• Chamberlain to lead debate on electoral fairness and calls out attempts to “rig the rules”
• PAC report on Social Care: Too many vulnerable people struggling to get the care they need
• McArthur sets out response to embargoed climate report
• Rennie comments on new claims from Pregnant Then Screwed

Chamberlain to lead debate on electoral fairness and calls out attempts to “rig the rules”

Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain MP will lead a debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday about strengthening electoral fairness and preventing parties from “rigging the rules,” following recent moves by the Conservative Party to introduce certain changes ahead of the upcoming General Election.

The debate will take place in Westminster Hall tomorrow (Wednesday) and is expected to begin at 11am. Ms Chamberlain will pick up on a variety of changes recently introduced by the Conservatives, including compulsory Voter ID requirements and almost doubling the spending limit for UK elections to around £35 million.

In November, the UK election watchdog, the Electoral Commission, said it had “not seen evidence” to support changes to spending limits.

Ms Chamberlain’s debate comes just one week after her party called for the Conservatives to return donations from Frank Hester, a Tory party donor who reportedly said that the MP Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women.”

Speaking ahead of the debate, Ms Chamberlain said:

I am concerned that some of the latest moves by this Conservative Government represent a desperate and dirty attempt to rig the rules in their favour because they know they’ve lost the support of the public.

Last year, thousands of people were denied at a voice at the local elections because of the Voter ID rules ushered in by the Tories. Hundreds of thousands of people now risk being turned away at the next election at a cost to the taxpayer of £120,000,000 over the next decade.

Their unjustified doubling of the national spending limits points to the Conservatives Party’s eagerness to design the system and play it to their advantage. We also know from the Frank Hester scandal that they will excuse the inexcusable if it means bringing in big money and clinging onto power.

Liberal Democrats have been and continue to be long-standing advocates for fairness, transparency and electoral reform. I want to show that our politics should not be tilted towards those with the deepest pockets, and that we need constructive discussions about how to make the system better and work in the interests of all.

PAC report on Social Care: Too many vulnerable people struggling to get the care they need

Responding to the latest Public Accounts Committee Report on Reforming Adult Social Care, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Too many vulnerable people are struggling to get the care they need, unable to live their lives independently, stuck in hospital when they don’t need to be there or deteriorating whilst languishing on NHS waiting lists.

The Conservatives promise to fix social care ‘once and for all’ lies in tatters.

Too many people who need care have been abandoned, and local authorities have been left to pick up the pieces.

The only way to solve this is for political parties to get around the table and agree on a long-term solution that works for everyone.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling for Labour and the Conservatives to commit to cross-party talks after the next general election so that we can finally end this crisis – this time, once and for all.

McArthur sets out response to embargoed climate report

Speaking ahead of the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s embargoed report Progress in Reducing Emissions in Scotland 2023, which notes that there is now no credible route to Scotland reducing its emissions by 75% by 2030, that there is no comprehensive strategy for Scotland to decarbonise towards Net Zero and that Scotland has missed its annual target eight times in the past 12 years, Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur said:

These figures deal a blow to our climate goals. Experts on the UK Climate Change Committee have thrown a bucket of cold water over any claim nationalist ministers had to climate leadership. They are very clear that in devolved policy areas there is much to do while questions must be asked about the effectiveness of green ministers in government as target after target is missed.

The Scottish Government needs to get serious about turning this situation around and getting us back on track. This should include kicking off a national insulation programme to bring down bills and emissions; expanding tree planting and installing thousands more EV chargers.

Rather than setting himself up as the defender of super profits in the oil and gas sector, Humza Yousaf must now start to walk the talk when it comes to Scotland’s climate ambitions.

Rennie comments on new claims from Pregnant Then Screwed

Commenting on the embargoed report from campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed on childcare costs, Willie Rennie MSP said:

If these claims are true then it paints a bleak picture of the state of childcare in this country and the impact that it is having on parents and prospective parents.

Childcare services can be transformative for parents and children but only if they are available locally and flexible enough to fit round busy people’s busy lives.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out a series of proposals to help hard-pressed families and boost the economy too.

The Scottish Government must ensure seamless childcare is available from the point maternity leave ends, close the funding gap between council nurseries and those in the private, voluntary and independent sector and ensure parental choice about when and where to access childcare.