Author Archives: Ailsa Macdonald

Lib Dems need to practise what we preach on Federalism

By Ailsa Macdonald | Sun 7th January 2024 - 2:00 pm

Did you get excited when you got the Party’s email about our manifesto? How we are going to save the environment, based on our core values and vision? I did.

Then I made the mistake of actually reading it and I discover that our environment stops at the Scottish Border. 

I’m not naïve. This is a “sound bite” email. I don’t expect us to do into the nuances between the water company Scottish situation and that in England and Wales; that most of our sewage discharges don’t require to be recorded, as Neil Alexander has been highlighting in Moray; that  Scottish Water is publicly owned. After all, we still pay ludicrous bonuses to the top men (yes; they are men) and no-one seems to try to hold the Scottish Government to account for the failings of “the top water company in the UK”

But then we get to the specifics…

We will

✅ double the size of the Protected Area Network 

The Protected Area Network is the creature of Natural England. There is no equivalent here.

 ✅ Strengthen the Office for Environmental Protection and increase funding for the Environment Agency and Natural England. 

Not a dickie about Environment Standards Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency/Scottish Water or NatureScot.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 10 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Jason Connor
    I would opt for Christine Jardine. Sidelined by the party upper echelons. She is very likeable, speaks well and is witty. Someone people can relate to. I someti...
  • Jason Connor
    Very well said David. I couldn't agree more...
  • Jason Connor
    Agree with Chris. At least run a robust positive campaign in Holborn. You know like the ones the party used to, remember them...
  • Peter Davies
    "And how do democratic institutions make decisions about technologies evolving faster than the policy frameworks designed to govern them?" That would be the nex...
  • Adam
    Yeah right. Remember when we were all told to go paperless to save the planet? How's that working out!?!...