The SNP will have to “fight to win” the support of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in every vote, the party’s leader has said.
Alex Cole-Hamilton will be attending the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton on Tuesday where he is expected to say the Scottish Liberal Democrats are now the “most influential group” in Parliament.
At the Holyrood election in May, the Liberal Dems secured their best result in 20 years as they increased their seat count from four in 2021 to 10 – leaving them seven behind the second placed parties, Reform and Labour.
In his speech at the party conference, Mr Cole-Hamilton is expected to say: “This May, no party won a majority in the Scottish Parliament.
“And as the architects of Holyrood envisaged, more than 25 years ago, political parties need to find common ground where it exists.
“Budget by budget, Bill by Bill, case by case, we will use our leverage as MSPs to get things done.
“This is how we fight for change with fairness at its heart. Yes, it might have been our campaign slogan, but it has a real-world meaning.
“It means that we have the opportunity to shape the course of Scottish politics and influence government. And in this much flatter Scottish Parliament, there are just seven seats between us and the parties in second place.
“We are now the most influential group in that Parliament because the SNP know they will have to fight to win us over on every vote.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton will also highlight the work the party has carried out since Parliament returned following the election, including passing amendments on improving community benefit and extending compensation for ferry disruption.
He is expected to highlight his party’s willingness to work with other parties and say the party is “prepared to roll up their sleeves and get things done.”
We are now the most influential group in that Parliament because the SNP know they will have to fight to win us over on every vote
He will continue: “To improve community benefit for renewable energy.
“To give the third sector the licence to criticise ministers. To ensure public funding doesn’t benefit companies connected to human rights abuses.
“To extend compensation for the SNP’s ferries fiasco to coastal towns.
“We pushed the Government to sort out the planning system when it comes to hyperscale data centres.
“And how do we do all of this? We dial down political rhetoric and come to the negotiating table with pragmatic solutions.
“We work with other parties when it matters, but we don’t shy away from holding their feet to the fire either.
“Because one lesson we have all learned in recent years, is that the public want grown-up politics.
“There are two types of political opposition: those who fire out angry press releases and achieve nothing in return.
“And those prepared to roll up their sleeves and get things done. That is us.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “The basic democratic concept that it is for the people of Scotland to determine our own future – at a time of our own choosing – should be something we can all agree on. It is something the Prime Minister recognised just a few weeks ago.
“We’ve worked closely with the Liberal Democrats in the past and their long and proud tradition in recognising Scottish democracy through their campaigns for home rule is something people across these islands know to be true.
“The Liberal Democrats should accept that the exact same democratic principle must apply to Scotland’s choice of becoming an independent nation in the European Union. It would seem illiberal and undemocratic for them to change course on that now.”