Alex Cole-Hamilton sets out the issues the Scottish Lib Dems will be campaigning for in the coming year.  They won’t come as a surprise to party members – social care, housing, carers, insulation, additional support needs and health services.

Here it is in full:

This new year comes at something of a critical hour for Scotland.

After more than 17 years of SNP mismanagement, so many people feel like nothing works anymore. Many of them are tearing their hair out trying to see a GP or an NHS dentist. Parents are worried about their children’s educations and futures. Businesses are struggling to make ends meet, held back by crumbling transport links and staff forced off work by long NHS waiting lists.

People are fed up, but they also want to see those they have elected to parliament doing something about it. As their elected representatives, we have a duty to try and unpick some of the damage wrought by the SNP.

Liberal Democrats know that the only thing that will bring about the change that Scotland needs is a change of government. The election at which we can deliver that change is now less than 500 days away.

But it is not good enough to simply wait for that election. That’s why my party and I have sought to improve the lot of our constituents in the forthcoming budget, and you can see significant Liberal Democrat demands backed into the pages of the first draft.

There is the reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners, spending on social care, affordable homes, insulation, family carers, additional support needs, GPs, dentists, Long Covid, the Belford Hospital in Fort William and Edinburgh’s Eye Pavilion.

Over the coming weeks, we will continue to put pressure on the government to set out the detail of those commitments and make progress on other key priorities.

As we enter this new year, Scottish Liberal Democrats will be working hard to put the issues that matter to you front and centre.

Scotland is a brilliant, talented, creative and welcoming country- my party will fight for the fair deal it deserves.

I hope you all have a very happy new year.