• Cole-Hamilton sets out plan for a skills revolution
• Scot Lib Dems call for investment in affordable housing in Mid Scotland & Fife

Cole-Hamilton sets out plan for a skills revolution

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today set out plans for a skills revolution as he met with young scientists at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh today.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats will:

• Create a new industrial strategy that focuses on what we’re really good at and what we can be good at, and throw the weight and levers of government behind businesses that can help us achieve greater success in life sciences, energy, food and drink, fintech and financial services, defence and more.
• Develop a new skills strategy, mapping where the gaps are and will be, and fitting training and education systems around it, so that the country secures the skills it needs in everything from social care to engineering and construction.
• Repair Scotland’s colleges and vocational skills system, and safeguard the future of our world-leading universities.

In the recent budget negotiations, the party secured £70m to start to repair the damage that the SNP have inflicted on the college sector – a 10% budget increase. The party has also secured money to save Corseford College, Scotland’s first college for young adults with complex & additional needs and campaigned to save facilities for Scotland’s rural college in Fife.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Scottish education just isn’t what it used to be. We used to have one of the best education systems in the world, but under the SNP it is now just average. The whole education system isn’t producing the range and depth of skills that businesses and our economy need. It’s ridiculous that the Scottish defence industry is having to hire 300 welders from the Philippines.

Our plan will invest in education at every stage, starting from a young age and continuing throughout adulthood. We want every child to get the support and attention they need at school, so they leave with the skills, confidence and resilience to be happy and successful, whatever they choose to do next.

We will repair Scotland’s colleges and vocational skills system, and safeguard the future of our world-leading universities so that we can deliver a skills revolution.

Unlike the SNP, Scottish Liberal Democrats would get ahead of the curve instead of waiting to pick up the pieces, making the most of Scotland’s homegrown skills, engineering supply chains and natural advantages.

If you believe Scotland needs change, then every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver change with fairness at its heart. Scotland deserves better. And with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for it.

Scot Lib Dems call for investment in affordable housing in Mid Scotland & Fife

Scottish Liberal Democrat lead candidate for Mid Scotland & Fife, councillor Claire McLaren has today called on the Scottish Government to invest in affordable housing in Stirling, Perth & Kinross, Clackmannanshire and Fife as she revealed that the number of homes completed has fallen by a third over the past two years.

In response to a question from the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the government admitted that last year just 28 homes were completed in Clackmannanshire (the lowest level in the last ten years), 414 in Fife (down from 960 in 2017/18), 262 in Perth & Kinross and 119 in Stirling. This means that in total just 823 homes were built in the Mid Scotland & Fife region, down from 1,216 in 2022/23, and well below the 1,591 affordable homes completed in 2017/18.

Scottish Liberal Democrats recently revealed that the Scottish Government have repeatedly failed to spend their budget for building new homes, despite homelessness reaching record levels and dramatic falls in the number of affordable housing units under construction.

In a parliamentary question, the Scottish Government were asked for the total underspend in its housing capital budgets. The cumulative underspends in the last four years come to a total of £376m, including £44m in 203/24, the last year for which figures were available.

Commenting on the figures, Claire McLaren said:

It’s so hard for young people in our region to find somewhere to live or get on the housing ladder.

The SNP government has completely failed to respond to the national housing emergency. Instead of a housing revolution we’ve suffered a revolving door of Housing Ministers re-announcing the same commitments while the rate of new affordable homes being built has collapsed.

When I speak with Scottish housebuilders, they are dripping with contempt for how SNP ministers have handled this issue in recent years.

I’m proud of the work I have done as a councillor to get new homes approved and new units secured for council tenants, including helping to create 34 new units in a rural area at Ballinluig, north of Dunkeld, which will deliver much needed new rural housing.

However council budgets have been cut to bits and there is an urgent need for more money to invest in building affordable homes.

Scottish Liberal Democrats want to make sure everyone has a warm and secure place to live and every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will help to deliver change with fairness at its heart.

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