Katy Gordon

Katy Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Glasgow Kelvin welcomed the UK Liberal Democrat leader, Ming Campbell, to Glasgow University today. In a packed Queen Margaret Union, Ming spoke to around 200 students and answered their questions, ranging over Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, touching also on Scottish independence. He outlined Liberal Democrat priorities for the election, saying:

“The Liberal Democrats will fight this election on the basis of what matters to Scots – and in the interests of Scotland.

“Our party has been the driving force behind radical reform in Scotland.

“Not just the achievements for which we are already known: the abolition of tuition fees, free personal care for the elderly, and proportional representation for local government.

“But also for the detailed policies which make a real difference to Scots’ lives: trebling recycling rates, investing in medical diagnostics, and freeing up teachers’ time so that they are able to spend more of it helping children to learn.”

Defending Scotland’s current constitutional arrangement, Ming Campbell said:

“The countries of the Union can be a force for good on a scale that would be impossible if they were standing apart.

“The challenges facing the world today can only be met by concerted international action and support for international institutions.

“Opinion polls show that most Scots want a strengthened Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom and that is where we stand too.”

On young people and opportunity, Ming Campbell said:

“As Nicol Stephen has made clear, young people will be at the heart of our election manifesto.

“One in five Scottish children still lives in poverty. And here in Glasgow, where I was born, it is a shaming six out of every ten.

“I am determined that we shall be a party that provides opportunity for the whole of society. For those who work hard to make ends meet, and those who want to better their lives.”