Our News (Edinburgh Liberal Democrats)

Edinburgh Liberal Democrats <info@edinburghlibdems.org.uk>

May 23, 2013:
- Scottish government must listen to experts on childcare plans
  
  Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Children and Young People, Liam McArthur MSP has today urged the Scottish Government to heed comments made by the new head of Scotland's Save the Children. In an interview with Holyrood Magazine, Neil Mathers said he supported Scottish Liberal Democrat calls to extend free childcare to forty percent of two year olds, beginning with those from poorer backgrounds.
- McArthur calls for action on lifeline ferry routes
  
  Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has used a debate on ferries in the Scottish Parliament today to criticise the Scottish Government's approach to Road Equivalent Tariff. He also highlighted the need for lessons to be learned from the recent problems on the Stromness-Scrabster route.
May 22, 2013:
- Scottish Government must set out clear timetable on equal marriage
  
  "The Scottish Government should now set a clear timetable for the introduction of equal marriage into Scottish law so that gay people in Scotland can enjoy the same rights as those in the rest of the UK."
- SNP Ministers must give cast iron guarantee over future of local democracy
  
  "We need a cast iron guarantee from SNP ministers that they will not force their centralisation agenda upon our local councils and health boards. Since the SNP came to power they have stripped power from our local police service and now plan to do the same with our local courts."
May 21, 2013:
- Scottish Court Service makes clear proposed closures are only phase one
  
  "The startling revelation that the setting up of any "Justice Centres" - which are currently being used as a fig leaf to cover up SNP members' embarrassment - would result in further court closures made clear that the proposals on the table at the moment are merely Phase One of court closures.
- Rennie: Naïve to compare Arab spring with independence referendum
  
  in the Arab spring with the democratic, open referendum process agreed between the Scottish and UK Governments. The United Kingdom is a democracy not a dictatorship and George Square is not Tahrir Square."
- Rennie: Latest independence paper nothing more than same old story from SNP
  
  "It's the same old stories, slogans and bad sums. "They want to spend the same money three times over, on an oil fund, capital spending and tax cuts."
May 20, 2013:
- Justice Committee urged to back motion to save locally delivered justice
  
  Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP has today signed a joint motion to annul Parliamentary Orders which would close a third of Scotland's local Sheriff Courts.
May 19, 2013:
- SNP must explain why they are short-changing Aberdeen on key funding
  
  Scottish Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Christine Jardine has called on SNP candidate Mark McDonald to explain to the people of Aberdeen Donside why he voted for a funding deal which short-changed the city by £21m.
May 15, 2013:
- NHS IVF changes will help to deliver fairer and more coherent system
  
  "I am hopeful that these changes will help to deliver a fairer and more coherent system of NHS IVF treatments across Scotland."