Speaking after he pressed the Scottish Government over its refusal to reveal what legal advice it has received about the legality of a second independence referendum and a section 30 order, Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said:

"The SNP were rightly onboard when it came to pressing the UK Government to release their Brexit legal advice.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson MSP Mike Rumbles has today called for the Scottish Government to come clean on the potential cost overrun for the AWPR and tell the public what the final bill would be, as the Transport Secretary again refused to divulge the information citing reasons of "commercial sensitivity".

Responding to reports in The Times that an agreement has been reached to abandon the proposed merger of the BTP and Police Scotland, instead keeping the forces separate while altering oversight arrangements, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

"The demise of the poorly thought through all-out merger is inevitable. But the SNP needs to take ownership of its newest mistake.

Brexit latest

Following the Prime Minister's crushing defeat, there was a no confidence debate on Wednesday initiated by Labour. This was predictably defeated as Tory and DUP MPs all came dutifully into line. "No to Mr Corbyn". The most memorable bit of the debate (I exclude my own five minutes - the maximum allowed) were the concluding speeches. Tom Watson was excellent: measured and intelligently critical - everything his party leader wasn't. Michael Gove was barnstorming: eloquent, funny (including at my expense) and cruelly hard-hitting against Corbyn. Could we have been witnessing the next Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in action?

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today given a speech to the Public Policy Exchange seminar on 20 Years of Devolution in which he will warn that the ideologically driven pursuit of independence is undermining the success of devolution.

Addressing policy makers and representatives of civil society groups, Mr Rennie said:

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP today said that the Scottish Government needs to give NHS staff the resources they urgently need to tackle patients' "winter woes" as new figures reveal A&E performance has "plummeted" to its lowest level since the Beast from the East.

Responding to the motion tabled by the Government to introduce proxy voting, Jo Swinson, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"This change is much-needed and long overdue. The delay has already had serious consequences for MPs, their new babies and their constituents.

"This announcement is not a guarantee and the Government must now work with all parties to ensure the vote on Monday is successful.

"When 54,000 women face pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work every year, it is appalling that Parliament still operates such archaic rules for new parents when it should be setting an example for the rest of the country.

"This is a momentous time in our country's future with more crucial Brexit votes expected in the weeks to come. It is time for Parliament to get its act together so that voices of all constituencies will be heard, whether or not their MP happens to have a tiny baby."

New analysis from Which? has today revealed that several of Scotland's rural and island local authorities remain at the bottom of the table for internet speeds, including Orkney, Shetland and Argyll and Bute.

Orkney has an average speed of just 3mbps - the worst in the UK. Meanwhile, Shetland averages 6.7mbps (the third worst), followed by Argyll and Bute (7mbps), Moray (7.1mbps), Highland (8.9), Borders (9.3), and Aberdeenshire and Perth & Kinross (both 10.1mbps)

On "Blue Monday" Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has called for non-departmental public bodies such as Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Enterprise to record staff absences due to mental ill health, as part of a new push to boost mental health in the workplace.

Responding to a series of comments from senior nationalist politicians calling for moves towards a second independence referendum, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"It's cynical in the extreme for senior nationalists to stoke the fires of independence to distract attention away from the crises elsewhere in the SNP.