Stirling and Clackmannanshire Liberal Democrats

Responding to the Scottish Conservatives announcing their budget priorities, Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie said:

"The Conservatives are a confused mess on tax. They have flip-flopped in just six months.

"They condemned April's tax changes as a "danger". Now they are supporting them.

"People will want to know if the Tories are now ruling out reversing last April's tax changes."

Research by the Liberal Democrats has shown how crucial a soft border is between Ireland and Northern Ireland, specifically in relation to emergency service call-outs.

A series of freedom of information requests has shown that 182 ambulances and 270 fire engines crossed into the Republic of Ireland during 2016-17 in response to 999 calls, highlighting how a hard border could potentially leave people with far slower emergency responses if the UK leaves the EU in a no-deal Brexit.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP today said new waiting times proposals which will see the Scottish Government miss its own existing legally binding treatment time guarantee until 2021 "show the depth of the mess the SNP have created".

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

"The First Minister's 12-week legally binding Treatment Time Guarantee is supposed to apply to every single eligible patient, but the latest official statistics show this isn't being met for one in every four - the worst ever performance.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP today called on the Scottish Government to set out how it will improve the dental health of children from more deprived backgrounds, after it was revealed a 2010 target is still being missed.

The statistics showed that just 55.8% of P1 children from the most deprived areas have no obvious decay, compared with 85.9% in the least deprived areas. This means that the Scottish Government's target - that 60% of all P1 children should have no obvious decay experience by 2010 - still isn't being met for those from more deprived backgrounds.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today warned that efforts to deliver a smoke-free Scotland risk falling short after new figures showed the number of attempts to quit smoking with the help of the NHS fell for the sixth consecutive year.

The statistics show that the number of quit attempts made with the help of NHS smoking cessation services reduced to 55,369 in 2017/18.

Following the all member survey and consultation on setting up a registered supporter scheme the Federal Board met on 15 and 22 October.

At the first meeting we saw the results of the survey and at the second the rapporteur notes of the various consultation events around the country.

We discussed these results and your comments and queries and considered the next steps.

Last night the Conservative Government was defeated in the House of Lords, with peers voting for a Liberal Democrat-backed amendment that will prevent the death penalty being used in cases where the UK has provided electronic data.

The death penalty is cruel, inhumane and irreversible. The UK must oppose its use anywhere in the world.

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Tavish Scott MSP has today demanded that councils who boycott controversial tests for P1 pupils do not face "recriminations" from the SNP Government, ahead of a statement at Parliament by the Education Secretary this week.

On 19 September 2018, the Scottish Parliament voted to end the tests. However, Education Secretary John Swinney immediately vowed that the tests would continue, despite the stated "will of Parliament" and criticism from campaigners, teachers, parents and the EIS union.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that their Spring Conference will take place at the Hamilton Town House on 22nd - 23rd February 2019.

The two day event will see delegates from across Scotland descend on the town to debate policy and hear speeches from speakers including party leader Willie Rennie.

In July 2016, in the aftermath of the referendum, the Liberal Democrats were a lone voice calling for a final say on whatever deal was done on Brexit.

Today, an estimated 700,000 people marched on the streets of London, calling for a people's vote on Brexit.

That makes it the biggest protest since the Iraq War.