• George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip
• Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society
• Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending
• Greene responds to proposed Greenfold redundancies
• Cole-Hamilton: Disease burden shows NHS needs vision and foresight
• Cramond among 12 sites with dangerous dry weather sewage dumping
• Lib Dems secure U-turn from Scottish Government on sewage dumping guidance

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip

Responding to reports that Conservative MP George Freeman has referred himself to the parliamentary watchdog over cash for questions claims, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

This looks like the same old sleaze and scandal people have come to expect from the Conservative Party.

Kemi Badenoch should immediately suspend the whip from George Freeman while this is investigated.

Failure to act would confirm that even after being booted out of government, the Conservatives are still hopelessly out of touch.

Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society

Responding to Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury on Saturday, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

Bob Vylan’s chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.

Everyone has a responsibility to use language and public platforms carefully.

Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending

To mark Armed Forces Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has written to the Deputy First Minister urging her to ensure the Scottish Government realises the economic potential of increases in the defence budget.

In June, the UK Chancellor announced that UK defence spending would rise to 2.6% by April 2027.

The increase comes after Liberal Democrat calls in January for a clear roadmap to 3% defence spending, as well as for the government to commit to a full reversal of the Conservatives’ cut of 10,000 troops.

The UK Government’s defence spending increase includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland. It also includes a £4.5 billion munitions investment in several sites across the UK, including Glasgow.

It has also been reported that billions of pounds will need to be invested with established Scottish tech companies to develop drones, satellites, battlefield communications systems, missiles and guidance systems over the next decade.

The text of Mr Greene’s letter to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, is as follows:

Dear Kate,

I am writing to you following the UK Government’s Spending Review, which has allocated a significant portion of increases in defence spending to Scotland. This includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland.

Scotland’s defence industry currently supports more than 14,000 jobs and generated £1bn for the economy in 2023 alone. It is a critical source of employment not only in my own region along the Clyde, but also in areas like Prestwick, Edinburgh and Dundee amongst others.

If those communities are to reap the benefits of this spending increase, and I believe they should, the Scottish Government must also play its part in realising that economic potential. That means creating the right environment for jobs and investment as well as tackling obstacles that could otherwise dampen those opportunities.

At the moment there are worrying gaps in Scotland’s skills pipeline. The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly raised the issue of teacher shortages in key subjects including maths, chemistry, physics, biology and computer sciences, all of which are vital to developing the skills which will be required by the defence sector.

That situation has been made no easier by the somewhat confused stance the Scottish Government takes on matters of national security and its support for the defence industry in Scotland, by way of example Scottish Enterprise declining to support the proposed Rolls-Royce ‘welding skills’ centre in Glasgow. There is also an increasingly anti-sector narrative being used in the language of politics, and sadly government.

Like many others, I am concerned this creates an unwelcome environment for businesses who might otherwise invest in our defence industry here, as well as for those considering a career in it.

In light of this can I ask for:

• An update on what exactly the Scottish Government is doing to facilitate and encourage businesses to invest in the Scotland’s defence industry,
• An outline as to what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the current lack of teachers in key STEM subjects across Scotland and,
• Clarity on whether or the not the Scottish Government believes that there should be an ongoing and thriving defence sector in Scotland.

It is incumbent on the Scottish Government to use its available powers to foster a conducive environment for employment, investment and growth.

The defence sector, coupled with our armed forces presence, contributes financially, educationally and socially in the communities they operate in. I hope on that point we have agreement as to their importance and in making them feel welcome in Scotland.

Yours sincerely,

Jamie Greene MSP

Greene responds to proposed Greenfold redundancies

Responding to the news that up to 90 jobs are at risk at Greenfold Systems manufacturing firm in Dunfermline, which is a major supplier to bus firm Alexander Dennis, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

This will be an extremely difficult time for the workforce at Greenfold Systems, and my thoughts are with them today.

The SNP’s failure to support bus building and buying in Scotland is inflicting a chain reaction of misery for workers and local communities across the country.

If the SNP government are serious about delivering for our economy, they should be sitting down with the firm to thrash out a solution and finally get behind Scottish manufacturing.

Cole-Hamilton: Disease burden shows NHS needs vision and foresight

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has said the SNP lack the ‘foresight and vision’ to tackle huge projected increases in Scotland’s disease burden, which includes a forecasted rise of almost 60% in lung cancer cases.

The Scottish Burden of Disease study found that by 2044:

• The number of people with lung cancer is estimated to increase by 59%.
• The number of people with colorectal cancer is estimated to increase by 44%.
• The number of females with breast cancer is estimated to increase by 30%.
• The prevalence of dementia is estimated to rise by 52-58%.
• The largest relative increases for all except colorectal cancer are in people aged 85 or over.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

These figures are loud and clear about the need to make a serious investment in preventative health care and fix our NHS.

The reality of an ageing population requires a government with the foresight to act now, but the SNP lack any kind of vision.

Thanks to their mismanagement, patients are waiting a lifetime for treatment, staff are on their knees and Scotland now has the worst shortage of oncologists of any UK nation.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are working hard to unpick years of SNP neglect, get everyone fast access to their GP, prioritise preventative care and ensure fast diagnosis and treatment.

All of that is essential if we are to change the outlook for patients and staff and put our NHS back on a stable footing.

Cramond among 12 sites with dangerous dry weather sewage dumping

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today revealed that there are 12 sewage overflow sites deemed by Scottish Water to be at risk of dumping sewage in dry weather, including two sites at Cramond in Edinburgh.

Sewage dumping typically occurs when the sewage system is overburdened, often as a result of excessive rainfall. Sewage dumping on dry days is considered to be more damaging to the environment because discharges will not be diluted by rainfall.

In its report into sewage dumping in Scotland, Environmental Standards Scotland indicate that Scottish Water and SEPA have identified 12 sites as being at risk of dumping sewage in dry weather. The report explains that dry spilling at these sites “had been witnessed on at least one of the three visits required under the ‘Methodology for Aesthetic surveys’.”

These sites are:

• 2 Kirkford / Kirkford Bridge CSO – in Stewarton, East Ayrshire
• 78 High Street CSO – in Stewarton, East Ayrshire
• Bo’Ness, Grangepans WwPS CSO – Bo’Ness, Falkirk
• Corbiehall WwPS CSO – Bo’Ness, Falkirk
• Cramond, Cramond WwPS CSO – Cramond, Edinburgh
• Cramond, Glebe Road CSO – Cramond, Edinburgh
• Dalgety Bay, St Bridgets Brae CSO – Dalgety Bay, Fife
• David Dale Avenue CSO – Stewarton, East Ayrshire
• Dysart Road (Ravenscraig) CSO – Dysart, Fife
• Grangemouth, Glensburgh WwPS CSO – Grangemouth, Falkirk
• Polmont, North side of M9 CSO – Polmont, Falkirk
• Polmont, South side of M9 CSO – Polmont, Falkirk

The ESS report also noted that the tally of 12 overflows at risk of dumping in dry weather is likely to be an underestimate.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced plans for a Clean Water Act which would see:

• Scotland’s Victorian sewage network updated;
• Every sewage dump monitored and published with binding targets for their reduction;
• A blue flag system for Scotland’s rivers;
• A complete ban on the release of sewage in protected areas such as bathing waters.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

I am very concerned to see that within my own constituency of Cramond there are two sites at risk of dumping sewage in dry weather. Cramond is a hugely popular beauty spot, but sewage dumping makes it so much harder for people to come and enjoy the area.

Dry spilling is especially dangerous to the environment because sewage discharges will not have been diluted by rainwater. To make matters worse, Environmental Standards Scotland say this figure is actually an underestimate.

The government must urgently assess the scale of the problem- the public deserve to know the full picture about this disgusting practice.

The SNP keep turning a blind eye to the sewage problem, letting down residents and endangering the environment.

To turn the tide on this scandal, Scottish Liberal Democrats have published plans for a Clean Water Act that would end the excuses, get tough on sewage dumping and protect our rivers, lochs and beaches long into the future.

Lib Dems secure U-turn from Scottish Government on sewage dumping guidance

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today secured a U-turn from the Scottish Government as it announced that it will begin to rewrite its outdated rules on sewage dumping.

At First Minister’s Questions earlier this month, Alex Cole-Hamilton highlighted the lack of consequences for sewage dumping in Scotland – a scandal hindered by decades old guidance that the Scottish Government has been refusing to update.

Responding to a written parliamentary question, the Scottish Government has now confirmed that it will “seek to review and revise the current guidance in the coming months” around the circumstances that it believes sewage dumping should be allowed.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Instead of facing up to Scotland’s sewage scandal, the SNP Government has ducked, deflected and even defied its own environmental watchdog’s demand to update its messy dumping guidance.

The promise to rewrite the guidance is a U-turn from the SNP Government, but the devil will be in the detail.

The problem is nobody in the SNP seems to care that the government-owned water company dumped sewage into Scotland’s rivers and beaches at least 24,400 times last year.

To turn the tide on the sewage scandal, Scottish Liberal Democrats have published plans for a Clean Water Act that would bring our sewage network into the 21st century, clamp down on dumping and get to the bottom of this disgusting practice.