BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

September column

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Tour raises a variety of issues

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For the 28th year running I have been engaged in my tour around Gordon constituency and in spite of pretty mixed weather I'm glad to say that quite a number of people have taken the time and trouble to come and talk to me. They have raised a whole variety of issues. There been some questions seeking verification or reassurance on government policy or my views on it. There have been the usual variety of personal problems which people would like me to help with. There has also been a number of transport issues. It appears that the fares structure on ScotRail is unpredictable and in some ways unfair. Leaving aside special offers, there have been times when, for example, the return from Inverurie to Inverness is cheaper than Huntly to Inverness. I've also been told that a return for Huntly to Dingwall can be cheaper than a fare from Huntly to Inverness. This doesn't take account of booking fares online or in advance.

Of course, I understand that special deals are just that but it appears that people getting on trains where there is no ticket office and people who have no easy access to the Internet are being disadvantaged. It is a case of to those that have shall be given, while those that have not finish up paying more.

In addition to that, there been a number of complaints about inconvenience or downright unhelpful connections at Aberdeen. In a number of cases trains arriving from the south get in with insufficient time to make the connection unless you have local knowledge and nothing to carry. I will of course be making representations on these issues. Given my campaign to improve the rail service and the fact that more people are using the rail network than ever before I do sometimes wonder if these are anomalies or deliberately designed to deter people from using trains.

Certainly, the changes in the frequency of services between Inverurie and Aberdeen have led to a dramatic increase in passenger numbers. I have no doubt in my mind that the potential for switching more people from road to rail is very substantial if the investments and services are provided. So I'm very pleased that people have given me useful information which I'm happy to make good use of.

Apart from taking up specific issues, I have had the opportunity to visit local schools and shops and see how they are doing and what changes have or are taking place which will affect local communities. I do of course visit all parts of the constituency all year round but this concentrated tour I find invaluable.

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The North Sea needs a future not a fight

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The North Sea is continuing to show that even in its maturity it has the capacity to yield significant commercial reserves of oil and gas. The latest announcement by Wintershall over fields containing between 60 and hundred million barrels of oil off Aberdeen in the wake of a previous discovery by Encore oil of a potential 300 million barrel field reinforces the importance of the North Sea and the expertise and critical mass of capability and services located here in the north-east.

While I absolutely agree that we must use the next few years to increase the efficiency of energy use and to diversify away from fossil fuels into a variety of renewable sources, it is probably true that the world will continue to have about 25 years of oil and gas -- which has been the case for the last 75 to 100 years.

It is predictable, but more than a little depressing, that the SNP continues to argue the case for independence based on oil and gas reserves. The case for the union is not just an economic one. Trade investment, and economic links between Scotland and the rest of the UK are so deep and so strong that it would be crazy to base our future on one industry, however important, which does have a finite life.

But the relationship between Scotland and the UK is built on more than money. It is based on a shared history both in relation to each other and the rest of the world and ties of blood and social interconnection.

More to the point, in my travels round the constituency I certainly detect disillusion and disappointment with the achievements of the SNP government and little appetite for independence or indeed the rather whingeing confrontation between Edinburgh and London

Indeed, I can think of nothing more likely to damage investment in the North Sea oil and gas than any serious concern that a stand-off between Scotland and the rest of the UK and the long drowned out dispute over who controls North Sea Oil and gas resources was in real prospect. Perhaps it is because the SNP know that support for them in independence has fallen away that they feel able to make what would otherwise be provocative statements.

Meanwhile for the rest of us, the priority is to ensure we maintain the momentum of our activities and get the infrastructure necessary to sustain our industry for the future and the SNP would be better at using powers they have to deliver on funding for infrastructure and public services which are more directly under their control and responsibility than North Sea oil and gas resources.

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Pay freeze better than no job

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It is disappointing that local government unions appear to be paving the way for strike action over their current pay dispute. I completely understand that workers in the public sector, not all of whom are well paid, will find a freeze on their pay painful. Nevertheless, it is clear that local authorities are facing very severe constraints and if they have to pay increases in wages and salaries it will not only mean that they cut services but they will have to make many more of their workers redundant which will cause further compromises.

I have always argued that in the long run public sector workers are entitled to share in improvements in the national wealth and indeed that they do make a real contribution to economic activity and growth. However, if we are to bring the public finances into anything like balance, we really do need to rationalise and it is surely better to be in work with pay frozen than out of work.

It is, of course, good to see the British economy returning to growth in the last quarter at an unexpectedly high level. However, the point about our structural deficit is that it is the gap between revenues and expenditure by the public sector which normal increases in growth cannot fund. That means even if we sustain good growth for the next year to we will still have two rein back public expenditure to the point where it is in balance with revenues.

I do believe that there is a belief that the UK can weather the storm and get back to something like normality and I hope that is true. However, if we do not face reality then we will be doomed in the long run to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Most of our trade is with the European Union where Germany is certainly growing well but the UK also has significant economic relationships with the United States and the high structural unemployment there is causing concern that the American economy could be heading for a double dip recession. I hope this is not the case and that the strategy of holding back public sector pay with a corresponding reductions in public sector employment will lead to an offsetting increase in jobs in the private sector and a return to prosperity for everybody whether they work in the public or private sector.

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Climate change debate doesn't justify criminal action

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I very much wish the authorities of Aberdeen airport success in attracting new operating airlines and routes to the north-east. Our airport, as I've often said in this column is of crucial importance to the local economy. It was an ironic juxtaposition that had the announcement of the pursuit of new routes with the verdict and sentence of the perpetrators of the break-in at Aberdeen airport by Plane Stupid.

As the chairman of the International development committee over the last five years and a long-standing promoter of a balanced green energy policy I do not need perpetrators of civil disobedience and disruption to make me appreciate the reality of climate change and the need for positive action to tackle it. That is, for example, the reason I campaign for high-speed rail links.

We also need to reduce the number of non-essential plane journeys, by using electronic communications, video links etc and sourcing more goods and services locally. However, if we put a blanket ban or severely restrict air travel we will damage key sectors of the economy such as food and drinks trade -- especially whisky -- and also tourism and hospitality.

Of course, environmental campaigners are entitled to take a more radical, fundamentalist view but I do not believe causing delays, disruption and danger to attract attention to their arguments is justified.

Although the fines were modest, the trial could potentially give the airport a case for civil action if they wish to pursue it which would cost the protesters dear and may be an effective deterrent. I certainly would regard it as pretty disappointing if it was taken as a green light to repeat the offence and cannot believe the courts would not take a different view of a second break-in or similar action of this kind

ENDS