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“2004 finished with
a flourish for me when I opened
the new £30m three Towns by Pass.
 The
culmination of many years campaigning as a Labour activist combined with
four years of lobbying colleagues as a Labour MSP.
The new road will help reduce congestion, improve road safety and bring
environmental improvement. Importantly, it will also bring long term
economic benefit to the area.
Economic growth is my personal and The Scottish Executive’s number one
priority for the year ahead. In my new job as Enterprise Minister I hope to
marry the two and help bring jobs and prosperity to this area.
There are challenges certainly, in the manufacturing sector generally and
DSM at Dalry in particular.
But there are opportunities too. At Hunterston container terminal, in
environmental and transport technology at AEAT, Glengarnock and in the
retail, tourism and energy sectors across the board.
Public sector research and development allied to infrastructural
modernisation and service improvement in our schools, colleges and
universities is vital to our achieving our long term ambitions for economic
growth.
We will invest heavily over the next year in the key public services of
Health, Education and Transport with more teachers, lecturers, nurses,
doctors, police and other public servants committed to improving service
delivery to match that investment.
All my efforts will be focused in the coming year on ensuring that all my
constituents have the opportunity to benefit from that investment in public
services and have the opportunity to share in the wealth being generated by
a country that is working again.
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