Road ahead is brighter than ever for the Lib Dems

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey arriving on stage to give his keynote speech at the party's autumn conference at the Brighton Centre in Brighton. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

For the past few days, I’ve had Jane Austen on my mind: “Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing – fortifying and bracing.” I’ve been at the seaside, taking the airs at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, reflecting on our party’s revival as the sun beats down on the lapping waves.

Of course, I don’t think Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility ever featured the leader of a political party arriving at their conference by jet ski, and I don’t remember any passionate debates over the minutiae of fixing the UK’s broken relationship with Europe or stopping sewage dumping. But then, what did you expect from a beach full of Lib Dems?

This was the first time we had gathered since July, humbled by and bursting with the fruits of the election result with 72 MPs, the best result in our history, local champions installed across the length and breadth of the UK. They are raring to go, ready for the challenge – energised and inspired by the difference they can make to their communities, to our politics. It’s just brilliant.

In amongst the celebrations, I wanted to highlight the importance of the result north of the border. From Milngavie to Mallaig, in huge swathes of the country, Liberal Democrats have proved we are the compelling, credible challenge to the SNP. Now, there are many more liberals than nationalists in this new parliament.

A key part of our positive liberal vision for Scotland is one that supports our rural communities, often stuck waiting at the back of the queue. Despite living in places where the renewables revolution is charging ahead, they are shivering in the shadow of wind turbines, unable to heat their homes and denied a fair deal.

As I addressed our conference, I said that we should modernise community benefit rules, ensuring that local people gain from the energy developments they live beside. That includes local energy bill discount schemes, affordable housing, new GP surgeries, training to upskill workers and the promise of good jobs.

When the SNP had the opportunity to build a rich legacy, they blew it. Just three years ago, the Scottish Government sold off Scotland’s prize seabed on the cheap. Now they have raided the money from that one-off sale because of the mess they’ve made of the public finances. There's barely any money left to help communities.

The SNP used to loudly accuse Margaret Thatcher of robbing “Scotland’s oil” by failing to create a sovereign wealth fund from oil and gas revenues. But as time has shown, the SNP have taken a leaf out of the Conservatives’ book and done the same thing.

None of this helps people address the challenges they face. This week marks ten years since Scotland voted to stay within the United Kingdom – we should be moving forward from there – but I suspect the SNP will be using the occasion to reignite the divisions of the past.

But our politics should move on, it must move on. We should be fighting to fix our health service, to lift up Scottish education, to end the scandal of sewage dumping and to get our economy growing.

As the sun sets on a resplendent conference, I and my Scottish Liberal Democrats are returning home to champion all those issues. Unlike the SNP, we aren’t looking back – we’re looking forwards. And the road ahead is brighter than it’s ever been.

Alex Cole-Hamilton is MSP for Edinburgh West and leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats

Road ahead is brighter than ever for the Lib Dems - Alex Cole-Hamilton