• SNP set to miss key child poverty target
• Welsh Lib Dems urge Reeves to scrap fuel duty hike as global instability drives rising petrol prices
• Cole-Hamilton sets out mental health plan with visit to therapy llamas
• Greene: Reform set to lose 26 constituency candidates by polling day, figures show
• Murray: Lib Dem 10p fuel duty cut will get Scotland moving again
• Welsh Lib Dems slam Reform’s “fantasy” coal plans as a threat to jobs, bills and climate
• Reform candidate’s Ukraine comments spark outrage as Lib Dems warn of “dangerous” pro-Kremlin rhetoric

SNP set to miss key child poverty target

Responding to IFS analysis which indicates that Scotland is on course to miss its target to reduce relative child poverty to below 10% by 2030-31 “by a considerable margin”, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

Despite the grand rhetoric from the SNP, they have left thousands of children in poverty.

For the past nineteen years, the SNP have failed to use the powers they have had at their disposal to move the dial.

Just like Nicola Sturgeon broke her promise to close the attainment gap, John Swinney has broken his promise to reduce child poverty. They simply cannot be trusted.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are focused on tackling the root causes of child poverty, and everyone in Scotland has the chance to vote for these plans by backing us on your peach, regional ballot paper in May.

Welsh Lib Dems urge Reeves to scrap fuel duty hike as global instability drives rising petrol prices

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Labour to cancel their planned fuel duty increase, warning that continued instability in the Middle East is already driving up global oil prices and risks placing further pressure on households and businesses across Wales.

The intervention comes as forecourts begin to reflect rising wholesale costs, with industry experts warning that sustained geopolitical tensions could keep prices elevated in the weeks ahead. Edmund King, President of the AA, has previously warned that such instability would “inevitably lead to price hikes,” with sharp increases often feeding through to drivers within days.

Labour’s planned changes would see fuel duty rise for the first time in 15 years, beginning with a 1p increase in September, followed by further rises through to 2027. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that pressing ahead with the increase at a time of heightened global uncertainty would compound cost-of-living pressures, particularly in areas where people have little choice but to drive.

In rural parts of Wales, where public transport options are often limited or non-existent, higher fuel costs would have a disproportionate impact. Many residents rely on their cars not just for commuting, but for accessing healthcare, education and essential services. Small businesses, farmers and tradespeople, already facing rising input costs, would also be hit by increased transport expenses, which risk being passed on to consumers.

The party has also highlighted that communities in counties such as Powys and Ceredigion are especially exposed, with long travel distances and limited alternatives making them more vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices than urban areas.

In addition, the Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the UK Government to extend the Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme to eligible parts of rural Wales, noting that the scheme currently applies in remote areas of Scotland and England but excludes Welsh communities facing similar challenges.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are urging the UK Government to recognise these regional disparities and avoid implementing policies that risk widening inequalities between rural and urban communities. They argue that scrapping the planned duty increase and expanding targeted relief would provide immediate support and help stabilise costs for households and businesses alike.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, said:

People in rural Wales are already being hammered by rising fuel costs, and they simply don’t have the alternatives that people in cities might take for granted. When petrol prices rise, there is no bus to fall back on, no train to switch to, just longer journeys and higher bills.

At a time when global instability is pushing prices up, the last thing families and small businesses need is the Government making matters worse. Pressing ahead with a fuel duty hike would hit rural communities hardest and deepen the cost-of-living crisis in places like Powys.

It also cannot be right that rural communities in Wales are excluded from the Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme, while similar areas in Scotland and England benefit. That imbalance needs to be addressed.

The Chancellor must recognise the reality facing rural Wales and scrap this planned increase, while extending targeted relief to the communities that need it most. These are simple steps that would ease pressure on households, support local businesses and ensure that those who rely on their cars are not unfairly penalised.

Cole-Hamilton sets out mental health plan with visit to therapy llamas

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today used a visit to Menagerie Edinburgh and their collection of therapy llamas to set out his commitment to maintaining his party’s reputation as Scotland’s party of mental health.

The party’s manifesto will commit to deliver the world class mental health services Scotland needs, training and recruiting more mental health specialists for community settings near you.

The SNP have never met the 18-week treatment time target for adults since it was introduced in 2014. Their NHS Recovery Plan had promised to clear mental health waiting lists by March 2023. However, the latest figures from Public Health Scotland showed 253 children and 2,609 adults waiting over a year for mental health treatment, with more than 28,000 on mental health waiting lists and the eighteen-week target being missed for adults.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are today setting out their plans to:

• Recruit and retain mental health staff under a new rolling 10-year NHS workforce plan
• Provide new walk-in services to meet the needs of people in distress or crisis, working alongside and learning from SAMH’s pioneering Nook network.
• Ramp up training so that every workplace can benefit from a mental health first aider.
• Shorten the mental health waiting times targets once they are consistently being met, because 18-weeks is too long to routinely wait for treatment to begin.
• Demand UK-wide film-style age ratings for harmful social media platforms, restricting addictive algorithmic feeds designed to keep children endlessly doom-scrolling at the expense of their mental health.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

If you break your arm you’d expect to have it in cast by the end of the day, but the wait for mental health treatment can be months if not years.

John Swinney personally unleashed tens of millions of pounds of cuts on overwhelmed mental health services at the same time as the SNP were promising to clear down waiting lists. No wonder they have never once met the mental health waiting times target for adults in the 12 years it has existed.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats believe Scotland deserves better than this. We believe in fairness for everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from. That’s why we have a realistic plan to get things done, training and recruiting more mental health specialists for community settings near you.

This election offers the chance to build the world-class mental health services Scotland deserves and end years of SNP neglect.

Scottish Liberal Democrats will always be the party of mental health. We know that the long waits for help are stopping people fulfilling their potential, holding them back in education and in work. It’s why we would change that as part of our plan for the NHS and the economy.

Scotland deserves world-class mental health services and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats you can vote for it because wherever you are, every vote for us on the second peach ballot paper will deliver change with fairness at its heart.

Greene: Reform set to lose 26 constituency candidates by polling day, figures show

Reform UK are set to lose a total of 26 of their Scottish constituency candidates by polling day, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have calculated.

With final registrations for the election completed overnight, two more of Reform’s candidates have given up their places on Holyrood constituency ballots, bringing the party’s total number of Scottish dropouts to seven.

This means Reform candidates have dropped out at a rate of 0.54 per day since the party unveiled its full slate. Should that dropout rate continue, the party will have lost 26 of its originally announced constituency candidates by May 7th – more than a third of the total.

Responding to the news, Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene said:

The wheels are coming off the Reform bandwagon faster than they can tell homophobic jokes in rugby clubs.

If they keep losing candidates, it will just be Millionaire Malcolm standing on his own in Greenock.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are taking the fight to this shower of divisive and ridiculous chancers. We look forward to seeing Scotland reject what’s left of Reform on May 7th.

Murray: Lib Dem 10p fuel duty cut will get Scotland moving again

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Susan Murray MP has today said that the party’s call for a 10p cut in fuel duty as part of an emergency transport package will “get Scotland moving again”.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Chancellor to bring forward an emergency package of support to help families, pensioners and businesses with the costs of President Trump’s war on Iran.

In Scotland, this would mean:

• Cutting fuel duty by 10p, bringing down prices at the pump by 12p per litre.
• Making it easier for people to drive electric vehicles, by cutting the VAT in public charging and reviewing the unfair network costs that push up charging prices.
• Figures show that petrol and diesel costs soared by record levels in March.

The Liberal Democrats are pressing the UK Government to introduce this package for three months at first, but say it should be kept under review and could be extended if the crisis drags on for longer and fuel prices stay high.

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Susan Murray MP said:

All across Scotland, people are feeling the pain of Trump’s illegal war with Iran.

Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and Lord Offord should apologise for cheering on this war and driving up the costs for ordinary, hardworking families.

The 10p cut to fuel duty and measures to support EV drivers would help get Scotland moving again.

The Chancellor cannot just stand back and let Trump’s illegal action bring Scotland’s economy to a standstill. We need action- that’s what the Liberal Democrats are focused on.

Welsh Lib Dems slam Reform’s “fantasy” coal plans as a threat to jobs, bills and climate

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at comments from Reform UK figures suggesting coal mining could be revived in Wales, branding the proposal “economically illiterate and environmentally reckless”.

The intervention comes after Reform UK candidate Ben Hodge-McKenna claimed that reopening coal extraction using “safer” technologies could help meet Wales’ future energy needs. Nigel Farage previously also suggested sending young Welsh people back down the mines.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats said the comments showed Reform was “stuck in the past” and offering false hope to communities that need real investment and long-term economic security.

The party also highlighted that Reform has previously said it would open up the country for fracking, arguing that this shows a pattern of “doubling down on outdated and unpopular fossil fuel policies”. They warned that fracking can trigger earthquakes and risks polluting local water sources, posing a direct threat to communities and the environment, and has consistently faced strong public opposition across Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats argued that trying to revive coal or introduce fracking would not bring sustainable jobs or lower bills, but instead risk diverting investment away from industries where Wales has genuine competitive advantages, such as floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, tidal power and green manufacturing.

They also rejected claims that Wales’ emissions are too small to matter, arguing that leadership on clean energy is essential both economically and environmentally.

They added that communities with a proud industrial heritage, including former coalfield areas, deserve serious economic strategies for regeneration, not “headline-chasing soundbites” based on nothing but fantasy economics.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:

Reform’s plan to reopen coal mines is pure fantasy politics. It won’t cut bills, it won’t deliver lasting jobs, and it won’t stand up to even the most basic economic scrutiny.

The fact they also want to open Wales up to fracking tells you everything you need to know. Fracking would destroy our pristine countryside, can cause earthquakes and risks contaminating local water supplies, yet Reform seems willing to ignore those dangers.

This is a party doubling down on the failed energy policies of the past, with no serious plan for the future.

Wales cannot build its future by trying to relive its past. Communities that once powered the industrial revolution deserve better than being sold false promises about industries that are in irreversible decline.

Instead of chasing yesterday’s solutions, we should be investing in the industries of the future and giving Welsh workers the secure, well-paid jobs they deserve.

Reform candidate’s Ukraine comments spark outrage as Lib Dems warn of “dangerous” pro-Kremlin rhetoric

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:

These comments are deeply alarming and raise serious questions about the judgment and values of those seeking elected office for Reform.

There is no moral ambiguity here: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was illegal and unprovoked, and any attempt to shift blame onto NATO or excuse Vladimir Putin’s regime is both wrong and dangerous.

It also follows a pattern of troubling behaviour, from Reform’s former Welsh leader being jailed for taking Russian bribes to Nigel Farage expressing admiration for Putin. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will always stand firmly against authoritarianism and stand up for international law and democracy.