Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton has been confirmed as the new leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He was elected unopposed.
Mr Cole-Hamilton takes over from Willie Rennie, who stepped down after the Scottish Parliament elections in May which saw the Lib-Dem contingent reduced to just four MSPs at Holyrood.
Following the announcement Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “With everything we have been through Scotland needs new hope right now. As the new leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, I want to offer that to the people of our country.
“We no longer have to choose between the Scottish nationalisms of the SNP and the Brexit nationalism of the Conservatives, the Scottish Liberal Democrats are the positive, unifying alternative.
“Our country is a beautiful and dynamic place to live, our people are proud, and our history is magnificent, but over time we have become subdued by the collapse of industry, failing health and disinterest from those in power.
“As we come out of the pandemic, we need to do things differently. Going back to the way things were cannot be the limit of our ambition. We need to bring our country together so we can focus on the issues and the challenges we are all facing.
“Here are some of my priorities:
- Tackle the climate emergency, without the baggage of nationalism
- Value and reward our carers
- Make Scotland the best place in the world to receive an education, once again
- Give people the freedom to live the lives they want, without government interference
- Give local communities a bigger say
- Make Scotland a powerhouse for research and innovation
- Closer cooperation with our partners across the UK and in Europe
“We can achieve all of this and more, but only if we get beyond the divisions of the past.
“If you agree with me, you can be a part of the new hope I want to bring to Scotland. Join me and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.”
Lib-Dem leader Ed Davey said: “A huge congratulations to @agcolehamilton on his election as Leader of @ScotLibDems. Alex is a true liberal and tireless campaigner.
“I look forward to working closely with him to fight the climate crisis, value carers, and deliver world-class education and services for Scotland.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton’s appointment was announced by his colleague Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine on the same day as the SNP – Scottish Greens working agreement was confirmed.
Ms Jardine said: “Alex is not just someone who’s in this because of politics, he’s in this because of what he believes and it will be his vision, his views, his direction that will take the party forward into the next phase.
“We all have a job to do in supporting Alex, we all have a job to do in getting the message out there, and we all have a job to do in ensuring that this next phase of our history is a strong, positive one.
“Alex is the one who’s going to lead us forward in portraying that to the Scottish people, winning their support again, and making sure that we change Scottish politics.”
The Scottish Parliament has been in recess since 26 June but resumes on 29 August.