Alex Cole Hamilton won't back budget unless SNP "Moves Mountains"
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has made it clear that the SNP Government faces a steep challenge in winning his party’s support for its upcoming budget. Speaking at the Lib Dem conference in Perth, he set out his party’s priorities and outlined significant concerns about the state of Scotland’s public services under SNP governance. His message was firm: the SNP needs to deliver meaningful change to address the country’s pressing crises or risk continued political gridlock.
Cole-Hamilton’s speech painted a stark picture of Scotland’s current challenges. He criticised the SNP for making what he described as “brutal cuts” to key services, including housing, mental health, and drug and alcohol programmes. These cuts, he argued, are particularly damaging given the scale of the crises in these areas.
“The housing budget has been slashed during a housing emergency,” he said. “The mental health budget has been reduced in the midst of a mental health crisis. And the drug and alcohol budget has been cut, even though Scotland’s drug mortality rates remain among the highest in the world. These decisions are harming the people of Scotland, and the SNP has only itself to blame.”
The Liberal Democrat leader called on the SNP to address these issues in its spending plan for the coming year, arguing that the budget, due to be unveiled on December 4 by Finance Secretary Shona Robison, is an opportunity to turn things around.
While critical of the SNP, Cole-Hamilton was also keen to highlight his party’s constructive approach to governance. He pledged that the Liberal Democrats would engage in meaningful talks with the Scottish Government to seek “common ground” and advocate for improvements to key public services.
“In a Parliament of minorities, we will always act like grown-ups and seek consensus where we can,” he said. “Each year, we engage in meaningful discussions with the Government to improve the budget and make life better for our communities.”
However, he made it clear that the current state of affairs was far from satisfactory. “We are a long way from a spending plan that works for the people we serve,” he said. “The SNP will have to move mountains to persuade us to back their proposals.”
The conference also gave Cole-Hamilton an opportunity to highlight his party’s recent successes. He pointed to the results of this summer’s general election, which saw the Liberal Democrats win 72 seats across the UK, including two new MPs in Scotland. This brought the party’s Scottish contingent at Westminster to six.
“The country is taking us seriously again,” he said. “Make no mistake, we are on the up, and Scotland needs strong liberal voices more than ever.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, Cole-Hamilton was optimistic about the Liberal Democrats’ chances. He argued that the public is increasingly frustrated with the SNP’s handling of key issues and is looking for alternatives.
For the SNP, securing support for the budget will require careful negotiation. As a minority government, the party needs backing from at least one other party to pass its spending plans. This means balancing the demands of opposition parties while crafting a budget that addresses Scotland’s pressing challenges.
Cole-Hamilton’s criticisms underscore the difficulty of this task. His focus on housing, mental health, and addiction services reflects widespread concerns about the state of Scotland’s public services. Addressing these issues will likely require significant investment and, potentially, difficult decisions about where to find additional funding.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison will need to consider these priorities as she prepares the budget. While the Liberal Democrats’ demands may align with public sentiment on some issues, finding the resources to meet them, and convincing other opposition parties to come on board, will be no easy feat.
Cole-Hamilton’s speech also highlights the shifting dynamics of Scottish politics. With the 2026 elections on the horizon, opposition parties are seeking to position themselves as credible alternatives to the SNP. For the Liberal Democrats, this means emphasising their focus on public services and their willingness to engage constructively in the budget process.
However, the party faces an uphill battle. Despite recent gains, its representation in Scotland remains modest compared to the SNP and other major parties. To make a significant impact in the 2026 elections, the Liberal Democrats will need to build on their momentum and convince voters that they offer a viable path forward for Scotland.
The upcoming budget discussions represent a critical moment for both the SNP and the Liberal Democrats. For the SNP, it is an opportunity to address key criticisms and demonstrate a commitment to tackling Scotland’s most pressing challenges. For the Liberal Democrats, it is a chance to influence policy and show voters that they can deliver meaningful change.
As Cole-Hamilton said, “We know how badly broken things are. We know the scale of the reform that’s needed. And in our heart of hearts, we know the only thing that will truly bring about the change that Scotland needs is a change of government.”
Whether or not the Liberal Democrats can bring about that change remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the budget negotiations in the coming weeks will be a key test of both the SNP’s leadership and the opposition’s ability to hold it to account.
