Cole-Hamilton: Clean up the SNP sewage scandal and increase punishments for littering

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today joined a beach clean in Portobello where he set out his party’s plans for ending the SNP’s sewage scandal and tackling threats to Scotland’s natural environment.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today set out their key policies for protecting Scotland’s natural environment, including commitments to:

• Introduce a Clean Water Act to take the sewage scandal seriously, track down and report every sewage dump, and replace outdated standards with modern enforceable regulation.
• Expand woodlands using at least 50% native species, supporting diverse and resilient habitats, with a special focus on protecting Scotland’s rainforest, connecting existing woodlands and increasing planting in towns and cities.
• Embrace the circular economy and reduce waste, learning the lessons of the Scottish Government’s botched Deposit Return Scheme and fake landfill ban.  
• Double the fixed penalty for littering and introduce a new restitution order to tackle flytipping by making offenders pay for the clean-up of dumped waste with fines that are reflective of the damage the polluter causes.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“Protecting our precious natural environment lies at the heart of the Scottish Liberal Democrat approach. Everyone should be able to enjoy local green spaces, clean rivers and the beauty of the highlands and islands.

“SNP ministers don’t seem to care that the government-owned water company dumps millions of litres of sewage throughout our rivers, lochs and beaches. This year they have even hidden the stats on how much was dumped from public view. It’s a total scandal.

“By protecting and enhancing habitats we will halt and begin to reverse the decline of nature, create green jobs and improve health. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats are setting out plans to tackle the SNP’s sewage scandal, increase punishments for littering and flytipping, expand woodlands and reduce waste.

“Scotland deserves better. In constituencies where sewage dumping is especially bad like Argyll & Bute and Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch we are on the verge of winning against the SNP but wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver change with fairness at its heart.”