BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

SNP Ministers should stop trashing Tavish Scott's reputation, according to the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. During visits to Shetland, SNP chiefs have chosen to criticise the former MSP who served the constituency over twenty years winning major concessions for the area.

Responding to the news that only 88.6% of patients were seen at A&E within 4 hours, with 370 patients waiting more than 8 hours and 121 patients waiting more than 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented:

"Throughout the whole of this summer, performance against the A&E target has been worse than it was at the same time last year.

Speaking after the Scottish Government published its annual statistics on government revenue and spending in Scotland (GERS) showing a £12billion deficit, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie, who is in Shetland to support candidate Beatrice Wishart, said:

"Five years ago, the vast majority of people in Shetland voted to avoid this eye-watering deficit by rejecting the SNP's independence campaign.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson has today announced her first Shadow Cabinet.

In announcing her Shadow Cabinet, Jo Swinson declared she has built a team that will provide "the real alternative our country needs".

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet is 50/50 gender balanced and has a membership of 15% BAME.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said:

"I am proud to announce my new Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet to stop Brexit.

"Given the threats from nationalism and populism, more than ever before, people are crying out for a new vision for our country.

"This new team will take the fight to this right wing Conservative Government and provide, where Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party have been absent, the real alternative our country needs.

"This is also a team ready to offer the solutions to the big issues people face, to lead the Liberal Democrats as the strongest remain party into a General Election, and to win a People's Vote."

Please find the full list of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet here and below.

Responding to the decision by Audit Scotland to value the Scottish Government's equity stake in BiFab at only £6m as opposed to the original £19m Willie Rennie said:

"The Scottish Government needs to redouble its efforts to secure a good future for the yards at BiFab.

"The fall in value in the government's stake is a big price to pay on top of the hundreds of jobs at stake.

After the think tank Reform Scotland today claimed "there is discrimination at the heart" of the Scottish Government's early years expansion, with some children set to receive 24 months of free provision while others receive just 15 because of when their birthday falls in the year, Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for children and young people Carole Ford commented:

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today said that the Prime Minister must not make the same mistakes that the Scottish Government made, as he warned that industrial scale stop and search "undermines community policing and poisons the relationship between officers and the public".

The Prime Minister has convened a new National Policing Board, whose membership includes Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House - the former Chief Constable of Police Scotland. This week, Boris Johnson announced the expansion of police stop and search powers.

Shetland's Liberal Democrat candidate Beatrice Wishart has today detailed her priorities for improving Shetland's transport links, building on Tavish Scott's record of delivery for Shetland.

In launching her plan, Ms Wishart warned the SNP Government that that lifeline services should no longer be "held to ransom". She said policies including the Sumburgh parking charges and the failure to deliver on the promise cheaper ferry fares are damaging the islands.

After the First Minister told an audience at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that football clubs must root out sectarianism or the Scottish Government will "step in", Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur said that her intervention will prove lightweight unless she publishes the secret data ministers hold on sectarianism.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are turning up the heat on the SNP in the Shetland by-election with only ten days until polling day.

In advance of his second visit to the campaign, Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, has challenged the SNP candidate to declare immediately whether he would vote with his constituents or his party on another independence referendum. There will be a parliamentary vote on the issue within days of the by-election and therefore voters have a right to know how Tom Wills would vote.