Scottish Liberal Democrat Lead List Candidate Katy Gordon joined Isabel Nelson, Candidate for Pollok and Lib Dem activitists to greet the ‘save local policing’ car at the Science Centre in Glasgow today.

The car started its national tour today, launched by Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott and Alistair Carmichael, Deputy Government Chief Whip.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are the only main party in this election campaigning against a single, centralised police force for Scotland.

Commenting after the launch, Mr Scott said:
“There are 9 days to save local policing and stop police jobs being cut.

“Rank and file police officers across Scotland tell us that bringing politics into policing is wrong. Scotland’s top police officers warn that 3,000 officers would be lost with a single police force. So SNP, Labour and Tory policies on police numbers and crime are bogus and misleading. Anything those parties say on police numbers should be taken down and used in evidence against them.

“We don’t want police officers paying for an expensive re-organisation with their jobs. That doesn’t make Scotland safer.

“We are the only main party campaigning against a single police force. I want to see decisions about community policing in Inverness taken by Northern Constabulary, not a centralised, single police force. A National police force where the National Police Chief would take his orders directly from the First Minister.

“We want to keep policing local and so do hard working police officers across Scotland.”

Katy added:
“This is as much of a real issue in the backstreets of Maryhill as in the hills and glens of the Highlands. Local people are worried about crime and want their local police to respond to local concerns when they raise them. How is that going to be improved if everything is centralised?”

Mike Moore MP joined Katy on a visit to City Building’s Queenslie Training Centre in the East End of Glasgow. The centre offers a unique combination of high quality construction training and on-site experience on a wide range of projects for the public and private sector. They spoke to staff and apprentices and even got to try out some of the trades themeselves.

Speaking after the visit, Katy said:

“The Liberal Democrats have an ambitious work programme for Scotland, offering work experience, internships, apprenticeships or substantial volunteering opportunities for young people struggling to break into the jobs market. City Building is a major employer of apprentices and has long been involved in providing work experience opportunities to young people. We need to help more employers take on young people, through apprenticeships, work experience or volunteering.

We know times are hard for the construction sector just now but providing decent housing across Scotland is essential if we are to meet our long term ambitions for the economy and our health and social wellbeing. There is a major challenge in tackling the housing shortfall and our Action Plan is focused on helping deliver more homes that are affordable, both in the heart of towns and cities and in rural areas. We need to bring empty homes back into use and tackle the scourge of fuel poverty by a large scale programme of home insulation. This will both create jobs and contribute to a greener economy.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott joined Top List candidate for Glasgow region Katy Gordon to tour Scottish Power’s facility and outline the party’s Energy Action Plan. They met Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of Scottish Power and talked to appretices about their experiences as part of the renewables sector.

Speaking after the visit, Katy said:
“The Scottish Liberal Democrats have a cost-effective, credible and ambitious energy plan. We will stimulate low-carbon investment, create jobs and take Scotland towards achieving its emissions reduction targets. We intend to provide new support for companies developing renewable energy technology, recognise Aberdeen as a global energy hub in a specific government strategy and ensure Scotland is the first to benefit from the Green Investment Bank.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP joined top Lib Dem List candidate for Glasgow Katy Gordon at an independent whisky bottlers and suppliers in Charing Cross to unveil the party’s export action plan. They visited Douglas Laing & Co., an independent, family run business who export all over the globe, discussed the barriers to export that businesses are experiencing and were shown the vaste range of samples in the company’s extensive tasting room.

Speaking after the visit, Katy said:
“Scotland’s relative position in exporting has fallen back over the last three years. The Scottish Liberal Democrats will reverse this. We will set a target to grow the economic value of Scotland’s exports by 50% by 2020. Douglas Laing & Co is exactly the sort of successful business we want to help expand their overseas trade.”

Charles Kennedy MP launched the Yes2AV Referendum Campaign in Scotland on 1st April. Following the launch, Katy, Robert Brown MSP and a large number of activists hung a Yes banner over the Bells Bridge, to highlight cross party commitment to fairer votes.

Katy said:
“If you want to end jobs for life for MPs, if you want MPs to work harder, if you want all votes to count, then vote Yes in the referendum on May 5th. This is a real chance to change the system for the better – make sure you take it!”

In January, Katy took part in a debate at the Glasgow University Union on the Alternative Vote Referendum.  Katy and Glasgow University Lib Dem Society President, and candidate for Maryhill Springburn Sophie Bridger, argued in favour of the change to a fairer voting system, while representatives from the Conservatives opposed.  We were happy to see that Katy and the argument in favour of reform won the vote convincingly at the end of the debate!

Katy commented afterwards:

“A fairer voting system is a no brainer for me.  First Past the Post may have worked in the last century when there were only 2 main parties but it’s time has gone.  People are fed up with not being heard.  The AV referendum gives them a voice.  For the first time in a General Election, every vote would count, MPs would have to work harder to gain people’s support and safe seats would become a thing of the past across much of the country.  I believe the British people’s sense of fairness will ensure that this referendum is won and a fairer voting system introduced.”

If you want to see some of Katy’s contributions to the debate, then click here.  To find out more about how you can help in the campaign for fairer votes, then visit www.yestofairervotes.org!

Katy discusses the increasing need for a balanced goverment, Fairness for parents of young children. Katy represented the views from other women in Glasgow North on the portrayal of women in the media.

MPs, MSPs and delegates at last weekend’s Liberal Democrat Scottish Conference have backed the local community’s fight to save the lane.

Alistair Carmichael MP, Charles Kennedy MP and Hugh O’Donnell MSP have already been to the lane in person to give their support, as well as Scottish Lib Dem Leader Tavish Scott.

Alistair Carmichael MP, Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, said:

“Over 20 years ago, when I was a student at Glasgow University, I spent countless enjoyable hours browsing through the treasures of Voltair and Rousseau bookshop in Otago Lane. I well understand the outrage of local residents at the threat to this iconic West End lane posed by such an inappropriate development. Glasgow City Council should act to support character of the West End by refusing planning permission for this development rather than contributing to the destruction of what makes this part of the City special.”

Alison McInnes MSP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Local Government, said:

“I congratulate Katy Gordon and the Save Otago Lane campaigners for their sterling efforts to protect a unique part of Glasgow’s West End. The planning reform Liberal Democrats introduced when we were in govenrment in Holyrood was specifically designed to give greater weight to the local plan, such as the council’s Glasgow City Plan, and a greater weight to community opinion.

It’s clear that the local community doesn’t want this overdevelopment and wants Glasgow City Council to stick to the principles set out in its own City Plan. The council and the developers must listen to what local people are telling them and abandon this overdevelopment.”

“It’s great that so many Liberal Democrats have joined the march today. There’s clearly a huge amount of will here in Glasgow to support the climate change talks in Copenhagen in achieving a deal.”

You can see more from the Wave on YouTube:

And have a look at Stephen Glenn’s blog for another Lib Dem perspective on the march.