Vote to cut the cost of living urges Scot Lib Dem leader

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today visited a hair salon in Edinburgh for a fresh trim as he set out proposals for cutting the cost of living for people and businesses.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto on Friday, Mr Cole-Hamilton outlined his party’s plans for putting more money in people’s pockets, including:

• Insulating cold homes and using Scottish renewable energy to drive down household bills.
• Helping working families with the cost of childcare.
• Increasing support for unpaid carers by £400 a year.
• Helping people with terminal illness with their energy bills.
• Making it easier to do business and stop sudden tax hikes threatening successful employers by reforming business rates.
• Building more homes people can afford.
• Across the UK, cutting fuel duty by 10p, bringing down prices at the pump by 12p per litre, cutting the VAT on public EV charging, and introducing a cap on home heating oil.
• Rebuilding our relationship with Europe.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“I’m confident that I knock on more doors than any of the other Scottish party leaders and everyone is worried about their skyhigh bills, from heating oil to mortgage costs, filling up at the pump to keeping their business open.

“We’d kickstart the building of more homes that people can afford, like dedicated keyworker housing, whereas the SNP cut the housing budget by £200m in the middle of a housing crisis

“Liberal Democrats are on the side of the people of Scotland. A 10p cut to fuel duty and measures to support EV drivers would help get Scotland moving again.

“We would pair that with investment in renewables to make Scotland more resilient in the long term and secure jobs and energy supplies into the future.

“Russell Findlay, Nigel Farage and Lord Offord should apologise for cheering on Trump’s illegal war with Iran which is driving up the costs for ordinary, hardworking families. The other parties should not just sit back and let Trump's illegal action bring Scotland's economy to a standstill. If you want change with fairness at its heart, you should back Scottish Liberal Democrats on your peach, regional ballot paper.”