SNP government is taking Scottish people for granted - Lib Dems

The SNP is taking Scotland for granted, according to Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

The Edinburgh Western MSP told his party's conference in Dundee there was a "disconnect between the focus of the governing parties and the needs of this country".

He said: "Put simply, the SNP and Green priorities are not your priorities. They are taking people for granted."

He said his party was well-placed to make electoral gains in the future.

In particular, he singled out Highlands constituency held by former LibDem leader Charles Kennedy before he was beaten by the SNP's Ian Blackford in the 2015 general election.

"it is my intention to bring Charles Kennedy's old constituency of Ross, Skye and Lochaber back into the Liberal Democrat fold at the next general election," he said.

Mr Cole-Hamilton promised to invest in teachers' pay, tackle violence in schools and scrap national testing.

For older children he pledged a national legal entitlement to youth work for every young person in Scotland.

The Scottish Lib Dems, he said, would appoint a dedicated mental health minister, increase the number of mental health beds for people and reverse cuts to budgets.

"That's how Liberal Democrats would create a properly funded, world-beating system to tackle Scotland's mental health crisis," he said.

'Gary Lineker speaks for us all'

Mr Cole-Hamilton also had harsh words for the Conservatives, saying Rishi Sunak and Douglas Ross should stop "trying to break international law" with their asylum policy.

"The Tories are punching down on the marginalised and the dispossessed once again. Gary Lineker speaks for all of us," he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey appeared at the conference on Friday and called for a cut to energy bills and a plan to insulate homes.

He added: "After 16 years in power, the SNP's record is a one of complete and utter failure.

"They've failed on the NHS - with big backlogs and long delays for patients."

He said that the "botched" deposit return scheme - which will see shoppers charged a 20p deposit when buying a drink in a bottle or can - had "failed businesses".