Rennie: Student payments a "good start" but ministers should extend SAAS
Responding to the government's announcement that it has brought forward £11.4 million of discretionary funding to support higher education students in financial difficulty, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie commented:
"Many students will find the coronavirus has hit their finances and their chances of getting summer work.
Read moreCole-Hamilton wins independent review of safeguarding in politics
Following the news that Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has won a Scottish Government commitment to "commission and fund an independent review" to "consider the issue of safeguarding in relation to elected representatives", Mr Cole-Hamilton commented:
Read moreScotland should build a museum of Empire and Slavery
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton has today used a Scottish Parliament debate to call for Scotland to build a Museum of Empire and Slavery to inform and educate about the role of Scots in the slave trade and the colonial era.
Read moreCovid-19 has exposed politics as not fit for purpose, Lib Dems warn
The Liberal Democrats will today lead a debate in the House of Commons calling for a “radical overhaul” of Westminster politics, warning it is “not for purpose” to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
The debate - the first in the House of Commons chamber on electoral reform since 2016 – will be led by Liberal Democrat Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain.
Read moreLib Dems to use emergency debate to warn Rees-Mogg is threatening public health
The Liberal Democrats will today use an emergency debate in Parliament to warn Jacob Rees-Mogg that if an MP falls ill to COVID-19 or there is a spike in cases because of travel to and from London then he must take personal responsibility and resign.
The debate, secured by Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael MP, was agreed following alarm at Business Secretary Alok Sharma becoming unwell with COVID-19 symptoms in Parliament last week.
Read moreCarmichael calls for new Food Standards Commission
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called for the creation of a Food Standards Commission in light of reports that food produced to a lower standard could be brought in from the United States under a future trade deal, undercutting UK farmers and crofters. Ministers have previously denied that “chlorinated chicken” and other low-cost foods could be allowed in a new trade deal, but press reports on Thursday suggested that the government plans to open up the UK market under a “dual tariff” scheme.
Read moreScottish Government must publish ethnicity data on COVID-19 victims
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today repeated calls for the Scottish Government to publish data on the ethnicity of COVID-19 victims.
Read moreCrude cap will disadvantage Scottish universities
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie and education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart have called on the UK Government to abandon proposals to apply limits to the number of English students who can be recruited by Scottish universities for 2020.
Read moreFerries agency attempted to cow witness with legal action threats
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has today called for the government to condemn the actions of CMAL after the agency attempted to use legal measures to get a parliamentary committee witness to withdraw claims that the award of a ferry contract to the Fergusons shipyard was down to incompetence, vested interests or corruption.
Read moreRennie calls for investment in Scottish economy and green recovery
Responding to the Scottish Government's call for increased funding to stave off public service cuts, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:
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