Tag Archives: steel industry

12-13 October 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

  • Blow for new Scot Tory leader as poll shows voters less likely to vote for someone who endorsed Liz Truss
  • Rennie writes to minister as steel staff furloughed
  • Lord Wallace responds to death of Alex Salmond

Blow for new Scot Tory leader as poll shows voters less likely to vote for someone who endorsed Liz Truss

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have today described new polling as a “bitter blow” for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, as polling carried out by Savanta showed that 31% of Scots said they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their new leader had backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race. Just 4% said they would be more likely to vote Conservative.

During the leadership election Mr Findlay published a video endorsing Liz Truss’ “positive vision”, describing her as “optimistic and authentic” and declaring “In Liz We Trust”.

The polling also showed that significant numbers of UK voters (35%) would be less likely to vote for the Conservatives if the party leader had said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen as Conservative Leadership candidate Robert Jenrick has done.” A similar proportion was also put off by Kemi Badenoch’s maternity pay comments (35%).

Commenting, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain said:

This polling will be a bitter blow for the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay. The Scottish public will have little sympathy for anyone who was happily cheerleading for Liz Truss.

Her disastrous decisions sent mortgage costs skyrocketing and deepened the cost-of-living crisis. It makes Russell Findlay’s judgment look deeply suspect.

Former Conservative voters abandoned the party in massive numbers at the last election. In so many places across the country, people are backing the Liberal Democrats who are speaking up for them on the issues that matter most like bringing down NHS waiting lists, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and stopping the sewage scandal.

Rennie writes to minister as steel staff furloughed

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today written to Economy Secretary Kate Forbes to urge her to investigate events at the Dalzell steelworks in Motherwell after he was contacted by plant insiders who told him that employees are at home on 80% wages with no work due to issues with cash flow and input prices.

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10 October 2024 – today’s press releases

  • Four in five NHS trusts missing cancer target as Lib Dems call for health service to be number one priority at the Budget
  • Cole-Hamilton files parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour
  • Rennie comments as metal tycoon faces prosecution over accounts
  • Cole-Hamilton raises ADHD waits with First Minister
  • Rennie responds to Audit Scotland report

Four in five NHS trusts missing cancer target as Lib Dems call for health service to be number one priority at the Budget

Responding to the latest NHS data which shows that 123 NHS Trusts, 82.5%, missed their cancer waiting time target in August of treating 85% of patients within 62-days of an urgent referral, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Having a cancer diagnosis is one of the most terrifying moments of anyone’s life. Everyone should get the treatment and care they need when they need it. Sadly, we have heard countless stories where that is just not the case.

The previous Conservative government’s neglect and mismanagement of the NHS has left vital services struggling to provide care and hospitals crumbling. The Conservative Party has proven itself unfit to ever be trusted with our health service again.

It is now down to the new government to rise to the greatest challenge facing our country, rescuing the NHS. That means treating it as the number one priority at the Budget, to get our health service the resources it needs to get patients the life saving care they deserve.

Cole-Hamilton files parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has filed a parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour which calls on the Scottish Government to strengthen police and community responses to ensure that all reports of antisocial behaviour are taken seriously and effectively addressed.

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Tim Farron on decarbonising steel production and that coal mine

Tim Farron spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on steel production yesterday:

Steel is vital to our green economy. As Britain decarbonises with new infrastructure based on steel, let us make sure that we also decarbonise the processes we use to make that steel.

His comments come in the shadow of the government approving the controversial Woodhouse coal mine in Whitehaven, the first deep coal mine in England since 1986.

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Kirsty Williams slams Tories and Labour over steel failures

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams has slated the Conservative Government at Westminster and the Labour Government in Wales for its failures over the steel industry. She says it’s time to put British industry first.

She said that the Conservative Government had allowed the UK steel industry to “shrivel on its watch”, in response to the announcement that councils must now consider UK providers when when carrying out procurement for steel. She also blasted the Labour Government for doing nothing to ensure Welsh steel was used on infrastructure projects.

Once again the UK Government is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. It’s no good asking councils to use UK steel now after letting the industry shrivel on their watch.

Of course councils and the UK Government should always be considering UK steel, but this is just a basic requirement to support our industry. It’s time this Tory Government put British industry first, rather than just kowtowing to the Chinese Government.

Labour’s record is no better. The Labour Government in Wales has completely failed to support Welsh steel. Time and time again Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for an audit of Welsh procurement, yet the Labour Government has done nothing. We called on Labour to publish new guidance when investing in steel, again nothing has happened. For 18 months we’ve called for reduced business rates on heavy machinery, again nothing. People are absolutely fed up of governments that offer warm words, but seem incompetent to realise how serious this crisis is.

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