Chamberlain urges Lib Dems to take ‘credible hope’ to the doorsteps

Scottish Lib Dem deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain has said they are the “party of the future” as she urged activists to take a message of “credible hope” to voters.

Addressing the party’s conference in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on Saturday, the MP laid out her own achievements at Westminster since her election in 2019.

Ms Chamberlain pointed to her success in changing House of Commons rules to ensure MPs are not able to vote on their own sanction if they are found to have breached parliamentary standards and getting a members’ Bill on carers’ leave to a second reading.

The party, the deputy leader said, is one that will “never take voters for granted”.

“As Scottish Liberal Democrats, we work hard, we fight for our communities, for our country and to secure the future for our children and their children,” she told delegates.

“This is what Liberal Democrats offer – a different sort of politics, credible hope.

“We do not take voters for granted, we campaign, we listen we respect them. We do not seek power for power itself but to raise the voices of others.”

The North East Fife MP, speaking in the hours before her leader was due to launch the party’s election campaign for the 2027 council vote and set a target of 150 councillors, went on to issue a rallying cry to activists ahead of the next general election

“It’s rather unnerving as an MP as opposed to MSPs and councillors, but we don’t know when the next election is going to be,” she said.

“It could be next month, next year, or even the year after that.

“But let’s take that credible hope to the doorsteps now.

“Let’s show people that, even in the worst of circumstances, the Liberal Democrats are the party who are making the change.

“That we will listen, we will act, that we’re the party of the future and that we know we are that today.”

The UK Government has been under pressure to call another election after the appointment of the third Prime Minister since early September in Rishi Sunak.

However, the deadline for the vote would be in early 2025.