There was a call last night for the south of Scotland to receive a fair share of the extra £4.6 billion extra funding provided by the UK Government to Holyrood announced in the UK Budget statement.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Alister Jack urged the Scottish Government to invest in projects, economic growth and services in the southern regions rather than focusing disproportionately on the largely urban central belt.
The Scottish Secretary said: "With the largest increase in block grant since devolution took place, there is now even greater scope for SNP Scottish Ministers to do more for my constituency and others in the south."
In addition, Mr Jack stated that direct measures by the UK Government in the Budget statement would be good news for constituents in the large rural area he covered, particularly such measures as the freezing of fuel duty for the 11th year in a row.
He also welcomed the increase in the minimum wage to £9.50 an hour for over-23s and changes to Universal Credit which will allow working claimants to keep more of their earnings.
Another positive for the local economy, he predicted, would come from the area's share of the £150 million allocated to Scottish businesses to help them recover from the impact of successive pandemic lockdowns and substantial extra farming support allocated through the devolved Government at Holyrood.
Mr Jack believed the freeze on alcohol duty, even factoring in the Scottish Government's minimum pricing, should have a positive impact on the whisky industry and other spirit producers in Dumfries and Galloway.