• McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill
• SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply
• Local campaigner Neil Alexander selected to take on Emma Roddick in key Lib Dem target seat
• Greene demands statement on Glen Rosa news
• McArthur welcomes victory for Assisted Dying bill at stage one

McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill

Speaking ahead of the vote on his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Liam McArthur MSP said:

This is an issue on which an overwhelming majority of people of Scotland believe a change in the law is required. Public polling is consistent across age range, political affiliation, disability status, geographic area and religious belief: Scots want to see dying people in this country given more choice at the end of life.

Drawing on international evidence, my bill would ensure people who meet the strict eligibility criteria are able to exercise that choice in a way that is robustly safeguarded.

Indeed, my bill would put in place safeguards that don’t currently exist, a situation that leaves many terminally ill people more vulnerable and more likely to take matters into their own hands. This shows that not taking action has serious consequences too, with more deaths that are painful and undignified, despite the best efforts of palliative care, and more traumatised families left behind.

Scotland cannot put off this conversation. And parliament cannot continue to leave this issue in the ‘too difficult’ box. It must, at the very least, allow time for amendments to be considered to see if a bill can be agreed that commands majority support and public confidence.

To my MSP colleagues, I say, if you have not yet made up your mind, my door is always open but most importantly I would urge you to listen to the voices of terminally ill Scots desperate for more choice, control
and dignity.

This bill has been a long time coming but it does now offer the chance to provide that compassionate choice for the small number of terminally ill Scots who need it.

SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today said that SNP decisions have made the housing crisis significantly worse after statistics confirmed dramatic falls in new housing supply and new build completions in the year to March 2024, despite an increase in the number of people seeking housing.

Official figures published today show that:

• Between 2022/23 and 2023/24, new housing supply decreased by 16.4%, or 3,984 homes.
• In the same period, new build completions decreased by 16.1%, a drop of 3,835 homes.
• As of 31st March 2024, 177,264 applications were recorded on 26 local authority or common housing register housing lists. This represents 2,172 more households compared with March 2023.

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:

The fingerprints of SNP failures are all over these figures.

Their hostile attitude to business crushed new housing supply.

That’s why it was right that Scottish Liberal Democrats got the government to significantly increase funding for affordable housing in this year’s budget, but now it’s down to them to spend that money and deliver the new homes that Scotland so badly needs.

The Scottish Government must also listen to our calls to bring thousands of empty homes back into use and re-establish social rent as a viable, long-term option.

Local campaigner Neil Alexander selected to take on Emma Roddick in key Lib Dem target seat

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that video game designer and community campaigner Neil Alexander has been selected as the party’s candidate for its key target of Inverness & Nairn at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

The seat significantly overlaps with the UK Parliament constituency of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire which was won by Liberal Democrat Angus MacDonald at the recent election.

Neil is the Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for culture and sport and has led a number of political campaigns including securing priority housing for those fleeing domestic abuse and pressing for the dualling of the A96.

He plays for Moray Rugby Club and has previously represented Scotland at Australian Rules Football in multiple European Cups. He is also a passionate video gamer, and currently works as a Game Designer.

At the 2024 election, Angus MacDonald won his seat with 37.8% of the vote, versus 33.3% for the SNP’s Drew Hendry.

The current MSP for Inverness & Nairn is Fergus Ewing.

Neil Alexander, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness & Nairn said:

I’m an energetic community campaigner and I will make sure people are listened to and not forgotten by the out of touch SNP. I will give my all to give the people of Inverness & Nairn the representation they deserve.

Under the SNP, our NHS has deteriorated, local schools are left in disrepair, and the cost of living has risen, making day-to-day life harder for everyone.

It took NASA 11 years to put a man on the moon, but the SNP still haven’t come good on a near 20-year-old promise to dual the A9 and A96.

It’s time for change. I want to build on the success of Angus MacDonald in the recent UK parliament election and demand better for our communities.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

Neil Alexander will be a great MSP. He’s got bags of energy and he cares deeply about those around him.

When I have been knocking on doors with Angus MacDonald and campaigners like Neil, the same issues keep coming up time and time again. People are struggling to get swift access to local healthcare, their roads are in a state and they feel they are not being listened to by SNP ministers in Edinburgh.

After our impressive win here in the general election last summer, it is time to bring the same can-do Scottish Liberal Democrat attitude to the Scottish Parliament.

Inverness & Nairn is a top target for my party at next year’s Scottish Parliament election. Voters will have a choice, a hardworking local champion in Neil Alexander or an SNP candidate who will just do what John Swinney tells them.

Greene demands statement on Glen Rosa news

Responding to the news that the delivery date for the Glen Rosa has been delayed by up to nine months, West of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene said:

This latest delay is another hammer blow to Scotland’s islanders, who will be utterly livid at this bad news.

The severe delay announced is beyond anything expected and now raises serious questions for Scottish ministers.

The MV Glen Rosa should have been delivered back in 2018, now islanders might have to wait until after the next Scottish Parliament election before this vessel enters service, which is a disgrace.

The hard-working staff at Ferguson Marine have been let down by bosses, all paid huge sums of public cash, yet islanders are still waiting on their ferries. Not a single SNP minister has lost their job over this fiasco.

We demand an urgent statement to Parliament by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to explain this enormous delay.

McArthur welcomes victory for Assisted Dying bill at stage one

Responding to his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill passing stage one by 70 to 56, Liam McArthur MSP said:

This is a landmark moment for Scotland. I am pleased that after four years of careful and diligent work, the Scottish Parliament has backed the general principles of my bill.

I understand that for many colleagues this has been a difficult decision but I believe the quality of debate today has shown our Parliament at its finest.

Over the coming months, I will continue to have discussions with my parliamentary colleagues, medical bodies and legal experts to ensure that this bill is robustly safeguarded so that terminally ill adults can have the choice of accessing assisted dying, alongside other palliative care and support at the end of life.

This bill has been a long time coming but, at long last, it can offer that compassionate choice for the small number of terminally ill Scots who need it.