THE SNP’s “time is up” and the party will lose the next election, at least according to Willie Rennie.
The Scottish LibDem leader criticised Nicola Sturgeon’s party’s record on policing, education and healthcare, and said they had “no vision, a weak team and a poor record”. The SNP responded by pointing out that Willie Rennie knows a lot about losing after “year after year of election disasters”.
Addressing the LibDem faithful at their Bournemouth conference, Rennie said: “By the SNPs’ very own test they are failing. They are spending more time obsessing about power and control than delivering on health, on crime and on education.
“People are fed up waiting for the SNP to deliver on their promises. And they will tell them – loud and clear – your time is up.”
Rennie said that after 14 years in power in the Scottish Parliament the SNP would “lose next time”.
He told those gathered that Scottish education had slipped down the international rankings and policing was in “complete turmoil”, while people were waiting for “weeks to see a GP, consultant vacancies are growing, and we’re short of nurses”.
“On education, on police, on health their record is not something to crow about,” Rennie said.
He also used the speech to announce that the Scottish LibDems will “open talks” with the Scottish Government to seek backing for its campaign to “give the people across the UK the chance of an exit from Brexit”.
Calling for a “liberal response” to modern challenges, and following the election of four LibDem MPs in Scotland in June, Rennie said: “We will build a platform that delivers an open, liberal, environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and fair society, where people have the chance to be all they can be, to live as they wish. It is about the generosity of spirit, it is about sharing, it’s a fresh, bright approach to make Scotland the best again. Change is coming in 2021.”
An SNP spokesman said: “Willie Rennie knows a lot about losing – he has led the LibDems through year after year of election disasters, and they slumped to fifth in the most recent Scottish Parliament election.
“His speech was devoid of any vision, stuck in a political rut attacking the SNP instead of concentrating on the Tories and their catastrophic Brexit plans that will do so much damage to Scottish jobs, investment and living standards.”
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