The Scottish Liberal Democrats have ruled out supporting John Swinney to become first minister, but indicated they could back an SNP-led government's budget, party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has said. Speaking after launching his party's manifesto in Edinburgh, Cole-Hamilton said voters expect a 'grown-up' approach from political leaders.
'Dealing with the SNP, or any government, on a budget is not a referendum on their performance as a government – and by any metric, the SNP Government has failed the people of Scotland,' he said. 'Instead, it's a means of unpicking some of the damage that they've done.'
Cole-Hamilton was unequivocal about his refusal to back Swinney in the Holyrood vote for first minister, stating: 'I've been very clear I would resign as leader of my party before I put John Swinney back in power. For all of the questions that Scotland currently faces, the answer to none of them is a third decade of SNP administration.'
The Lib Dems have backed Scottish Government budgets in recent years in exchange for concessions, including increased mental health spending. The party's manifesto includes pledges to put 900 multidisciplinary health workers into GP practices, boost social care funding by £400 million, create a £100 million emergency insulation fund, and begin work on tunnel infrastructure connecting Shetland's islands.
The party is targeting 10 constituency seats, including Edinburgh Northern, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, and Inverness and Nairn, alongside their current strongholds of Orkney, Shetland, Edinburgh North Western, and Fife North East. Cole-Hamilton urged voters to also support the party on regional lists.
