Dear Friends,
Welcome to my website. I hope it gives you the opportunity to become familar both with myself as a Member of Parliament and with my constituency, and will offer you the benefits that flow from the improved access to MPs that modern technology can provide.
Glenrothes Constituency is one of five Westminster Parliament constituencies serving the ancient kingdom of Fife. Not too long ago over 30,000 miners worked in Fife, with a very large contingent in Glenrothes.
The total population of Fife is around 340,000, and my constituency has an electorate of about 60,000. Like many former mining communities it has never recovered from the loss of this once proud and important industry. A great deal of my work therefore consists of trying to stimulate opportunities for education and training which will lead to better employment prospects.
As is the case in many similar constituencies where unemployment is rife, the symptoms and pressures that arise from unemployment, such as crime, vandalism, drug abuse and bad health, are all on the increase.
Present employment comes from engineering, modern technology, defence related contracts, textiles, oil related work and the service industries.
The people are very dedicated to and proud of their area, and many of them, despite changes in employment practices, have remained in the area. Many companies have embraced change and reinvented themselves to fit today's ever changing world. Since I was elected to Parliament in 2001, my hope has been that I can contribute to moving my constituency forward by concentrating on matters that I believe can influence the future of my constituents.
I hope the introduction of my website will offer another avenue of contact that will be of mutual benefit to us all. As part of a programme of media releases, surgeries and visits, and as a complement to a willing and enthusiastic staff in my Parliament and constituency offices, I am sure it will be a positive feature.
