Lib Dem election success would mean extra £1.5bn for Scotland, says leader

Scottish leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said commitments in the party’s UK manifesto would net the additional cash for public spending north of the border.

A Lib Dem win in the General Election could see a ‘big positive’ £1.5 billion of public cash for Scotland, Scottish leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has said (Michael Boyd/PA)

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has said his party could make a “big positive” investment in Scotland if it wins the General Election.

He spoke out as the UK Liberal Democrats published their manifesto for next month’s ballot, with the party promising a £9.4 billion package for the NHS and social care, to be funded by by increasing taxes for banks and closing loopholes used by the super-rich.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said this money would result in an extra £1.5 billion in public spending for Scotland – saying it was cash the Lib Dems want to see used to “save the NHS, fix the care crisis and lift Scottish education back up the international rankings”.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader hit out at how the Tories had “badly mismanaged the economy and made the cost-of-living crisis worse for everyone”.

But he added: “The SNP Government has shown that it cannot be trusted to spend your money wisely and that it is totally unable to get the basics right for our public services.

“It’s time for a change and in so many parts of the country we have shown that it is the Liberal Democrats who can beat the SNP and Conservatives.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton, whose party is still to publish its Scottish manifesto, added: “The Liberal Democrat manifesto published today will see £1.5 billion more for day-to-day spending coming to the Scottish Budget.

“It’s a big positive investment that we would use to save the NHS, fix the care crisis and lift Scottish education back up the international rankings.

“We will pay for it fairly too, because it would be wrong to ask families to pay more to clear up the Conservatives’ mess.”