BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

April Column- election special

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Election finally called

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Gordon Brown has finally run into the buffers and been forced to call an election on May 6. At the moment the outcome is one of the most unpredictable for many years.

The media imply it is because the gap separating Labour and the Conservatives is narrowing. In reality it is because fewer people are supporting either of them than ever before and from the reaction I am finding on the doorsteps people are really weighing their votes carefully.

Locally, issues will focus, as usual on schools, hospitals, transport issues and business rates and the future opportunities for the North East economy. Nationally it will inevitably centre on the budget deficit and the implications for spending on key services and possible tax increases.

The Conservatives have pledged not to implement the Government's national insurance increases for next year. This is of course popular as no-one likes a tax increase but it takes £24 billion out of the Government's revenue projections over the next four years for which the Conservatives have not identified any offset.

They have said there will be no VAT increase and implied it will be paid for out of unspecified public spending cuts. These will not only prove unpopular when they are known but could undermine the recovery as it takes money out of the system and is likely to increase unemployment.

I would very much hope the proposed increases can be avoided but that can only be justified when the means of closing the £24 billion gap has been clearly identified,

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Leaders' debates new feature

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Of course all of this will be thrashed out in the Leaders' debates which for the first time will be televised and give the leaders of the three main UK parties the chance to explain their priorities and try and convince voters that they offer the best way forward.

If the conversations I have had are anything to go by, a lot of people are disinclined to trust any one party's judgment and would prefer to see more realistic discussion and potential agreement among the parties,

Meanwhile Parliament has to finish off the business outstanding before it is dissolved on Monday. Among these is the Digital Economy Bill which is proving controversial in its proposal to disconnect people from the internet if they are suspected of downloading material illegally (i.e. without payment).

This looks like a sledgehammer to crack a nut and it is to be hoped that a more sensible way of tackling piracy can be achieved - not least because the sight of huge multinational corporations piling in to individuals may not be a pretty one.

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Transport issues highlighted

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The transport issues that I believe will be highlighted locally include the Inveramsay Bridge. What progress is being made if any to resolve this bottleneck and associated detours? From the enquiries I and Alison McInnes MSP have made, the answer is little or none. When will work start and finish on the delayed Western Peripheral Route and the Tipperty section of the A90?

I am pleased that at long last the planning process has started towards a Third crossing of the River Don and linked with it relief to the congestion on the Haudagain roundabout..

Meanwhile, why is there so little progress on a commuter rail service between Inverurie and Stonehaven and why on earth can't we proceed with a station at Kintore now?.

Over the year upgrades and improvements have been made to our roads and rail services but there is still much more to be done and progress is too slow. The situation has been exacerbated by the long and severe winter which has caused the disintegration of road services all over the region and gives hard pressed local councils a real headache.

Nationally, the question is do we have the vision to set a new high speed rail link in motion between London and Scotland and tying in the North East?

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North East's key contribution to national economy

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The contribution the North East makes to the Scottish and UK economy deserves a degree of recognition that it has not been given by the Labour Government or the SNP administration.

We need tax policies that ensure we continue to explore for and develop the oil and gas reserves that remain to be recovered from increasingly challenging locations.

But we also need to recognise that if we are to continue making a disproportionate contribution then our local authorities need the necessary finances to sustain our infrastructure and services.

Freezing the council tax has proved a populist measure that restricted local flexibility means more central control and means that business rates and other taxes are diverted away from the North East never to be seen again. I have campaigned for a genuinely local income tax so that local services are financed by locally derived taxes to a greater extent and are less dependent on government grants that do not come the way of North East councils as generously as elsewhere.

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Inverurie wood pellet plant could mean more jobs than paper

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News that a wood pellet plant on the site of the paper mill in Inverurie has been evaluated as a viable investment obviously gives a boost to the prospects of the already diverse and resilient economy of the area. The plans for the site are ambitious and forward looking.

The 260 construction jobs, and up to 130 permanent jobs associated with the biomass plant offer a real boost for the local economy. In addition, there is great potential for former paper mill workers to be re-employed.

I was also pleased to note that there is scope for further industrial development at the site, possibly including a data storage facility. If this potential is realised, it is quite possible that the site could employ more people than the paper mill did.

I particularly welcome the decision to re-open the railhead, which will be environmentally beneficial and adds to the attractiveness of the site for other users.

I hope that the relevant procedures on planning and environmental approvals can move forward, so that work can begin in the near future.