Scottish Lib Dems leader vows to free councils from SNP ‘power grabs’

The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has said his party will free councils from SNP “power grabs”.

Alex Cole-Hamilton will be joined by activists as he launches the party’s local election manifesto in Edinburgh on Wednesday, ahead of the May 5 vote.

The MSP has said Liberal Democrat councillors, if elected, will give council administrations a “power surge” by opposing local decisions being made at a national level by “SNP ministers in Holyrood”.

The manifesto includes opposition to the SNP plans to take decisions on social work, children’s services and alcohol and drug services at national level.

Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch, Mr Cole-Hamilton said his party will oppose what he called the centralising power grabs of SNP ministers in Holyrood.

He will instead campaign to free councils to deliver for their areas, with the powers and financial levers they need.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Scottish Liberal Democrats want powerful and well-run local councils with a ‘can do, will do’ attitude, committed to the delivery of excellent local services.”

The party’s manifesto also proposes to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) to develop a new vision for local councils with a raft of new powers that will make a “real difference” to people’s lives in areas of energy, transport and affordable housing.

Mr Cole-Hamilton added: “Local authorities have suffered serious and disproportionate cuts to their budgets at the hands of SNP-Green budget deals, reducing their capacity for innovation and dynamism and damaging their ability to support local communities.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to deliver a power surge for local authorities.

“That means giving local communities more power over economic development, planning and transport and ending the SNP power grab that will see decisions over social work, children’s services and community justice taken by distant ministers far from the consequences of their decisions.

“After everything we’ve been through, Scotland needs new hope right now.

“At the coming council elections, you’ll only find that hope with the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

“Our councillors and candidates are thrilled by the idea of what community can mean.

“We see the best in people and we want the best for them.

“If something isn’t working, then we try to fix it. That’s why people should vote for Liberal Democrat councillors on May 5.”

Following the local government elections in 2017, 67 Scottish Liberal Democrats were elected, a drop of three from the 2012 election.