• Scottish Liberal Democrats launch election campaign in seat they will take from SNP
• Greene comments on Reform’s Scottish campaign collapse
• Greene comments on latest wave of ferry chaos
• Labour missing golden opportunity to set up Port Talbot industrial supply chain
• EU-US Turnberry deal: Renew Europe backs Parliament’s firm mandate

Scottish Liberal Democrats launch election campaign in seat they will take from SNP

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today launched his party’s campaign, setting out how his party can win ten constituencies to deprive the SNP of a majority and win big on the peach regional ballot in order to get more done in the next parliamentary term.

Speaking at the launch at Newhaven harbour, Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

We know you feel let down by the other parties.

We think Scotland deserves better than this. But it needs to be change with fairness at its heart.

Scotland has so much going for it. But right now, it feels like our country simply isn’t working.

Household bills are soaring. The long waits to see your GP. The national embarrassment of the ferries fiasco. And Scottish education just isn’t what it used to be.

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: delivering first-rate health care, helping you with the cost of living, getting Scotland moving again, and getting Scottish education back to its best.

I’m bursting with excitement for the campaign ahead. I will be travelling all over our country letting people know that the Liberal Democrats are winning again, with more councillors, a record number of MPs and more to come.

Let me be straight with you. You have two votes. In many constituencies like Edinburgh Northern, we are on the verge of winning against the SNP. Our victories can deny them the parliamentary majority that John Swinney craves. Equally importantly, wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver MSPs committed to delivering change with fairness at its heart.

Scotland deserves better. And with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for it.

Greene comments on Reform’s Scottish campaign collapse

Responding to the news that two more Reform UK Holyrood election candidates have withdrawn their candidacies this morning — bringing the party’s total number of dropouts to four — Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene MSP said:

As the wheels continue to come off Reform’s Scottish campaign, Lord Offord continues to prove he and his party should be nowhere near politics or power.

Two candidates have dropped out because of ‘administrative errors’, one because of shady business dealings during Covid, and another after calling Humza Yousaf an ‘Islamist moron’. Good riddance, yes, but it’s not enough.

We found out this week that Lord Offord has a vile sense of ‘humour’ that makes him unfit for public office, while another Reform candidate is still standing despite having publicly backed Tommy Robinson.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are yet more skeletons in the closet and candidates dropping out in the coming weeks.

Greene comments on latest wave of ferry chaos

Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene MSP has today described the SNP’s ferries fiasco as “never-ending”, following a fresh update from CalMac about the disrupted state of ferry services.

The latest update from CalMac indicates that:

• Arran has no major vessels currently in service.
• Mull only has one vessel operating the main route of Oban-Craignure.
• Islay only has one vessel operating to the island.
• Barra and South Uist are sharing one vessel, meaning they have a reduced service.
• MV Alfred is not due back in service until 6th April, MV Loch Frisa will not return until 9th April, MV Hebrides is due back on 15th April and MV Isle of Lewis won’t return until the end of May.
• MV Glen Sannox has again come off service, reporting an issue with the port main engine.

Jamie Greene MSP said:

The SNP are wreaking never-ending havoc for islanders, coastal communities and business along the west coast. It is an out-and-out disgrace.

With Easter and summer just around the corner, island tourism is wholly reliant on ferries which run, but the SNP have thrown the network into permanent chaos.

For this failure alone, the SNP do not deserve a single vote in island or rural Scotland.

Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats have laid out plans for a new ferries bill to guarantee vessels are built on time and within budget. You can make those plans a reality by backing us on your second, peach, regional ballot paper in May.

Labour missing golden opportunity to set up Port Talbot industrial supply chain

Responding to the news that Port Talbot will become the first dedicated hub for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that Labour are missing a golden opportunity to create a local industrial supply chain.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:

Any job creation is a positive step for Port Talbot, but Labour need to be honest about what this actually contains.

These turbines are set to be built using imported steel and only assembled locally, not manufactured. This means much of the real economic value will still go elsewhere.

We should be using projects like this to back Welsh industry, strengthen our local supply chains, and create long-term skilled jobs here in Wales, not just host the final stage.

EU-US Turnberry deal: Renew Europe backs Parliament’s firm mandate

As the European Parliament prepares to vote on its mandate for trilogue negotiations on the two legislative proposals implementing the tariff elements of the EU-US Turnberry framework agreement, Renew Europe announces its support for the position adopted by the Committee on International Trade (INTA) on 19 March. A key priority for our group throughout this process is to ensure the deal delivers real predictability and stability – for businesses, workers and citizens.

Renew Europe’s message is unambiguous: the EU will move forward – but on the basis of fairness and clarity. The INTA position significantly strengthens the Commission’s original proposal by making it Trump-proofed: no higher tariffs, no more threats of tariffs, and no security threats against EU member states.

At the heart of Parliament’s mandate is a sunrise clause ensuring that EU tariff preferences will only take effect once the United States has effectively fulfilled its own commitments. Parliament also strengthens the important suspension clause, should Washington backtrack – by imposing or threatening with new tariffs or undermining the terms of the deal – the agreement can be suspended. The Parliament has also insisted on stronger protections for the steel, aluminium and their derivatives, which remain disproportionately exposed under current US trade policy.

Karin Karlsbro, (Liberalerna, Sweden), Renew Europe shadow rapporteur on this file said:

Transatlantic trade relations must be built on mutual respect. We have not forgotten Greenland, the threats and the blackmail. Europe must be prepared to set conditions for the transatlantic relations moving onward. That’s what we do through this vote, by Trump proofing the Turnberry tariff agreements. That means: no higher tariffs, no more threats of tariffs, and no security threats. By approving this vote we are doing what we can to provide ourselves and European businesses with as much stability as possible under the circumstances.

Sophie Wilmès, (MR, Belgium), Vice-Chair of the EP US Delegation, stated:

One could hardly say that the Turnberry agreement is balanced, but we are ready to accept it if it provides our businesses with stability and predictability in their trade relations with the United States. However, as the U.S. administration lacks either the capacity or the willingness to guarantee even this minimum, it is up to us, Europeans, to put our own safeguards in place to protect ourselves from the chaos of U.S. tariff policies, and even from certain threats. This is exactly what the Parliament is doing today through this vote.