• No progress on A&E after a year of Humza Yousaf as FM
• Rennie responds to David Tydeman sacking
• Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to housing figures

No progress on A&E after a year of Humza Yousaf as FM

Responding to new figures showing only 62.9% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 17th March, just as bad as when Humza Yousaf became First Minister, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Waiting times in A&E are just as bad as they were a year ago when Humza Yousaf moved from being Health Secretary to First Minister. No progress has been made in an entire year under his leadership.

Patients and staff have been facing unprecedented pressure at A&E for years now. They are sick of hearing empty SNP promises. They need a government that will get the basics right.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul the NHS Recovery Plan, bring forward an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis and implement measures which will meaningfully tackle burnout among staff.

Rennie responds to David Tydeman sacking

Responding to the news that the chief executive of Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, has been sacked after telling Scottish Government ministers that there will be further cost increases to the building of two new ferries and that further delays are “likely,” Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said:

It looks like David Tydeman was sacked by the SNP for telling uncomfortable truths. We know that he was being upfront about further costs and delays, but it seems the Scottish Government didn’t like that and decided to shoot the messenger. Is he a scapegoat for SNP failures?

I also understand that the new chief executive lives in Canada, so the Cabinet Secretary must explain how that will work.

We need an urgent statement to the Scottish Parliament.

Despite all the disruption at Ferguson Marine, lifelines ferries have never arrived, and islanders are just expected to suck it up. It’s time for the government to stop the scapegoating, explain what is going on at the yard and accept some accountability itself.

Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to housing figures

Responding to new figures showing that last year the number of affordable housing supply approvals fell to the lowest since 2012, while the number of new homes completed dropped by 11 per cent compared to the previous year, Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:

Everyone deserves a warm and secure place to live but they cannot rely on the Scottish Government to play their part in delivering fresh homes.

The SNP’s disastrous budget drives a coach and horse through any pretence that this government cares about the housing emergency.

People need a government which can guarantee that they will have a safe and secure roof over their heads- that should be a basic minimum. That’s why Liberal Democrats would re-establish social renting as a long-term option and bring thousands of long-term empty homes back into use.