultimately the judgment will be in the ballot box not the courts.

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Royal Mail lets down post offices again

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It is disappointing but not surprising that as a New Year starts we continue to have serious complaints about the functioning of our local offices. I continue to receive complaints that by the service provided by the new outreach post office at Rhynie and Lumsden falls short of the communities' needs - as was predicted it would.

Folk in Udny Station are not happy since the service efficiently provided in the hall moved to a mobile van in the pub car park after the retirement of the sub post mistress - not least because it can involve waiting out in the cold and that is no place for anybody these frosty days.

The resignation of the sub post mistress in Newburgh has left the village and Collieston with no service at all until a replacement is found and that won't necessarily prove easy.

The fact is that Royal Mail has run down the services provided by sub post offices to the point that they are not viable and the cost of maintaining them keeps rising. It is a familiar refrain from the post offices I visit across the constituency that for many the pay received for the work required is hardly worth it.

I will be challenging Government and Royal Mail to review what they are offering or admit that they are knowingly squeezing the smaller offices out of business while pretending to support them.

These are vital social services and post masters and mistresses should be properly rewarded and the community decently served.

Happy New Year

Finally, I'd like to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

29 December 2009