East Lothian Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have continued their campaign against a single, centralized police force for Scotland in Edinburgh.

Alistair Carmichael and candidate for Edinburgh Central Alex Cole-Hamilton met the Assistant Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police at Fettes Avenue Police Station before a photo and interview opportunity outside the station.

Commenting, Alistair Carmichael said:

"If Labour, the SNP and the Tories got their way, police decisions would be taken away from local police chiefs and given to nationally controlled bureaucrats.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party campaigning against plans to create a single, centralised police force for Scotland.

"We are taking our campaign to Facebook today and want as many people as possible to sign up and save Scotland's police.

"This cut would not save money in the short term, which is when we need it to make progress cutting the deficit."

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Commenting as the NFUS launch their manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs spokesperson Liam McArthur said:

"I am pleased to see that Scottish Liberal Democrats and the NFUS are singing from the same hymn sheet in so many areas. Joined up working is so important for the safeguarding of the agricultural industry.

"Scottish Liberal Democrats understand just how important the industry is to Scotland and the challenges that those within the industry face. We take our responsibility to the industry extremely seriously.

"We want to cut red tape and bureaucracy for farmers and crofters, reform procurement rules to encourage the purchase of local food and help smaller producers and farmers access the large public sector market. We are also committed to winning a fair deal on CAP funding for Scotland's farmers and crofters who currently receive some of the lowest payments in Europe.

"These are the right solutions for the Scottish agriculture and it is the Scottish Liberal Democrats who will protect this vital industry."

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have been highlighting their campaign against plans for a single Scottish police force in Aberdeen.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott joined local campaigner and candidate for Aberdeen South John Sleigh at Nigg police station.

Commenting after the visit, Tavish Scott said:

"Grampian's chief constable says centralisation could cost 400 jobs in the North East.

"If Labour, the SNP and the Tories got their way, there would be 3000 fewer police officers on the streets across Scotland.

"Only the Liberal Democrats are standing up for local policing."

Clive Sneddon, Scottish Lib Dem candidate for South Angus, has criticised the SNP for their massive cuts on college funding.

Clive Sneddon was being shown round Arbroath on Monday of this week by Kevin Barthorpe chair of an Arbroath Residents association, including the Angus College which has made a robust defence of its contribution to the local and Scottish economy.

The huge cuts imposed by the SNP through the Scottish Funding Council will cause major problems for the Colleges.

Clive Sneddon commented:

"Angus College and Dundee colleges have to implement cuts of 10.4% in the year ahead in their teaching grant which in real terms is over 14%. This is a short sighted policy by the SNP as our local colleges have a justifiably excellent reputation and are now having to look at cutting courses; subjects, staff and supplies are going to be directly cut."

The Lib Dem candidate and former lecturer added:

"Our local colleges play a huge role in providing our Arbroath, Friockheim, Letham, Monifieth and Carnoustie students with the skills they need to get jobs and these SNP cuts will have a devastating affect on their future. Furthermore, these cuts will impact on the young people who are looking for jobs in our local economy in areas such as food and drink, caring and hospitality, and the newer industries such as renewables, so the SNP cuts are devastating for our local economy. They are the opposite of the support for growth and jobs provided in the UK budget."

Notes:

1. Additional funding was secured in the recently approved 2011-12 Scottish budget by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, amounting to £15 million for Further Education bursaries, and £8 million for an additional 1,200 college places with associated student support.

2. Until he retired in September 2010, Clive Sneddon was a Lecturer in French at the University of St Andrews.

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has today welcomed changes to the income tax system that will put £200 back in the pockets of around 18,000 people in the Northern Isles.

The income tax threshold, the point from which people start paying their taxes, was raised today by £1,000 today to £7,475.

This increase is the first step toward the Liberal Democrat commitment to raise the income tax threshold to £10,000, with a further rise of the threshold due in 2012. In Orkney and Shetland, this change is expected to mean around 800 people will no longer have to pay income tax at all, with 18,000 in line for a tax cut.

Commenting, Mr Carmichael said:

'At a time when people are worried about their personal finances, this tax cut will help millions of people on lower and middle incomes. In Orkney and Shetland alone, 18,000 people will get an extra £200 to spend this year and I know this will make a real difference.

'Across the country as a whole, almost a million people will be lifted out of paying tax altogether across the country, while 23m people will get a tax cut.

'This tax cut is something that we campaigned on before the election and I am pleased that the policy has now completed the journey from the front page of our manifesto to the pockets of 23m tax payers.'

Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg added:

'We have to make difficult decisions but we can still make life fairer and that's what Liberal Democrats in government and across Britain are doing.

'From today Liberal Democrats have delivered a £200 income tax cut to every basic rate taxpayer, and there's more to come - our ambition is a country where no one pays any income tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

'These are the kind of decisions Liberal Democrats are making in Government to make life just that little bit easier for people who are facing difficult times.'

Notes:

1. The raising of the Income Tax threshold to £10,000 was a priority for the Liberal Democrats in the General Election: it was one of four policies we put on the front of our manifesto (along with the pupil premium; a rebalanced economy; and long-lasting political reform).

2. We have already started to deliver on all four of those key priorities.

3. By 2012/13, the Income Tax Threshold will be raised to £8,105, meaning that Liberal Democrats will have lifted 1.1 million people out of paying tax and will have given 25 million people a tax cut worth £326.

Commenting as he launched the Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto at a working mill in Innerleithen, party leader Tavish Scott said:

"I met a family the other night. They take home £15,000. He and his wife are worried about rising prices in the shops, standards at their kids' school and the future of his job and their income. They asked me the killer question - what are you going to do for us? That is the question - from so many people - that has guided this manifesto.

"I am ambitious for my country. I want Scotland to move up and move forward. I want solutions that work from now, on;

• Jobs
• Education
• Local Services

"And I want solutions, ambitions for Scotland's future.

• I want Scotland to be the most innovative and creative economy in the world.
• For our education system to be among the very best performing in the world.
• And for our country to be the most digitally connected in Europe.

"To drive our plans on jobs we set out today a 30-day action plan on jobs and growth; every Minister expected to have started action in 30-days.

"The Cabinet should meet through the summer to drive action:

• To grow thousands of businesses through the lending and expertise of new Regional Development Banks across Scotland.
• A 20:20 initiative to get Scotland's biggest companies to help young people into work;
• Cut business rates in new Scottish Enterprise Zones;
• Reform on regulation and procurement.
• New initiatives on exports and better support for small businesses.
• 100,000 new jobs is on our agenda.

"To achieve excellence in education I simply want the brightest, best and most inspirational teachers in Scotland's classrooms. I don't want them lost to other careers, overseas or - worst of all - to the dole queue.

"So I want to give head teachers the space and freedom to innovate, inspire and encourage Scotland's next generation. Politicians don't teach but they can clear away reams of paperwork and give head teachers the room to lead.

"I want to do all that and much more; to deliver reform, savings and better ways of making your public services work for you, we'll keep services local.

"Not for us the enormous centralising agenda of all the others. Not for us a single fire and police service, costing more and cutting policemen and fire officers. Not for us a quango where your granny's care package will be determined by Ministers and bureaucrats in Holyrood. Instead our plans cover the areas where government should be taking action:

• On health, a new approach to target cancer;
• On housing, extra support for first-time buyers and new action to bring Scotland's 70,000 empty homes back into use.
• On council tax, help aimed at those most in need, not the wealthiest. No council tax at all for the least well-off pensioners.

"I will allocate £21 million from the UK Budget consequentials this year to increase the amount of housing available to first time buyers under shared equity schemes. This will be good for people trying to buy a house and good for builders who are anxious to sell.

"I propose to allocate a further £21 million to support Scotland's colleges and young people. Colleges are making people redundant even now. Our commitment can stop that at this election.

"My immediate plans go hand in hand with a long term approach to turning around Scotland's fortunes.

"Because of our change to Scottish Water, keeping it in public ownership, but freeing up big money, we have a one-off opportunity, using at least £1.5 billion of new money.

"We can spend this just once. It won't happen again.

"It's an opportunity to invest in the long term future of Scotland: we will build an Investing in Scotland's Future Fund.

"With that we will:

• Commit half a billion pounds to support Scottish business that grow and create jobs;
• A Digital economy - super-fast broadband in every part of our country;
• A Science Nation, with almost quarter of a billion for our universities to create world beating science;
• An Early Intervention Revolution to transform the lives of young people and secure a better future;
• Our biggest ever proposals for Energy Saving to cut bills in homes, business and government and tackle climate change.

"This long term investment is how I change Scotland. It's an investment in Scotland's economy, in our people, in our future. If the other parties back my Investing in Scotland's Future Fund then we can:

• Create the conditions for economic growth, for jobs;
• Begin to restore the excellence in Scottish education we really need;
• And to keep your local services local to you.

"Immediate plans to get our economy moving; A long term investment in solutions for Scotland; By voting Liberal Democrat, people can vote positively for that change. And change is what Scotland needs."

Commenting ahead of launching the party's manifesto, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott said:

"We live in tougher times. So I want to set out real ideas for Scotland.

"Ideas that recognise that Scotland needs long term solutions, not short term political fixes.

"A Scotland that looks outward and upwards and is not insular, throwing insults over Hadrian's Wall.

"I know the pressures families and businesses across Scotland face. Rising prices in the shops, and uncertainty in the workplace. Those local services we all depend on, the school, health centre and police officer, under pressure.

"So we are setting out ways to tackle these challenges. Solutions that will create the conditions for jobs, restore excellence in our schools and keep your vital services local.

"Politicians don't create jobs. But they can cut red tape, invest in apprenticeships for young people, colleges and universities, and find new ways to get money to small businesses starved of finance. That's what I want to do.

"Politicians don't teach in school classrooms. But they can give teachers space and freedom to innovate, inspire and encourage Scotland's next generation. Politicians can clear away reams of paperwork and give head teachers the room to lead. And they can make sure that the best and brightest teachers are in our classrooms, not leaving the profession or working overseas. I want to do all that and much more.

"Politicians can meddle in public services. They can centralise the local services you rely on. They can set up a National Police Force, a single fire service, a quango in charge of the care your granny gets. They can stop any accountability your local councillor has to you. They can and the others will try. But not me. I want your services to be local and right for you. Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats will stop the centralising power grab that the other parties want.

"In this tough period my focus for you will be on jobs, education and local services. I want to build a stronger, better Scotland. I offer solutions for Scotland."

Commenting after campaigning in the West of Scotland with list candidate Ross Finnie, George Lyon said:

"Parents in the West of Scotland and across the country told me that they share our ambitions to restore Scotland's reputation for excellence in education.

"They're disappointed with the SNP's failure to cut class sizes, the loss of 3,000 teachers and the delays to school building.

"We want more powers for headteachers, because they're best placed to make decisions about their schools and we are committed to improving the pupil to teacher ratio in our classrooms.

"Over 600,000 young people will benefit from Liberal Democrats' solutions for education in Scotland."