Conservative candidate Marc Hope visited the iconic Dam Park facility in Ayr this weekend to highlight the need for a similar facility in Central Ayrshire constituency.  Marc competed for Ayr Seaforth at a young age, participating in various tournaments at Dam Park and more recently led the team responsible for securing sponsorship for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This included a major deal with athletics firm Mondo and some of the equipment provided from that agreement are now situated in Dam Park as part of the Commonwealth legacy for Ayrshire.

The Prime Minister David Cameron launched the Conservative UK General Election manifesto at an event in Swindon. The document contained policies for working and aspirational people with measures to provide assitance to people throughout their lives. Some of the key measures noted include increasing the personal allowance again to take people on National Minimum Wage out of tax altogether, a plan to invest an additional £8bn into the NHS and a commitment to building 200,000 smart homes across the country. Many of the measures will only affect England because of devolution but pledges to increase spending in the NHS and on housing will have a positive knock on effect with additional funds being passed onto Holyrood via Barnett Consequentials.

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Conservative candidate Lee Lyons has called on consumers to get behind the newly launched ‘Fair Tax Mark” campaign. The group was set up to help promote businesses that fully pay their fair share of taxes and to highlight which companies aren’t pulling their weight. Lee’s call comes after heavy criticism of major firms like HSBC for failing to pay their full share of taxation and general criticisms against corporate tax avoidance and evasion in general. 

Conservatives topped a YouGov poll last night following the firs big debate on ITV which involved all of Britains main parties and some of the regional outfits. The poll placed the Conservatives on 37% - our highest poll rating since October 2013 - with Labour on 35% and the others trailing behind. The debate saw the Prime Minister speak about our clear plan to secure a better future for Britain which included creating another 2 million new and secure jobs, to yet again increase the personal allowance in the next Parliament and to yet again commit to our NHS. Our opponents on the other hand squabbled and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon committed to "keeping Ed Miliband honest" by propping up his party at Westminster.

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Conservative candidate Lee Lyons welcomed the recent report released by the Royal Society for Public Health which noted that Ayr High Street is the “second healthiest high street” in the UK. The study focused on 70 towns and cities across Britain, measuring the how healthy or unhealthy businesses are in their main shopping districts. The report aims to highlight high streets that “provide the public with healthy choices, support community cohesion and social interaction, promote access to health services and do much to support the individual wellbeing”. It also names and shames high streets that are “home to business activities which can have a detrimental effect on our health”.

The Chancellor George Osborne presented his 2015 Spring Budget to the House of Commons today in what has been lauded a "budget for Scotland". The budget contained a variety of major announcments designed to help continue Britains rapid economic growth and also to reward hardworking people across the country. Among those key announcements was the pledge to further increase the tax-free personal allowance to £11,000 by 2017/18. This will be an extra £4525 per annum made tax-free since the Conservatives took over in 2010. The Chancellor also pledged the third cut in a row to beer duty by 1% and also cider duty will be cut by 1% too which will be a very welcome boost to the industry. However the Chancellor also cut whisky duty by 2% which will be a major boost to the industry in Scotland which only recently reported a loss in annual net sales. The Chancellor froze fuel duty again, helping Britains motorists and has also pledged to tax diverted profits, tackling the scourge of major firms attempting to artificially move profits offshore.

South Ayrshire Conservative and Unionist Association held its inaugural Bridge Drive and Afternoon Tea to raise funds for our General Election campaign. 72 guests attended the event at St. Ninians Church Hall in Troon which saw a very competitive two hour session of bridge followed on by a sumptious afternoon tea, layed on by some of our dedicated volunteers. A raffle was also held and the top three bridge winners walked away with seasonal planters as their reward. Over £900 was raised from the event and special thanks go to Sarah Clapton for coordinating the afternoon tea and to Lorna Richmond for coordinating the bridge side of the day. (Pictured L to R: Association Chairman Gavin Scott, 2nd place winner Moira Barr, 1st place winner Katie Dykes, 3rd place winner Claire Cuthbertson and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock candidate Lee Lyons)

The Scottish Conservatives have launched an action plan for rural Scotland calling for more powers and more opportunities for all.The plan ranges from a call to accelerate the roll out of superfast broadband to increasing the number of affordable homes for families who can’t afford high rents.Scotland is already becoming one of the most centralised countries in the western world, the party warns today, with too much power concentrated in the M8 corridor.Today’s plan is focused on spreading power down into our towns and villages – giving communities the right to decide on windfarms in their area, and demanding a review of the Police Scotland set up.It also is aimed at delivering more opportunities for rural areas – supporting upgrades to transport infrastructure and a balanced package of land reform proposals.

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Conservative candidate Lee Lyons welcomed the recent polling in the constituency by Lord Ashcroft which showed a majority of constituents are confident about the state of the British economy. In the poll conducted between the 10th-19th February, 57% of respondents in the constituency were confident that the British economy will fare well over the next year for the country and 63% believed that the British economy will fare well over the next year for their own family.

Local Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock Conservative candidate Lee Lyons made an impassioned call for more foster carers at the annual Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party conference held in Edinburgh his week.Lee, who is a foster carer himself with his partner Linda, told conference of the joy he has had over the last decade in bringing up foster children, many of whom came from underprivileged and disruptive family backgrounds.His call follows recent figures released by The Foster Network that show there is a need for over 8,000 foster carers across the United Kingdom with 750 of those required in Scotland.