Scottish Liberal Democrat conference to call on Swinney to ditch SNP’s takeover of social care

At the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Hamilton this weekend, party members will vote on calls for the SNP government to scrap their planned takeover of social care and to invest money in improving conditions for staff and enhancing services instead.

Scottish Liberal Democrats will call on the government to:

•  Immediately dismantle, rather than simply delay, plans for the new National Care Service.
• Give any money that was earmarked for the creation of a National Care Service directly to local authorities and health and social care partnerships so that it can be invested in front line care, including improving pay and conditions for staff.

Party leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“This white elephant takeover of social care would do nothing to tackle core problems and ease pressures. It would wrench away control of services from communities by putting it in the hands of government ministers, undermining the delivery of care across Scotland.

“Care organisations, unions and local authorities have all united to condemn the bill. The financial memorandum is in disarray, with SNP Finance Committee members even having suggested that the sums don’t add up.

“This ministerial takeover needs scrapped, not salvaged- that must be one of John Swinney’s first acts as First Minister.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats stood up against this vast and unnecessary bureaucracy from day one. We will continue to do that because we know that if there is £1 billion to spend on a ministerial power grab, it should be going to support frontline services and staff instead.”