Scottish Liberal Democrats facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scottish Liberal Democrats Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba  (Scottish Gaelic) Scots Leeberal Democrats  (Scots)
Leader	Alex Cole-Hamilton
Deputy Leader	Wendy Chamberlain
President	Willie Wilson
Founded	8 March 1988; 37 years ago (1988-03-08)
Headquarters	4 Clifton Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5DR
Youth wing	Scottish Young Liberals
Membership (December 2020)	4,185
Ideology	Liberalism Social liberalism Federalism British unionism Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre to centre-left
National affiliation	Liberal Democrats
European affiliation	Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
International affiliation	Liberal International
Colours	Yellow
Slogan	"Put Recovery First"
Scottish seats in the House of Commons	4 / 59
Scottish Parliament	4 / 129
Local government in Scotland	87 / 1,227
Politics of Scotland Political parties

The Scottish Liberal Democrats (also known as Scottish Gaelic: Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic and Scots: Scots Leeberal Democrats in Scots) is a political party in Scotland. It is part of the larger Liberal Democrats party in the United Kingdom. This party believes in liberal ideas and a federal system of government.

Currently, the Scottish Liberal Democrats hold 4 out of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament. They also have 4 out of 59 Scottish seats in the UK House of Commons. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of three main parts of the UK Liberal Democrats. The other two are the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the English Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats do not take part in elections in Northern Ireland.

A Brief History of the Party

The Scottish Liberal Democrats were formed on March 3, 1988. This happened when the Scottish Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Scotland joined together. This was part of a bigger merger between the Liberal Party and the SDP across the UK.

Working for a Scottish Parliament

In its early years, the party strongly supported creating a Scottish Parliament. This was part of their bigger plan for a federal United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s, they worked with other groups like Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens. They also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 vote on setting up the Scottish Parliament.

Working with Labour (1999–2007)

In the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999, the Scottish Liberal Democrats won 17 seats. After this, they formed a coalition government with Scottish Labour. This meant they worked together to run the Scottish Executive.

Jim Wallace, who was the party leader then, became Deputy First Minister of Scotland. He also served as the Minister for Justice. He even stepped in as acting First Minister three times. This partnership continued after the 2003 elections. In 2005, Nicol Stephen took over as party leader and continued in the government until 2007.

Being part of the government meant making some compromises. However, the party did achieve some of its goals. These included changes to student fees for university, free personal care for older people, and changing how local elections work in Scotland to the single transferable vote system.

Becoming an Opposition Party (2007–2011)

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the party won one less seat than before. This was the first time in 28 years their number of seats in Scotland went down. They decided not to join a government with the Scottish National Party (SNP) because they disagreed with the SNP's plan for a vote on Scottish independence. Instead, they became an opposition party.

In 2008, Nicol Stephen resigned as leader. Tavish Scott then became the new party leader on August 26, 2008.

Changes in Elections (2011–2021)

The 2011 Scottish Parliament election was tough for the party. They lost all their mainland seats, keeping only the two seats of Orkney and Shetland. They also got three additional Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) through a regional list system. This was their worst election result since the Scottish Parliament started. Many people thought this was because the Liberal Democrats were in a coalition government with the Conservative Party in the UK. After this election, Tavish Scott resigned, and Willie Rennie became the new leader.

In the 2014 European Parliament election, the party lost its only Member of European Parliament (MEP). This meant they had no MEPs for the first time in many years. At the 2015 UK general election, they lost 10 of their 11 Members of Parliament (MPs). Only Alistair Carmichael managed to keep his seat in Orkney and Shetland.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the party again had five MSPs elected. They won back two constituency seats from the SNP. However, their overall share of votes went down slightly.

At the 2017 UK general election, they kept Orkney and Shetland and won back three seats they had lost in 2015. One of these, North East Fife, was won by just two votes, making it the closest election result in the UK that year.

In the 2019 European Parliament election, they gained one MEP, Sheila Ritchie, for Scotland. However, she only served until the UK left the European Union in early 2020.

At the 2019 UK general election, the UK Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, lost her seat. However, the Scottish Liberal Democrats managed to win back North East Fife and kept four seats in Scotland. They became the third-largest party in Scotland in terms of seats in this election.

In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, only 4 MSPs were elected for the Liberal Democrats. They kept their four constituency seats but lost their regional seat in North East Scotland. Their vote share also dropped to a new low. After this election, Willie Rennie resigned as leader. Alex Cole-Hamilton then became the new leader in August 2021.

Recent Years (2022–Present)

In the 2022 Scottish local elections, the party won 87 council seats. This was an increase from 67 seats in 2017. Following this success, party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton set a goal to have 150 councillors by 2027.

Party Leadership

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have a leader and a deputy leader. The current leader is Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP. The current Deputy Leader is Wendy Chamberlain MP.

Current Party Officials

Here are some of the people currently in charge of the party:

• Leader: Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
• Deputy Leader: Wendy Chamberlain MP
• Convener: Jenni Lang
• Treasurer: Mike Gray
• President: Willie Wilson
• Vice-Convener, Policy: Neil Casey
• Vice-Convener, Conference: Paul McGarry
• Vice-Convener, Campaigns & Candidates: Charles Dundas

How the Party is Organized

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are made up of many local parties. These local parties usually follow the areas of Scottish councils. They are in charge of campaigning and choosing candidates for elections.

There are also eight regional parties, which are based on the areas used for Scottish Parliament elections.

Party Headquarters and Meetings

The party's main office is in Edinburgh. The party's conference is where the most important decisions are made about policies and plans. The day-to-day running of the party is handled by its Executive Committee. This committee includes the Leader, Deputy Leader, President, Treasurer, and other officials. Party members vote every two years to elect people to these positions.

The Scottish party holds two conferences each year: a Spring Conference and an Autumn Conference.

Groups Connected to the Party

There are several groups linked to the Scottish Liberal Democrats. These groups often try to influence the party's direction on specific issues or represent certain members. Here are five of them:

• Association of Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners (ASLDC)
• LGBT+ Liberal Democrats
• Scottish Green Liberal Democrats
• Scottish Women Liberal Democrats
• Scottish Young Liberals

The Association of Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillors (ASLDC) supports Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners in Scotland. They help with local government involvement. In the 2017 Scottish local elections, 67 Liberal Democrats were elected as councillors.

What the Party Believes In (Policy Platform)

The Scottish Liberal Democrats decide their own policies on matters that affect Scotland. This includes issues that are already devolved (meaning they are handled by the Scottish Parliament). It also includes issues they believe should be devolved, like broadcasting and energy. The party also thinks the Scottish Parliament should have more power over money matters.

According to its rules, the party believes in a "fair, free and open society." This means a society where no one is held back by poverty, lack of knowledge, or pressure to conform. The party has always supported freedom, respecting different ways of life, and spreading political power out. They also support proportional representation for elections and working closely with other countries. In the 2007 elections, they campaigned for changes to public services and local taxes. They also wanted more powers for the Scottish Parliament within a federal Britain.

In 2007, the party supported creating a new group to discuss giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

In 2012, the Scottish Liberal Democrats joined the Better Together campaign. This campaign worked for a "No" vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, meaning they wanted Scotland to remain part of the UK.

They also campaigned for the UK and Scotland to stay in the European Union before the 2016 vote on leaving the EU.

In 2021, the Scottish Liberal Democrats worked with the SNP Scottish government on the budget. They helped pass the Scottish budget by getting more money for mental health services, schools, and training for people in the oil and gas industry in North East Scotland.

For the Scottish Parliament election in 2021, their plans included training more mental health specialists and an NHS recovery plan after the COVID-19 pandemic. They also wanted to invest in green energy, create new national parks, and support universal basic income. They were against a second independence referendum and wanted homes to switch to zero-emission heating.

Who Represents the Party?

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have elected representatives in the Scottish Parliament, the UK Parliament, and in local councils.

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

Here are the current Liberal Democrat MSPs:

Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK House of Commons

Here are the current Liberal Democrat MPs for Scottish constituencies:

Local Government Councillors

The Scottish Liberal Democrats currently have 87 elected councillors across Scotland. They have representatives in many councils, including:

• Aberdeen City Council
• Aberdeenshire Council
• Argyll and Bute Council
• Dumfries and Galloway Council
• Dundee City Council
• East Dunbartonshire Council
• City of Edinburgh Council
• Fife Council
• The Highland Council
• Perth and Kinross Council
• Renfrewshire Council
• Scottish Borders Council
• South Lanarkshire Council
• West Lothian Council

Election Results Overview

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have taken part in many elections since they were formed.

Scottish Parliament Elections

In the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999, they won 17 seats. Their number of seats changed over the years, reaching a low of 4 seats in the 2021 election.

UK House of Commons Elections (for Scotland)

Since 1992, the party has had varying success in UK general elections in Scotland. They won 9 seats in 1992 and reached 11 seats in 2005 and 2010. In the 2015 election, they won only 1 seat, but increased this to 4 seats in both 2017 and 2019.

Local Council Elections

The party has also had councillors elected in local government elections across Scotland. In 1999, they had 156 councillors, which was their highest number. In the most recent 2022 local elections, they increased their number of councillors to 87.

European Parliament Elections (for Scotland)

The Scottish Liberal Democrats had one Member of European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 until 2014. They regained one MEP in 2019, but this position ended when the UK left the European Union in 2020.

Images for kids

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  Malcolm Bruce, the first leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

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  Jim Wallace, a former leader and Deputy First Minister of Scotland.

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  Nicol Stephen, who led the party from 2005 to 2008.

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  Michael Moore, who served as acting leader.

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  Tavish Scott, leader from 2008 to 2011.

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  Willie Rennie, who led the party from 2011 to 2021.

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  Alistair Carmichael, who served as acting leader.

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  Alex Cole-Hamilton, the current leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

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  Jo Swinson, a former Deputy Leader.

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  Wendy Chamberlain, the current Deputy Leader.