Welcome to my website. Here you'll be able to find out more about me, and the issues that I'm taking forward in the Scottish Parliament.

I'm always happy to hear your views, whether it's on a local issue, or the national picture.

I grew up in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, where I attended Knowepark Primary and Selkirk High School. My family has lived in the Borders for generations. After school, I studied Scots Law at Aberdeen University, graduating in 1996. I then trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying in 1999. I worked for a number of large accountancy firms in Scotland, as well as spending some time working in London with the Institute of Directors.

In 2005 I gave up my accountancy work when I became a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland region following David Mundell’s election to Westminster. From my election until parliament dissolved prior to the 2007 election, I sat on the Parliament's Finance Committeeas well as serving as a substitute member of the European and External Relations Committee.

I was once again elected to Parliament in the 2007 elections as a regional member for the South of Scotland and once again elected to the Parliament's Finance Committee. My biography on the Scottish Parliament website can be found here.

I'm one of seven members of the Scottish Parliament covering the South of Scotland, in addition to the nine who cover individual constituencies in the region. It's a huge area, stretching from the Borders to Ayrshire, and taking in Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, and parts of Midlothian and Lanarkshire, but I try to do my best to get around.

The Scottish Parliament is made up of 129 MSPs. The Scottish Executive - effectively the Scottish Government - takes decisions on devolved issues in Scotland. It is currently a SNP minority Government. The Scottish Parliament scrutinises the Executive's decisions and votes on legislation brought forward by the Executive (or Parliamentary Committees or individual MSPs).