Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference calls for a fair deal for sport

At the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Hamilton today, party members passed a motion calling for a fair deal for Scottish sport, which would see sports and mental health budgets protected, increased options to save facilities from closure and enhanced misconduct policies to protect vulnerable groups.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on:

• The Scottish Government to protect both the mental health and Sport Scotland budgets, and to make more funding available for mental health first aid training for sports clubs and governing bodies.
• The Scottish Government to make community asset transfers as accessible a process as possible so that local sports clubs know their options if publicly-owned facilities are at risk of closure.
• Governing bodies of Scottish sports to introduce appropriate misconduct policies to protect vulnerable groups, tackle misogyny and ensure clear protocols around sexual misconduct.
• SportScotland to create a new funding stream specifically targeted at increasing participation in sport, which clubs could apply for to increase the number of people actively taking part.

Scottish Liberal Democrat sports spokesperson Neil Alexander said:

“Scotland has a rich sporting history but unless the government gets serious about investing for the future, the hunt for the next Andy Murray or Eve Muirhead could be a long one.

“The SNP have imposed harsh real terms cuts on the sports budget. On their watch, local clubs and facilities have been pushed to the brink of closure.

“Actions like these are particularly damaging since investment in sport can go a long way towards improving mental health.

“By passing this motion, Scottish Liberal Democrats are sending a clear message that we want sport to truly be for everyone. We want to protect budgets, strengthen access to mental health support and take forward the work of campaigns such as the White Ribbon and End Sexual Misconduct in Sport to ensure we have a culture in which everyone feels safe and able to participate.”