Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today warned that nurseries are at risk of closure as a result of the SNP Government's bungled roll out of their commitment to deliver 1,140 hours of childcare.

On a visit to Peerie Foxes nursery in Lerwick alongside Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland Beatrice Wishart, Mr Rennie warned SNP ministers "cack-handed" handling of their flagship childcare policy could lead to private nurseries closing.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today called for a Scottish Government minister to apologise to former Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

In a letter to Shetland News dated 20 August, Maree Todd, minister for Children and Young People, claimed that "for the last three years, the Lib Dems have refused to take part in any budget talks whatsoever with the Scottish Government".

Commenting on the HMIPS annual report 2018-19 which warns of severe capacity issues in Scotland's prisons, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

"Scottish Liberal Democrats have been warning for some time that Scotland's prisons are in a state of emergency. Some prisons are housing up to 500 people more than they were built for. We know that self-harm, suicide, and assaults within prison walls are on all on a terrifying trajectory.

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland Beatrice Wishart has today unveiled her plan for tackling fuel poverty in Shetland.

Figures published earlier this year, show that Shetland has a fuel poverty rate of 44% - one of the highest in Scotland. This compares to a rate of just 17% in Edinburgh.

Beatrice Wishart is demanding that government:
1. Immediately target resources to the areas worst affected, ensuring Shetland is at the front of the queue.
2. Invest in services in Shetland to help people make the right decisions about how to keep their home warm.
3. Give projects long-term funding so that they can deliver long into the future.
4. Cut energy bills for Shetlanders through new legal protections against unfair regional electricity pricing.
5. Urgently bring forward the fuel poverty strategy

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today said that Beatrice Wishart will be a force for good in Holyrood if she is elected next Thursday.

After a campaign visit which saw Mr Rennie and Ms Wishart take to the water with the Lerwick harbour pilot boats, Mr Rennie said

"Beatrice has the steely determination necessary to stand up for Shetland in Parliament.

Champions of international liberalism

Our national interests are European and they are global. So, as we continue to work to stop Brexit, we Liberal Democrats will also look ahead and develop a proper national strategy on the basis of a clear understanding of what our interests are. We must act and decide on our future, because if the UK fails to do so, if through fear and timidity we dither and do nothing, there are consequences of inaction.

Commenting ahead of the publication of the GERS figures on Wedensday 21st August, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"The Scottish economy has bounced along the bottom for too long. While it's true that Brexit has played a part in dragging down investment, the Scottish Government need to be honest about their own failings too.

SNP Ministers should stop trashing Tavish Scott's reputation, according to the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. During visits to Shetland, SNP chiefs have chosen to criticise the former MSP who served the constituency over twenty years winning major concessions for the area.

Responding to the news that only 88.6% of patients were seen at A&E within 4 hours, with 370 patients waiting more than 8 hours and 121 patients waiting more than 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented:

"Throughout the whole of this summer, performance against the A&E target has been worse than it was at the same time last year.