Dundee Liberal Democrats - www.dundeelibdems.scot

We need bold and urgent action to help families pay their bills and heat their homes this winter. There is no other choice.

Families and pensioners across the country are in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis. We have already seen energy bills rise by £700 this year. They simply cannot afford another, even bigger rise of £1,400 in October.

Following a meeting with former FCO official Duncan Spinner, who is working to get Ukrainians safely to Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today set out a series of steps that the Scottish Government should take to improve the Ukrainian refugee scheme.

Mr Cole-Hamilton is calling for:

Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader and North East Fife MSP Wendy Chamberlain has written to the Scottish and UK governments to raise the concerns of park home owners facing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Currently in Scotland there is no cap on park home pitch fees and increases are calculated using the retail price index (RPI). Ms Chamberlain has been contacted by constituents from Rosebank Park Homes concerned that ground rent will go up by 25% in a 12-month period. This will mean that they are paying more than their mortgage on ground fees.

Commenting as nine Scottish Conservative MSPs declared their support for Liz Truss to be the next leader of the Conservative party, Liberal Democrat cabinet office spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:

"The Scottish Conservatives have finally come off the fence but only after checking who was winning. They're like a footballer who changes strips at half time.

Responding to figures from Public Health Scotland showing the crisis in our A&E departments continuing, with just 65% of attendees at A&E services admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented:

"The SNP's target for A&E waiting times is for 95% of attendees to be seen within 4 hours, we are currently seeing figures of 65% and we haven't seen a figure above 70% since May. These kinds of extreme wait times puts lives at risk.

Responding to his inclusion on a list of politicians, journalists and business people sanctioned by Russia, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"One day, after Putin's army has been defeated and his government swept away by the tides of history, I hope that I will have the chance to visit and meet with those who have bravely stood up against the Russian regime. Until that happens, I will wear this ban as a badge of honour.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called, once again, on the Scottish Government to get to grips with the social care crisis instead of devoting their efforts to independence, after new figures showed a 36% year-on-year increase in delayed discharges.

In June 2022 there were 50,340 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed - up 36% compared to June 2021 (37,136 days.)

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called on the Scottish Government to take "decisive action" to tackle the increase in the number of operations lost to Covid, after new Liberal Democrat analysis shows that 329,243 operations have been lost since the pandemic first began.