Tag Archives: jamie greene

Mark Valladares

16-18 May 2025 – the (long) weekend’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Sun 18th May 2025 - 10:15 pm
  • Davey on European Political Community Summit: PM needs to be “bold and ambitious” but EU leaders need to “play ball”
  • EFRA committee report: Government “must listen” and “ditch tax”
  • Greene blasts incompetence at the Water Industry Commission
  • Greene: If SNP won’t ban conversion practices, they should let me do it

Davey on European Political Community Summit: PM needs to be “bold and ambitious” but EU leaders need to “play ball”

Ahead of the European Political Community Summit, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Prime Minister must be bold and ambitious, using today’s talks to set out his stall for Monday’s vital ‘reset’ summit.

Between securing a youth mobility scheme, agreeing a comprehensive defence pact and making progress on building a bespoke customs union, he has the opportunity to deliver genuine growth and security for our country.

EU leaders need to play ball too. In the face of Trump’s unpredictability and Putin’s barbaric imperialism, it’s vital that we deepen our cooperation across trade and defence – and prevent talks stalling in a quagmire of petty disputes. A proper deal between the UK and EU will benefit us all.

EFRA committee report: Government “must listen” and “ditch tax”

Responding to the EFRA committee’s report saying that the Government must rethink the family farm tax, Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Spokesperson, said:

The Government’s disastrous family farm tax has been a hammer blow to many farms up and down the country. The EFRA committee is absolutely right to call for a pause to rethink this dreadful tax.

Lib Dems have been hounding the Government from the very start to axe the family farm tax and protect those farmers already hanging by a thread after years of being failed by the Conservative party, with a botched Brexit deal, rocketing bills and plunging incomes.

It’s about time the Government started listening to farmers — and that starts by admitting they were wrong, listening to this report and ditching the family farm tax.

Greene blasts incompetence at the Water Industry Commission

Responding to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee which notes that a ‘catalogue of failures’ led to the inappropriate and unacceptable use of public money at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and calling on the Scottish Government to review its systems for identifying concerns with public bodies to ensure any issues are caught at an early stage, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

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Caron Lindsay

IDAHOBIT: Jamie Greene MSP: If SNP won’t ban conversion practices, they should let me do it

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 17th May 2025 - 11:30 am

Our newest MSP Jamie Greene has hit the ground running since he joined us last month. Since being appointed as Economy and Finance spokesperson by Alex Cole-Hamilton, he has been holding the SNP to account on such issues as their spectacular ferry failures.

He knocked it out of the park on Debate Night (BBC Scotland Question Time equivalent which, unlike its UK counterpart, you can often watch without losing the will to live) on Wednesday. Here he is challenging Labour’s Melanie Ward about Keir Starmer’s disgraceful language on immigration:

The SNP Government recently announced that it was lobbing its promise to legislate to ban conversion practices into the very long grass. This week, Jamie challenged them to let him take the Bill through Holyrood if they won’t.

He said:

All political parties promised to back change in the law in their 2021 Holyrood manifestos. The SNP made an explicit promise if they got into government to introduce this Bill and haven’t.

It’s no wonder political parties were banned from taking part in this year’s Pride events. Organisers say they are sick of warm words of encouragement to the LGBT+ community and want action.

It might be politically unappealing in an election year to have difficult conversations and debates of this nature, but backing down from promises and shying away from the argument is an insult to those affected by this abhorrent practice

I’ve made a simple offer to the SNP government: introduce the legislation this year, and if you can’t, or won’t, give the Bill to me and I will introduce it.

The only blockage now is the Scottish Government. So it’s over to them: do they say you support the LGBT community in words alone or will they take action?”

The text of Jamie’s letter to Equalities Minister, Kaukab Stewart, is as follows:

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Caron Lindsay

Lib Dems mark IDAHOBIT 2025 – we support you, we stand with you

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 17th May 2025 - 10:34 am

The sun is shining, it’s Brussels Pride (where Lib Dem Women chair Donna Harris is today),  Doctor Who Eurovision (the Interstellar Song Contest featuring Rylan) and Actual Eurovision from Basel and it’s IDAHOBIT, the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Could a day be any more fabulous?

The LGBT community needs a moment of respite. Life for them, particularly our trans colleagues, is fairly unremittingly awful at the moment. I don’t know a trans person who isn’t scared about doing something as fundamental as going to the loo when they are out.  The UK is sliding down the international rankings as a good place for LGBT+ people to live at an alarming rate.

It’s not long after 10 as I write this, and already there have been a fair few good things from Liberal Democrats. Way too much to fit into one post, so there will be a few throughout the day.

First up, is Ed Davey’s video message which sends an unequivocal message to the LGBT+ community: the Liberal Democrats will never stop fighting to build a country where you are truly free to be who you are.

LGBT+ Lib Dems said:

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Mark Valladares

13 May 2025 – today’s press releases (Scottish edition)

By Mark Valladares | Tue 13th May 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill
  • SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply
  • Local campaigner Neil Alexander selected to take on Emma Roddick in key Lib Dem target seat
  • Greene demands statement on Glen Rosa news
  • McArthur welcomes victory for Assisted Dying bill at stage one

McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill

Speaking ahead of the vote on his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Liam McArthur MSP said:

This is an issue on which an overwhelming majority of people of Scotland believe a change in the law is required. Public polling is consistent across age range, political affiliation, disability status, geographic area and religious belief: Scots want to see dying people in this country given more choice at the end of life.

Drawing on international evidence, my bill would ensure people who meet the strict eligibility criteria are able to exercise that choice in a way that is robustly safeguarded.

Indeed, my bill would put in place safeguards that don’t currently exist, a situation that leaves many terminally ill people more vulnerable and more likely to take matters into their own hands. This shows that not taking action has serious consequences too, with more deaths that are painful and undignified, despite the best efforts of palliative care, and more traumatised families left behind.

Scotland cannot put off this conversation. And parliament cannot continue to leave this issue in the ‘too difficult’ box. It must, at the very least, allow time for amendments to be considered to see if a bill can be agreed that commands majority support and public confidence.

To my MSP colleagues, I say, if you have not yet made up your mind, my door is always open but most importantly I would urge you to listen to the voices of terminally ill Scots desperate for more choice, control
and dignity.

This bill has been a long time coming but it does now offer the chance to provide that compassionate choice for the small number of terminally ill Scots who need it.

SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today said that SNP decisions have made the housing crisis significantly worse after statistics confirmed dramatic falls in new housing supply and new build completions in the year to March 2024, despite an increase in the number of people seeking housing.

Official figures published today show that:

  • Between 2022/23 and 2023/24, new housing supply decreased by 16.4%, or 3,984 homes.
  • In the same period, new build completions decreased by 16.1%, a drop of 3,835 homes.
  • As of 31st March 2024, 177,264 applications were recorded on 26 local authority or common housing register housing lists. This represents 2,172 more households compared with March 2023.
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Mark Valladares

8 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 9th May 2025 - 12:10 am
  • US and UK trade deal: Parliament must be given a vote
  • Interest rates: Trump tariffs, spiralling bills and jobs tax still ‘hammering’ millions of households
  • UK-US deal: would show “complete disrespect” to public if waved through with no vote
  • Greene responds to direct award of ferries to CalMac
  • Cole-Hamilton marks VE Day
  • McArthur responds to FM’s comments on assisted dying

US and UK trade deal: Parliament must be given a vote

Commenting on reports that a US/UK trade deal will be announced later today, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Parliament must be given a vote on this US trade deal so it can be properly scrutinised.

A good trade deal with the US could bring huge benefits, but Liberal Democrats are deeply concerned that it may include measures that threaten our NHS, undermine our farmers or give tax cuts to US tech billionaires.

If the government is confident the agreement it has negotiated with Trump is in Britain’s national interest, it should not be afraid to bring it before MPs.

Interest rates: Trump tariffs, spiralling bills and jobs tax still ‘hammering’ millions of households

Responding to the Bank of England cutting interest rates to 4.25%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s rate cut is of course welcome news, but it cannot distract from the fact that millions of households are still being hammered by Trump’s tariffs, spiralling bills and a growth-crushing jobs tax that is already eating into pay packets.

To break the cycle of stagnation left by the Conservatives, the government must scrap its jobs tax, fix the broken business rates system and stand up to Trump’s tariffs.

We urge the government to build an economic coalition of the willing with European and Commonwealth allies and set its sights higher by pursuing a bespoke UK-EU customs union. This is the way to reboot our economy, rebuild public services and protect family finances.

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Caron Lindsay

Jamie Greene on joining the Lib Dems

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 10th April 2025 - 8:09 am

Unfortunately, I had to miss Friday at Scottish Conference for family reasons.

As I arrived in Inverness in the afternoon, my phone started going wild and I realised that Jamie Greene MSP had joined us. His arrival brings our MSPs to five and means that we can now be an official group in the Parliament. This will give us more committee places and speaking time. Willie Rennie will be joining the Corporate Body as our official business manager.

Watch that moment here. Alex Cole-Hamilton introduced him and clearly enjoyed himself doing so.

The most exciting day at Conference in ages and I’m not there. I was very happy to have Jamie in the party, but had major FOMO.

However, I did get to meet him at the dinner that evening. Alistair Carmichael took him round all the tables, telling him that I was  “mad, bad and dangerous to know.” Jamie said he was already aware of Lib Dem Voice and said he would write for us.

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