Radical changes to the UK Government’s tax system put forward by the Liberal Democrats have recalibrated the system in favour of low and middle earners and against large companies who evade taxes, Liberal Democrat Edinburgh MP Mike Crockart has said.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have urged bodies across Scotland to review their approach to mental ill health after revealing that over 11,000 council staff have been signed off with stress and other mental health problems in the past year.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have warned that mental health units across the country are struggling to cope as they revealed figures showing hundreds of patients are being sent outwith their health board each year to receive treatment.

Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie MSP said:

“It's hard to imagine that this year could match last year. I suspect on the sporting front it will certainly be difficult. 

"In politics, experts often underestimate the strong minds of voters to do what they want, rather than what those experts predict. 

“After his two week long retirement, our former First Minister has posed the big test for the year ahead. Alex Salmond wants to use May's General Election to rerun the referendum he just lost. And he wants to secure independence by the back door with his unstable, extreme form of devolution. But putting his party's policy ahead of local interests might not be what is wanted by the people of Gordon.

“I’ve been encouraged that voters of all persuasions are rallying behind our candidate Christine Jardine to put local interests ahead of the interests of Alex Salmond.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed that medicine wastage has cost Scotland’s health service nearly £2million in the past five years – equivalent to 80 new registered nurses.

Nine out of 14 health boards responded to Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information requests which asked about the annual costs of removing and destroying prescription medicines that are returned unused to pharmacies in the area.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have challenged the SNP Government over its poor record on Scotland’s NHS as figures showed Health Boards have lost over 1,000 beds in just two years.

This drop in bed numbers comes despite discharges from acute specialities and A&E units being at their highest in a decade 

Health campaigners and professionals have ramped up their warnings over the state of Scotland’s hospitals. Many face chronic shortages of staff and capacity issues.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have said that the SNP Government’s eco credentials are in tatters after repeated failures in their own efforts to tackle climate change.

Answers to parliamentary questions by Deputy First Minister John Swinney revealed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats today showed that the Scottish Government has barely made any green improvements to its own estate.

No attempt has been made to improve the Energy Performance Certificates of the 79 buildings on the Scottish Government estate. Only two sites have renewable energy sources, with solar heating panels installed at offices at Saughton House in Edinburgh and at Tweedbank. 

The Scottish Government’s dismal performance follows news earlier this year that Scotland failed to meet its climate change targets for the third year running. 

Scottish Liberal Democrats have said that figures showing an increase in the number of illegal drug related admissions amongst young people are a clarion call to educate young people on the risks of illicit drug use. 

Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrat through freedom of information laws showed that there were 119 admissions to hospitals by patients aged 10 to 18 in 2013 due to drug related illness or incident. This is an increase from 88 admissions in 2011.

Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Willie Rennie MSP said:

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has raised awareness of dog welfare today after figures obtained by the party showed that one in nine dogs found by local authorities which aren’t then claimed are put down.

The figures, obtained through freedom of information laws, showed that local authorities have found 12,530 lost or abandoned dogs in the past four years. Of those, 3248 were rehomed and 395 were put down.

The shocking figures come as answers to Lib Dem parliamentary questions also show there have been 92 recorded offences of cruelty to dogs in the past two years.