Dundee Liberal Democrats - www.dundeelibdems.scot

Orkney's MSP, Liam McArthur, has increased pressure on Ministers to agree to publish the number of Covid-19 tests being carried out in each local health board area.

Last month, Mr McArthur secured an assurance from the First Minister that she would 'discuss the practicalities' of how the publication of localised testing figures could be done. However, the data is still not publicly available, despite the Test and Protect system now up and running across the country.

The disproportionate toll of COVID-19 on people from BAME groups is extremely alarming.

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have written to the Prime Minister to express our grave concern at the disproportionate toll of COVID-19 on people from black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) backgrounds and are urging the government to take urgent action now to address this.

In the week since the death of George Floyd in the United States, the grief and anger of black communities in the US and closer to home has been clear.

The Liberal Democrats extend our solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Protests against the killing of black people by police have erupted everywhere from Floyd's home state of Minneapolis, USA, to the UK, Japan, and New Zealand. The world knows George Floyd's name, and his death has fuelled a movement to end police violence against black people.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's Scottish Parliament economy debate, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has called on the Scottish Government to extend the existing business support schemes and deliver a basic income for all those who are "falling through the cracks" of existing support schemes.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today called on the Scottish Government to set out detailed plans to get non-urgent healthcare up and running as he warned that those living in pain needed to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Speaking ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on the easing of lockdown, Mr Rennie said:

Responding to a new survey from EIS of 26,000 teachers which reveals that 1 in 5 have health conditions which would make a return to work hazardous, while 1 in 3 have childcare responsibilities, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart MSP said:

"There is lots of work ahead to give pupils, parents and all the school staff the confidence that it is safe to return to schools.

Responding to the First Minister's statement on easing lockdown, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"The Scottish Government must get the easing of lockdown right or there is the potential for the virus to spring up again. At the moment there are still big questions for the Government to answer over the prospect of local lockdowns and how the different phases of lockdown will work for different types of activity.

Our late former Leader Paddy Ashdown argued at the time of the Hong Kong handover that without the added right to live in the UK for those holding British National Overseas (BNO) Passports, Beijing could ignore the Joint Declaration.

We have a duty to act and protect those we vowed we would.

In 2020, this is becoming a tragic reality. 'Beijing's new law will trample over the 'one country, two systems' framework, crushing Hong Kong's autonomy.