Stirling and Clackmannanshire Liberal Democrats

Brexit is a national embarrassment

Brexit is a national embarrassment. The events of the last few weeks have proven that the government is in absolute chaos.

The Prime Minister pulled her Brexit vote; but if that wasn't bad enough her MPs' leadership challenge also spoke volumes: Conservative MPs can change their minds, but the British people cannot!

Responding to the Scottish Government's publication of its consultation on prisoner voting, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

"A blanket ban on prisoner voting flouts international law so change is long overdue.

"The change in heart by the SNP is welcome, after they voted down Liberal Democrat amendments that would have given some prisoners on short term sentences the vote in both the independence referendum and the last Holyrood elections.

Earlier this year, we enjoyed our best council election results in 15 years. We snatched control of councils like South Cambridgeshire, Kingston-upon-Thames and Richmond upon Thames from the Conservatives. And in cities like Hull, Sunderland and Liverpool, we gained ground against complacent Labour councils who've taken their residents for granted.

Next year over 9,000 council seats and the control of councils around the country will be in the balance. It's a huge chance to build on our successes and make more headlines for the Liberal Democrats.

1. Thersa May rules out revoking Article 50

The ECJ rules that No Brexit is an option but Theresa May blindly ploughs ahead with her broken deal. We were given the option to get out of this mess and Theresa May turned it down.

Only by having a People's Vote will Theresa May listen and cancel Brexit before it's too late.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Tavish Scott has today welcomed the Supreme Court's judgment on the Scottish Parliament's continuity bill.

Commenting on the judgment, Mr Scott said:

"I welcome this judgement from the Supreme Court and the clarity it brings.

"The judgement confirms 'the Scottish bill as a whole would not be outside the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament', when we voted it through. What's more, the difference between the situation "before" and "after" passage of the UK Act gives weight to the view that the UK reduced the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called for the CAMHS budget to be boosted and for new mental health beds to be provided north of Dundee as a new report showed a rise in number of young people with mental illness being treated in non-specialist wards.

A new report from the Mental Welfare Commission published today states that 103 admissions were recorded nationally, involving 90 young people under the age of 18. This compares with 71 admissions involving 66 young people in the previous year. Almost all of these admissions were to adult wards, with five admissions to general paediatric wards.

Despite a decade of promises from the First Minister and the Scottish Government, communities that use the Argyll Ferries service from Dunoon to Gourock will be forced to rely on the good will of CalMac to continue the service.

In a session of First Minister Questions today, however, the SNP Leader failed to offer any reassurances for the route when quizzed by Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles. Instead she referred the issue to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport.

Responding to Fife council voting 41-26 in favour of abolishing P1 national testing in the region, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie said:

"Two months on from the Scottish Parliament's vote to end the SNP's national tests for P1s, and in the face of criticism from campaigners, teachers, parents and the EIS union, the Education Secretary continues to stubbornly plod on.

After years of putting pressure on the Government, on Tuesday they agreed major concessions on the Tenant Fees Bill.

We campaigned to:

• significantly limit the fees that could be charged to a tenant by their landlord or lettings agent,
• require a greater amount of transparency when deciding not to refund a holding deposit, and
• limit the maximum security deposit a landlord can require to five weeks rent.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today called for a Scottish budget which invests in people through education and mental health, and delivers a fair settlement for teachers and local government as he warned that the budget fails to address the challenges holding Scotland back.

Speaking after the Finance Secretary presented his budget to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Rennie said: