The Scottish Liberal Democrat Leadership

I am saddened to learn that Tavish Scott has decided to step down as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Tavish has been an excellent leader of the party and the bad, very bad, result on Thursday is not of his making.   I've texted him this afternoon to pass on my personal thanks to him for his service as party leader - Tavish visited Dundee on numerous occasions and, as I said to him, the party owes him a great debt of gratitude.   

There's one other person I have sent a text to this afternoon - Willie Rennie, new MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.   I urged Willie to stand for the party leadership.   Willie is the obvious choice for the leadership of the Scottish Liberal Democrats - he's able, articulate and committed.   I hope he will decide to stand;  if he does, he will certainly have my support.

Willie Rennie with myself at a party conference

Election 2011 : Scottish Liberal Democrats

From Tavish tonight ...

Dear Fraser,

I wanted to email to thank you for the incredible efforts you’ve made over the campaign so far.  The thing that drives me forward every morning is the knowledge that thousands of Scottish Liberal Democrat members and supporters are working so hard to get our message across on doorsteps right across the country.

Everyone is already working very hard indeed.  But I am asking everyone to join me in doing a bit extra over the final few days to return as many Liberal Democrat MSPs to Holyrood as possible.  Think of what a Scottish Parliament would be like without a stronger team of MSPs motivated by our values, our ideals and priorities?

I know how tough this election has been for everyone.  But we have to use the last few days to enthuse our supporters and encourage voters to back their hard-working local Liberal Democrat candidates. I know we would all like to spend a bit of time getting away from it all.  We can, but not just yet!

We are the only party working to keep our public services local.  Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats are resisting dangerous plans that could see 3,000 police officers lose their jobs, and £300 million wasted on centralising control of social care. It is in challenging times like this that a strong liberal voice is needed more than ever in the Scottish Parliament. If we are not around to fight for what we believe in, for what Scotland needs at this difficult time, who will?

Your work, your efforts can really make a big difference. Thank you again so much for your support.

Yours sincerely

Tavish Scott

Leader

Scottish Liberal Democrats

WEB:   http://www.ScotLibDems.org.uk

TWITTER:   http://twitter.com/TavishScott

Tonight's Scottish Liberal Democrat Broadcast

Tavish on Tay

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Tavish Scott was on Tay AM this morning, taking part in an election phone-in.   Here's the programme in full :

Tonight's Scottish Liberal Democrat TV broadcast

Tavish Scott : Liberal Democrats improving the Scottish Budget for students and colleges

Dear Fraser

Today’s Scottish Budget is a major boost for students and colleges.

It has delighted the National Union of Students who have said: “The Scottish Liberal Democrats have worked very hard for students on this issue” and “This is great news”.

It will help tackle a crisis faced in Scotland’s colleges from 1st April this year. They can’t afford to wait for a new government. They need action now. As news reports in the last few days have highlighted, there are potential course closures at Elmwood, James Watt, North Highland, Dumfries & Galloway and Carnegie College and many more.

The changes we have negotiated from the Scottish Government will give thousands of students access to bursary support. That will mean they can take up their studies and find ways into work.

We have also secured funding for more than a thousand new places directly at colleges. This will help colleges who are facing severe financial pressures.

We have also secured funding for additional modern apprentices and training opportunities that rely indirectly on colleges. I raised the issue of apprenticeships in renewable energy at FMQs in the autumn. This is tackled in the Budget changes we have secured.

We are also very pleased that we have secured funding for a second year for our idea of a Post Office Diversification Fund. This benefited fifty post offices in the last year and can now benefit more this year. The fund helps post offices introduce new types of business (such as hot food or drinks). It will help them stay open, serving their communities.

Of course, this Budget and the changes we have secured will not solve all of the problems that Scotland faces. Colleges and communities still face enormous challenges. Much will have to wait until after May. Our plans for government envisage a spending review and budget revisions very quickly after the election. We have already spoken with the Permanent Secretary’s senior officials in order to brief them on our intentions to move rapidly in government.

But the steps we have secured today mean a better Budget for Scotland than would have been the case without the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Yours sincerely,

Tavish Scott MSP

Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats

A fair and ambitious Scotland

Dear Fraser,

I want so much better for Scotland in 2011 than we’ve had. And I don’t just mean the weather. People want a Scottish Government where we take the right, long-term decisions for the country, not for any political party. Take decisions that can build a stronger, better and more prosperous Scotland. So I want the New Year to start the process of building a better future for our country: to protect and create new jobs, to give real control to local people over the public services they depend on and to restore Scotland’s reputation for excellence in education.

As leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats I want to achieve more for our country. A Scotland that creates the most innovative and entrepreneurial economy in the world; where our children are among the best achieving in the world with kids from the most deprived backgrounds reaching double the current levels of attainment; and where we move towards a low-carbon, no-carbon country with Scotland being in the top 5 countries for energy efficiency.

Politicians can’t do this. People across Scotland can. People working in the private sector, voluntary bodies and communities of Scotland. Teachers in schools. Nurses in hospitals. Bus drivers getting us to work. It will be a Scotland where we co-operate, trust and respect each other’s contributions.

It will be a Scotland where hard work and innovation are rewarded, but one where Government will invest, educate and support to make sure it is fair.

That’s the Scotland I want to begin to build and 2011 is the year to begin.

Happy Hogmanay.

Tavish Scott

Towards a fair and prosperous Scotland

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have launched the party's Pre-Manifesto in the run up to next May's Scottish Parliamentary Elections. 

The Liberal Democrats will focus on creating jobs, reforming public services and restoring Scotland's reputation for excellence in education.

Scottish LibDem Leader Tavish Scott said, "We are focusing on three big themes. They are connected and will all contribute to a future for Scotland that is fair and more prosperous than we have known before.

"Our plans will rebuild employment, support the creation of new businesses and jobs and equip every person with the skills, the drive and power they need to reach their potential."

You can read the pre-manifesto by going to http://tinyurl.com/LibDempremanifesto.

Public expenditure, public waste

On Friday at lunchtime, Dundee City Council sneaked out a press release about budget cuts and its proposed way forward ("Estimated savings of 40 million needed over three years"), together with a report that will go before the Council's Policy & Resources Committee a week tomorrow.

I say "sneaked out" because the timing of the release to the media was done in such a way that no opposition councillor could have possibly had the opportunity to read it before the inevitable calls from the media asking for a response. If the SNP administration is serious about working in a cross-party and consensual manner, it was hardly a flying start.

Furthermore, SNP councillor Willie Sawers, in that press release, says, "The financial squeeze imposed on us by the Westminster Government is unprecedented and the overall financial picture has worsened as the implications of UK budget cuts have become clearer."

And having had a swipe at the coalition government then goes on to say "In the best interest of the city, we would like to move forward from the old confrontational exchanges between parties." Mmmm ... perhaps not the best ever attempt at getting away from confrontational politics. Furthermore, someone should remind Cllr Sawers that the local government settlement is determined, not by the Westminster Government, but by his own SNP government in Edinburgh.

The lack of preparedness of the SNP government to properly manage a difficult financial situation is of concern. Today in the press, COSLA rightly hints that the SNP government's less than even handed approach to cuts may make the local government position worse, and given the vital social care services provided to the elderly and vulnerable by local government, not subjecting NHS Boards to look at efficiency measures would be a big mistake.

Here's a few potential NHS efficiencies for a start :

* Cut out the so-called "merit awards" paid to some of the highest paid NHS consultants on top of their large salaries. My LibDem colleague in Angus, Sanjay Samani, recently highlighted this issue with NHS Tayside.

* Cut down the NHS hospitality expenditure. Official figures obtained by the Labour Party earlier this month showed that NHS hospitality costs in Scotland increased by almost 25% in the last three years, from £1 076 044 in 2007-08 to £1 332 501 in 2009-10. Almost £4m spent in the past three years and, as the Courier pointed out, a staggering £804 148 by NHS Tayside alone.

* Investigate fully and ensure no repetition of the scandal of NHS Education for Scotland attending 21 conference in all parts of the world, including Durban, Instanbul and Sydney.

* Scrap the SNP policy of free prescriptions for rich people.

Of course, the NHS in Scotland, is not the only service where the SNP government has failed to properly control expenditure. In various newspapers today, including the Sunday Mail, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Tavish Scott MSP, highlights the disgrace of Scottish Enterprise's ballooning spending on hospitality. Scottish Enterprise spent £499 078 on hospitality in 2009/10, up from £437 940 in 2008/09. Last month, they spent thousands on hospitality at the Open Golf Tournament at St Andrews.

As Tavish says, "SNP ministers need to get a grip of quango spending. Scottish Enterprise have their priorities badly wrong."

Tavish TV : NHS bureaucrats

Tavish Scott discusses NHS bureaucrats after raising the issue at First Minister's Questions last week.

Tavish yesterday ...

Excellent article by Tavish Scott MSP in yesterday's Scotland on Sunday - see http://tinyurl.com/tavishlibdems.

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Tavish in the Nethergate!

Here's a video of Tavish Scott MSP, along with John Barnett, Liberal Democrat candidate for Dundee West, during Tavish's recent visit to Dundee. You can read other recent Tavish videos - including his visits to Edinburgh and Aberdeen - at http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk/videos.

Tavish in town ...

Dundee LibDems are most grateful to Tavish Scott MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who today spent more time in the West End campaiging with John Barnett, Liberal Democrat Westminster candidate for Dundee West. John and Tavish are pictured above during an interview in Nethergate.

This evening, I met with the team leader of the Street Lighting Partnership and Blackness Road residents about changes to street lighting there (where the old SOX (Orange) lights have been changed to High Pressure Sodium SON lights) and although this should result in improved lighting, concerns from residents about the extent the lighting covers across the road to the opposite footpath. The Street Lighting Partnership will further investigate the matter and report back to me in due course.

I also attended tonight's West End Community Council meeting. There were excellent presentations on Discovery Credit Union and the Hannah's Highway project - it was a very constructive and participative meeting of the Community Council.

The Scottish Budget vote - breaking news

Scottish Budget 2010 – from Tavish Scott MSP

At the end of the Scottish Budget process for 2010 it is worth remarking on some points.

Today the Scottish Liberal Democrats have achieved changes to Scottish Government programmes that reflect our priorities.

The changes are the ones that we started this whole process campaigning on. We stuck to the issues. We have developed thoroughly researched proposals that help to build a fairer society and a sustainable economy.

There have been substantial changes to the Scottish Budget as a result of the work of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Our research demonstrated that, in these tough times, far too big a share of the Scottish Budget is currently spent on the highest paid staff. The Scottish Government has now agreed to a new pay policy in March that brings a culture of restraint to the highest paid.

We produced research that demonstrated how record numbers of people are being turned away from Scotland’s colleges. With unemployment at record levels, we have shown that young people are being hit twice. They can’t get a job and now they can’t get a college place. The Scottish Government has agreed to fund more college places. Overall, more than 7,500 students will benefit. That will mean thousands of lives and careers transformed thanks to our work.

The Finance Secretary has also responded to our demand for debt-financing support for Scottish business. Too many businesses we have spoken to simply cannot get access to loans through their bank. A Federation of Small Business report this week shows that our priority on this is right. These soundly-based businesses need government support to get through the recession. This has now been agreed by the Scottish Government and further detailed plans – using European funding – will be announced shortly.

The Scottish Government has also agreed to our proposal for a post office diversification fund. This will offer grants to post offices in communities who cannot get the finance they need to expand and diversify their businesses. We hope that communities across Scotland will take up the potential of this lifeline and will see their local post office give more services and become a growing business.

Taken together, these four measures mean that Liberal Democrats do not have reason to block the Budget. We have demonstrated that we can win practical support for young people and for our economy when the Scottish Parliament backs us.

There are still substantial concerns. There is still more work to take place on cutting the pay bill of those at the top in the public sector, movement on bonuses, reducing the quangos that have been created by the SNP and supporting the economy. We will continue to campaign on these but will do so from a much stronger position given our budget achievements.

Latest updates ...

A few Thursday updates :

* This morning, along with councillor colleagues, I had a very useful meeting with the Waste Management Department and the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Department about the problems of refuse presentation at various locations. This gave the opportunity to raise issues in specific streets in the West End where residents have complained about poor refuse presentation or wheelie bins being left out on the street permanently. The officers present gave very useful updates on their various initiatives to help tackle this problem, that is a source of many complaints from constituents.

* Further to Tavish Scott's visit to Dundee yesterday, you can read the article about this in today's Press and Journal by going to http://tinyurl.com/tavishpandj.

* I recently asked for additional grit bins for the north end of Thomson Street and the top end of Tait's Lane. I am pleased to advise that the City Engineer updated me this morning as follows :

"The update to the grit bin issue in Tait's Lane is that Tayside Contracts have been asked to set out a grit bin on the grassed area in the car park at 38 Tait's Lane.

In Thomson Street, an order has been raised for the placing of a small grit bin on the east side at the top."

Tavish Scott in Dundee

Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Tavish Scott MSP, was in Dundee today to give his support for the city’s campaign to see improvements made to Dundee Rail Station. You can hear his news interview on Wave 102 below and read the article in today's Evening Telegraph by going to http://tinyurl.com/tavishdundee.

A former Minister of Transport for Scotland, Mr Scott believes that the city’s rail station is badly in need of modernisation – it is in poor aesthetic condition and has poor facilities. Given the key improvements to Dundee Waterfront, with funding started by the LibDem/Labour Executive prior to 2007, it is vital that the city has a rail station in the waterfront area that does not sit out like an embarrassing sore thumb next to the proposed V&A and other major improvements along the waterfront of the city.

Tavish made clear that it requires the working together of all stakeholders – primarily Scottish Government/Transport Scotland, Network Rail, First ScotRail, the local authority, the regional transport partnership TACTRAN and Scottish Enterprise if the council’s vision of an improved rail station is to become reality. The failure to give the station priority in the Scottish Government’s Strategic Transport Projects Review in December 2008 was a missed opportunity.

Tavish was also in Dundee to support the adoption of Dr Clive Sneddon as Scottish Liberal Democrat Westminster candidate for Dundee East and also visited the University of Abertay to see the university’s expertise in computer games education.

Above : From left - Raymond Lawrie (Dundee LibDem Convener), yours truly, Clive Sneddon (LibDem candidate Dundee East), Tavish, John Barnett (LibDem candidate Dundee West)

Above : Tavish (centre) with Dundee's Liberal Democrat Westminster Parliamentary Candidates - John Barnett (Dundee West) left and Clive Sneddon (Dundee East) right

Tavish Scott interviewed by the media in Dundee today

Tavish Scott, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, was interviewed by Wave 102, Radio Tay, STV, the Courier, the Evening Telegraph and the Press and Journal during his visit to Dundee today. You can hear his comments on Wave 102 news, supporting Dundee's campaign for an improved railway station, by clicking 'play' below.

Tavish Scott: Wanted: a fair and practical budget

An excellent article by Tavish Scott in the latest edition of Scotland on Sunday :

"As we move through the festive period, thoughts in Holyrood turn to the Scottish Government's Budget. This is their third budget and a chance for ministers to make their choices clear.

People are still losing their jobs – just before Christmas, Flyglobespan went bust with the loss of 550 jobs. We need a change of direction in Scottish public life from the Scottish Government. Their budget needs to respond to the challenges facing Scotland's economy.

The choices I want to make for the Scottish Budget should tell you that the Scottish Liberal Democrats want a fairer society and a sustainable economy.

For example, as money gets tight, we really need the Scottish Government to get a grip on the salaries and bonuses of the highest people in the public sector.

Research published by the Scottish Liberal Democrats shows that the total salary bill for those earning more than £100,000 is £413 million and is £651m for those earning more than £80,000. And that covers just 5,300 people out of about 500,000 working in the public sector.

People have been astonished to learn that the highest earners in the NHS are able to nominate themselves for bonuses worth up to £75,000 a year.

And further Liberal Democrat research has shown that many of these very highly paid medics also work in Scotland's private hospitals. So, despite six-figure salaries, the NHS still doesn't get them full time.

When we hear of health boards, such as Greater Glasgow and Clyde, drawing up plans to delete nursing posts because of cash pressures we know that change needs to happen.

It is not just in the health service. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Scottish Government to save millions next year on these big salary budgets across the whole of its responsibilities.

We need restraint at the top to give a fair deal to the people at the bottom of the income scale. Not least of these will be young people without a job.

Statistics last month from the UK government show that the level of unemployment among young people has officially never been higher. The numbers claiming Jobseekers' Allowance have gone up by 45 per cent in the last year. The Scottish Budget needs to respond to the very real prospect of a generation of young people being economically unproductive, just like many of us saw in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher.

We also know that there are record levels of people being turned away from Scotland's colleges – research by the Liberal Democrats has shown that many colleges are turning away six times as many applicants as two years ago. If the Scottish Government expanded the number of college places available, then they would provide a direct way of boosting skills in sectors of the economy where we know we are short, be it engineering or social care.

A fair society is one where the very well-off shoulder more of the burden in the tough times. When so many young people don't have a job and many other people on low pay are worried about losing theirs, we think this approach will mark a change that works.

This all mirrors the Liberal Democrat plans for the Treasury. Vince Cable has published our plans to limit public sector pay rises to £400. This gives an increase well above inflation for people on low pay. The alternative idea – currently the policy of the Scottish Government – is for a percentage limit. That isn't as fair: a limit of 1.5 per cent still gives an increase of thousands of pounds to people at the top and just a couple of pounds a week to the lowest paid.

And we will go further with our radical tax plans. By closing the loopholes exploited by the very wealthy, we can take the income tax threshold up to £10,000 for everyone. That will save middle- and low-earners £700 a year, save pensioners £100 and take 530,000 Scots out of income tax altogether.

I don't think that people who want a progressive, fairer society will forgive us if we don't take up these plans.

We can also do more to give Scottish businesses a fighting chance of getting through the recession. Reports from the British Chambers of Commerce, Fraser of Allander Institute and the Federation of Small Businesses show the scale of the problems faced by Scottish business. Small and medium-sized Scottish companies still can't get access to the lending they need.

And Scottish manufacturing – including textiles – isn't getting the support to help those companies at risk of closure, redundancy or short-time working. The Scottish Budget needs to bring forward proposals that develop staff skills and strengthens these businesses, putting them in a good place to reap the rewards of economic recovery.

There are practical steps that should be taken to build industries that can have a real long-term future for Scotland. Liberal Democrats remain concerned at the lack of research and development support for the marine renewables industry.

Report after report confirms Scotland's potential for green energy and the thousands of jobs that it could bring. The Saltire Prize has, of course, been announced. But the SNP has delayed the payout from that until 2015. This is no use to Scottish companies now. The previous government gave research support. The benefits are clear: the companies that received support under the previous scheme now have prototypes generating electricity in Scotland. The 2010-11 Budget needs to make sure other companies can follow in their footsteps.

We need practical steps that can help Scotland through the recession. The SNP government needs to embrace them.

It can find the money. It should use the money it has earmarked for its constitutional referendum. It should look hard at the Scottish quangos – and not just at their pay bill. For example, the Scottish Futures Trust continues to consume millions of tax pounds but builds absolutely nothing.

So these are the choices our government must make to build a better Scotland. We will be urging them to make these changes.

• Tavish Scott is leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats"

A New Year message from Tavish Scott MSP

Dear Fraser

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have ended 2009 very strongly and can look forward with confidence to 2010, which will be one of the most momentous in politics for generations.

In the last month of the year our candidate Ashay Ghai gained the Bearsden South council seat from the Conservatives. It added to the gain of the Conservatives’ fourth safest seat in Scotland earlier in the year by Rosemary Bruce in a fantastic win in Aboyne and Deeside.

Hundreds of people have joined the Scottish Liberal Democrats this year. Our recruitment at universities has been record-breaking. We lead the debate on the campuses of Scotland. And the growing numbers of Liberal Youth members in Scotland are playing an ever larger – and very welcome - part in our work.

We know there must be a General Election in 2010. But nobody knows how that will end or when, exactly, it will be. The polls are all over the place. But they all show the Liberal Democrats in a stronger position in the run up to an election than we have been for generations.

We are the challengers to Labour across Scotland. We have well-resourced target seats that are campaigning harder than ever. We have inspiring candidates who deserve to be part of the new House of Commons. And the choice facing the country at the time of economic recession and the failure of old politics means it has never been more important to break the red-blue-blue-red pendulum of British politics.

Our plans for a fairer society and a sustainable economy have never been clearer. We will take the low paid out of income tax, cut tax bills for middle earners and stop the very richest in the land using loopholes to avoid their fair share. We will reform politics, not least to end an electoral system that has created a culture of a “seat for life” and “winner takes all” that has led so many MPs to exploit the system for their own gain.

We will build a sustainable economy, creating jobs and opportunity for the record number of young unemployed. We will avoid creating a lost generation of young people, as Mrs Thatcher did in the 1980s. Her mistakes squandered the chances of thousands of people. The legacy remains. Poll after poll shows that most Scots still think that the Conservatives are the party for the well off not ordinary people.

In Scotland we have set the political pace on our campaign for a fairer society. We are winning the argument that there needs to be restraint on the pay and bonuses on those at the very top of the public sector in order to keep jobs and services going for those at the bottom of the income scale.

I know that our council by-election gains from all parties in 2009 will be followed by Westminster gains in 2010.

I look forward to working with you to make it happen.

A very Happy New Year.

Tavish Scott