• Blow for new Scot Tory leader as poll shows voters less likely to vote for someone who endorsed Liz Truss
• Rennie writes to minister as steel staff furloughed
• Lord Wallace responds to death of Alex Salmond

Blow for new Scot Tory leader as poll shows voters less likely to vote for someone who endorsed Liz Truss

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have today described new polling as a “bitter blow” for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, as polling carried out by Savanta showed that 31% of Scots said they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their new leader had backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race. Just 4% said they would be more likely to vote Conservative.

During the leadership election Mr Findlay published a video endorsing Liz Truss’ “positive vision”, describing her as “optimistic and authentic” and declaring “In Liz We Trust”.

The polling also showed that significant numbers of UK voters (35%) would be less likely to vote for the Conservatives if the party leader had said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen as Conservative Leadership candidate Robert Jenrick has done.” A similar proportion was also put off by Kemi Badenoch’s maternity pay comments (35%).

Commenting, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain said:

This polling will be a bitter blow for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay. The Scottish public will have little sympathy for anyone who was happily cheerleading for Liz Truss.

Her disastrous decisions sent mortgage costs skyrocketing and deepened the cost-of-living crisis. It makes Russell Findlay’s judgment look deeply suspect.

Former Conservative voters abandoned the party in massive numbers at the last election. In so many places across the country, people are backing the Liberal Democrats who are speaking up for them on the issues that matter most like bringing down NHS waiting lists, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and stopping the sewage scandal.

Rennie writes to minister as steel staff furloughed

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today written to Economy Secretary Kate Forbes to urge her to investigate events at the Dalzell steelworks in Motherwell after he was contacted by plant insiders who told him that employees are at home on 80% wages with no work due to issues with cash flow and input prices.

His letter comes after it was announced that the owner of the works, Sanjeev Gupta, is being prosecuted over his alleged failure to file accounts for more than 70 companies.

Mr Rennie’s letter is as follows:

Dear Kate,

I am writing to you to raise concerns over the future of the Dalzell steel plant in Motherwell and its workers.

As you will be aware, the CEO of Liberty House Group, Sanjeev Gupta is currently facing prosecution over his alleged failure to file accounts for more than 70 companies. He is also facing a Serious Fraud Office probe.

This follows years of media reporting that accounts for both the Dalzell steelworks and for the Lochaber aluminium plant – also owned by Mr Gupta and owing £7m in loans to Scottish taxpayers – have gone unfiled.

Furthermore, despite my repeatedly asking in oral questions, written questions and letters to ministers, the Scottish Government has never been able to provide a satisfying explanation for the back-to-back sale model used to transfer the Dalzell plant from former owners Tata Steel, via Scottish Government ownership, to Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty House Group.

Suspicions remain that as a result of their role in the sale, the Scottish Government will be liable for environmental clean-up costs at the Dalzell site if the wider Liberty House Group were to find itself in trouble. Tata Steel have suggested that at the very least this matter would be settled in court.

There is clearly some degree of upheaval at the Dalzell works. Insiders have been in touch with me to warn that employees are at home on 80% wages with no work due to issues with cash flow and input prices.

If we are to preserve Scotland’s last remaining steel mill, the jobs that it supports and the interests of the taxpayer, I believe that it is imperative that you and your officials, reach out to both workers and bosses at the Dalzell plant to ascertain what is going on and protect the public interest.

Yours sincerely,

Willie Rennie MSP
Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson

Lord Wallace responds to death of Alex Salmond

Former Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace (Lord Wallace of Tankerness) said:

I was saddened to learn of Alex Salmond’s sudden death.

Whilst we undoubtedly had our political differences, I know from having been his political opponent, just what a formidable politician he was. There is no doubt that he will be remembered as someone who had a profound impact on Scottish politics.