Stirling and Clackmannanshire Liberal Democrats

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie has questioned Labour's "stubborn and belligerent" Brexit stance today, as Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn proclaimed he was "very confident" of gaining more Scottish seats on a visit to New Lanark.

A recent YouGov poll has projected significant Labour losses (a fall to 19%) if the party maintains a position of support for Brexit going into any future snap election. Lord Adonis described Labour as "an accomplice to Brexit".

Responding to the news that Scotrenewables' latest tidal turbine has generated more power in its first year, than the combined output so far produced by the sector as a whole, Liberal Democrat MSP for Orkney Liam McArthur has today urged renewable energy stakeholders to ride the wave of success, in order to establish Orkney, and Scotland, as leaders in marine energy.

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Tavish Scott MSP has said the SNP Government stonewalling and deliberately confusing parents over their right to withdraw their children from national testing is completely at odds with the Education Secretary's new parental engagement plan, published today.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has voiced concern about the "debilitated" NHS as new statistics show A&E performance against the 4-hour waiting time target has fallen once again to 90.6%.

The figures published by ISD Scotland show 164 patients waited over 8 hours and 22 waited more than 12 hours.

Responding to the news Dr Peter Bennie, Chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, will be leaving frontline medicine, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"Dr Bennie has shone light on some of the harsh realities of an underfunded NHS and the bleak challenges health professionals face in our NHS day-in day-out. His honesty and candour has been truly valuable.

Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP today said farmers are "despairing" after he revealed that 492 farming businesses are still waiting to receive CAP funding from the 2017 funding round.

In response to a parliamentary question, the Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing confirmed that 217 businesses in the Highlands and Islands and 149 in the South of Scotland were still to receive 2017 CAP basic payments. There are dozens more in the North East and Mid Scotland & Fife.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie today showed the Scottish Government stooping to deliberately confusing parents in a desperate effort to quash the parental boycott of national tests for five-year-olds, after advice issued to them yesterday was shown to conflict that given internally by the top civil servant in charge of the national testing system.

Commenting on reports that the delivery of two new ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides network has been delayed again and that the vessels, which were originally due this summer, are not now due until Summer 2019 and Spring 2020 respectively, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP said:

Responding to the announcement from Rosemount Medical Group in Aberdeen that they will close in January after being unable to fill staff vacancies, North East MSP Mike Rumbles said

"The SNP's poor handling of workforce planning has left GP surgeries high and dry, unable to find the skilled people they need. Staff and patients deserve better.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today called on the Scottish Government to scrap the merger of British Transport Police into Police Scotland, saying it is the "last thing" the new Chief Constable needs.

As opposition parties urged the SNP Government to change course, Mr McArthur said: