Independence vote shows government is gearing up to waste five years

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Government's debate Ambitious for Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"The fact that the SNP think that this is the most pressing thing that this Parliament could debate at the start of a new term suggests that the government is gearing up to waste the next five years.

"The Scottish National Party’s stated objective prior to election day was to secure an overall majority in Parliament in order to pursue independence.

"Instead, they got fewer votes and seats than in the previous elections, whereas the Scottish Liberal Democrats achieved gains across Scotland from the Borders to the Highlands.

"John Swinney must now focus on fixing the NHS and care, helping people with the cost-of-living crisis, fixing the roads and the ferries and getting Scottish education back to its best, in order to deliver the change that Scotland deserves."