Scottish Liberal Democrats

To anyone who has worked with young people in care these shockingly high numbers of deaths will depressing but not unexpected. Despite report after report showing how broken things are, the government still refuses to acknowledge that the situation is nowhere near good enough.

It’s not good enough that water quality is only tested during the summer months because many of these sites are popular all year round. No matter what time of year it is, we need to give people confidence that our bathing waters are safe to use.

The crisis in social care is at the heart of these pressures, but the SNP have failed to tackle it. We need to get people the care packages they need, letting them leave hospital on time and freeing up bed space for new patients.

This regulation is a first step towards better protection for heating oil customers but it is not enough on its own. The government needs to consider stronger measures like a price cap, such as exists for gas and electricity.

The atmosphere at our conference in Edinburgh was buzzing🔶 After doubling our number of MSPs in May, we now have the perfect springboard into electing more Liberal Democrat councillors next May!

With one fantastic set of elections behind us we are ready for the next. Electing Liberal Democrats to where decisions are made simply makes the lives of people better. It just does. That's why we want more Lib Dem councillors in the heart of local government.

A buoyant atmosphere at our Autumn Conference in Edinburgh! After our incredible wins across Scotland in May this conference is set to be the perfect springboard for next May's council elections.

Motion passed: SC4 - Homes Around Stations - Unlocking Sustainable Growth #sldconf

Motion passed: SC3 - Support for Children with Life Limiting Conditions #sldconf

The SNP government’s action plan on wildfires, and their response, fell grossly short. It is not a case of if the next fire strikes- it is a case of when. Our plans would ensure that whenever that is, the government can show the leadership it sorely lacked in the summer.

Motion passed: SC2 - Equitable Exam Access for All #sldconf

Motion passed: SC1 - Protecting Scotland Against Wildfires #sldconf

Even though the event happened the year before, even though it was on the BBC website, and even though his officials told him Stephen Flynn was still oblivious to this very serious event on the Glen Sannox ferry. He owes parliament an explanation for his shoddy behaviour.

With our newly expanded group of 10 MSPs we are now the most influential group in the Scottish Parliament. Budget by budget, bill by bill, case by case, we will use our leverage as MSPs to get things done on the issues that matter.

There were over 44,000 violent incidents in our schools last year. In primary schools, it’s the worst it’s ever been. Pupils are struggling, teachers are struggling, which is why they need more classroom assistants, more behavioural experts, and more access to youth work.

Brexit is costing the UK £250 million a day in lost tax revenue. The UK’s best future lies back in the EU, and the Liberal Democrats have a credible plan to get there - starting with the UK joining the single market and customs union.

Pollution has led to a spate of beach closures all summer long. Yet water quality is only regularly tested during the summer months, despite many sites being popular all year. No matter the time of year, we need to give people confidence that our bathing waters are safe to use.

Wick & East Caithness (Highland) Council By-Election Result [1st Prefs]: 🔶 LDM: 50.4% (+20.6) 🙋 Ind: 23.6% (New) 🎗️ SNP: 14.0% (-11.3) ➡️ RFM: 9.4% (New) 🌳 CON: 2.6% (-12.5) No Inds (-12.8, -10.5) as previous. Liberal Democrat 'Gain' from Independent - Stage 1. Changes w/ 2022.

🚨 Lib Dem GAIN Wick and East Caithness Congratulations to our newest councillor Julie Calder! A stonking victory in the SNP council leader's own ward🔶

The Scottish Government must publish the premature death rate of care experienced people. Without that essential baseline, there’s no way of knowing whether we’re making progress. What parent doesn't know if their children are even alive?

When it comes to the Promise, there is no leadership, no real plan of action and no clear metric to measure success. The Government must publish the premature death rate of care experienced people. Without that baseline, there’s no way of knowing whether we’re making progress.

The government says this is an emergency, but it is trapped in the headlights. They have thrown money, statements and ministers at this. And yet 100 people are dying every single month because of drugs. If this really is the government trying its best, what hope is there?

Our group of 10 MSPs are determined to roll up their sleeves and get things done. We will work bill by bill and vote by vote to deliver change on the issues that matter to people across the country every day, from the NHS to the cost of living.

The SNP Government should never have taken their eye off the ball. We're now 5 years into their national mission to tackle this and it has taken a major turn for the worse. We want to see a national rollout of safer drugs consumption centres - which have been proven to save lives.

In the Highlands a convicted rapist had initially been allowed to keep his taxi licence. He should never have been given the opportunity to retain his licence to begin with. We need to review Scotland's licensing laws to bar convicted sex offenders from holding a taxi licence.

Our group of 10 MSPs are determined to roll up their sleeves and get things done. We will work bill by bill and vote by vote to deliver change on the issues that matter to people across the country every day, from the NHS to the cost of living.

"It is utterly unacceptable that young Caithness surfers – many of them still kids – get sick when they are trying to enjoy our coastline. No child, no person should ever have to worry about getting into the sea because of what has been discharged into it." @davidgreen4csr.bsky.social

This report is rightly sceptical of how the government has acted. If Scotland’s renewable energy wealth is to serve the Scottish public, the government needs to massively improve governance and transparency. Ministers should set out a long term plan for using ScotWind revenues.

This week, the public inquiry into the events surrounding Lucy Letby’s crimes delivered its findings. Its recommendations include in-cot cameras and tighter controls on access to insulin It now falls to the Scottish Government to choose whether to adopt these vital protections.

People are finding it excruciatingly difficult to see a GP, largely because there are not enough staff. Now it looks like the SNP are set to break their promise to fix that problem. The focus should be on easing the burden on GPs to free up their time and get everyone seen quicker.

Sewage was dumped 100,041 times in Scotland in 2025. Yet even that number is likely an underestimate of the true scale of the problem. Even with these extra monitors Scotland is still way behind England where 100% of sewage overflows are monitored.

The struggle to access healthcare has become a universal experience for people across Scotland. We would increase capacity across our NHS, resolve staffing issues with a rolling 10-year NHS Workforce Plan, and increase the efficiency of IT systems to help cut waits.

Pupils, parents and teachers feel let down. They deserve better. We want to give real power to schools, head teachers and communities, end the use of short-term and zero hours contracts for teachers and recruit 2,000 more pupil support assistants.

This week, Parliament voted for a Scottish Lib Dem amendment that would see compensation for ferries disruption extended to coastal communities. The First Minister should set out which communities will qualify, how much they will get and when they will receive it.

Pupils, parents and teachers feel let down. They deserve better. We want to give real power to schools, head teachers and communities, end the use of short-term and zero hours contracts for teachers and recruit 2,000 more pupil support assistants.

A faulty valve on the Glen Sannox led to a sudden and uncontrolled release of highly flammable gas last summer. Yet it has taken a year before the public was told about this incident. To make matters worse, the Transport Secretary was not even aware of this incident.

Pupils, parents and teachers feel let down. They deserve better. We want to give real power to schools, head teachers and communities, end the use of short-term and zero hours contracts for teachers and recruit 2,000 more pupil support assistants.

Once the best in the world, Scottish education just isn't what it used to be. Under the SNP, our education system has tumbled down the rankings, lagging behind England on every measure of performance. This report makes for brutal reading.

The Channel 4 reporting sparks big questions for the Reform party. People are fed up with the sleaze and scandal infecting our politics. Malcolm Offord must do the right thing and categorically rule out ever having accepted or benefited from these kinds of dodgy donations.

Sewage was dumped 100,041 times in 2025. It's horrific to find out that sewage dumping is four times as high as we thought it was last year. Yet even that number is likely an underestimate of the true scale of the problem, as Scotland is way behind England on monitoring.

In the first half of this year, reported domestic abuse was up by nearly 20%. Too many women are living in fear. There’s more we can do, for example abusers out on bail should be subject to GPS monitoring and face severe punishment for breaching their conditions.

Island and coastal communities may wonder why SNP ministers can approve millions more for CMAL, but water down a promise of proper compensation for ferry disruption. John Swinney must set out a programme for ferry construction so islanders finally get the service they deserve.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are here to get things done for the people of Scotland. Our expanded group of MSPs have already been working tirelessly to hold the Scottish Government to account on a range of issues from sewage dumping to its response to the Cairngorms wildfire.

🚨 100,014 sewage dumps in Scotland in 2025🚨 It's horrific to find out that sewage dumping is four times as high as we thought it was last year. Yet even that number is likely an underestimate of the true scale of the problem, as Scotland is way behind England on monitoring.

Almost 50 knife crimes in Edinburgh schools since 2021. The Scottish Government has failed to recognise the importance of interventions like youth work. Youth work can stop this kind of violence from happening by offering young people valuable support and guidance.

The Scottish Government should take a long, hard look at all of its other dealings with GFG Alliance to see whether everything else is above board. We would not want to see a penny of taxpayer's money lost due to the SNP's endless inaction.

These waiting times are the sort of thing we used to only see during winter crises, under the SNP they have become routine. Seeing these waits in summer is a grim warning for the winter ahead. The Scottish Government must act urgently to support A&E before winter arrives.

When patients are being treated in corridors, it is a clear sign the system is under intolerable pressure. Ministers need to explain how they will finally end this unacceptable situation. That starts with proper collection and publication of data on the scale of the problem.