 he served on various committees in his role as a councillor include Economic Strategy & Development, Education, Housing & Social Care, Investment, Planning, Grangemouth Common Good Fund and Grangemouth Area Forum until standing down to concentrate on his position as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Falkirk East.He was re-elected to Falkirk Council at the local elections held on 3 May 2007, which was run using the single transferable vote system for the first time in Scotland, gaining the most first preference votes of any Grangemouth candidate.He stood down from Falkirk Council on 2 May 2012 to concentrate on his work in the Scottish Parliament.