Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Liam McArthur MSP has today said the First Minister's plans to plough on with reintroducing national standardised testing are at odds with an announcement today of government examination of ways to reduce teacher stress and workload.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes has warned the Scottish Government cannot overlook the effect low oil prices are having on Scottish jobs, as brent crude prices reach the lowest they've been in eleven years.

The Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Wille Rennie has dubbed the First Minister’s decision to proceed with national testing as a “throwback to Thatcherism”, saying the plans will undermine the work of teachers and the ambitions of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). 

Scottish Liberal Democrat North East MSP Alison McInnes today accused the SNP of breath-taking complacency on North East jobs after a senior government backbencher talked down the challenge facing Scotland’s energy industry.

The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie MSP has today spoken of his vision for Scotland over the next five years, contrasting the SNP’s poor performance in government with the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ ambition for a bright, liberal and green Scotland.

The last five years in the Scottish Parliament have been dominated by independence. The next five years should be dominated by a bright, green and liberal programme for Scotland.

With Scotland returning to work today it should signal a change of focus for our parliament: it's time to get on with the day job.

Kicking off the 2016 Scottish election year, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats will say his party will focus on the day job to deliver a bright, green and liberal programme for Scotland.

So what can we look forward in 2016? Scots athletes excelling as part of Team GB at the Rio Olympics. Andy Murray mounting another challenge at Wimbledon.

And the small matter of a Scottish Parliament election that will set the direction of the country for five years.

As ever, at this election voters face a choice.

Hume - half a million NHS working days lost as result of mental ill health

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume MSP today called for urgent mental health support for health workers as new figures revealed that 575,000 working days have been lost across the NHS as a result of mental ill health since 2011.

The innocence of the young is one of the great joys of Christmas. It is the job of the political leaders to protect that innocence from the, sometimes ugly, world around us.