Lib Dems plan to make gains over SNP in Scotland – Sir Ed Davey

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said his party intends to take seats from the SNP at the General Election.

Launching the Scottish campaign, Sir Ed said seats such as Mid Dunbartonshire and Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire would be target seats for the party.

Mid Dunbartonshire, which was previously East Dunbartonshire before it was amended under boundary changes, was won by the SNP with just 149 votes, with former Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson in second place.

Despite the optimism to overtake the SNP as the third largest party at Westminster, Sir Ed would not be drawn on the exact number of seats he expected to win.

In 2019, the party won just four of the 59 Scottish seats but boundary changes will see just 57 seats up for grabs north of the border.

Speaking at the party’s launch in North Queensferry, Fife, Sir Ed said: “We have got great MPs but I think we also have a great number of candidates who can beat the SNP in places like Dunbartonshire with Susan Murray, in places like Inverness, Skye and West Rossshire with Angus MacDonald.

“I believe we can make gains here in Scotland just as we’re going to make gains against the Conservatives in England.

“I think we can have more liberals in Parliament after this election.”

He added: “We’ve seen people in Scotland rejecting the SNP, we’re seeing that in our polls and in canvassing, and in places like Dunbartonshire and West Ross-shire, they’re turning to the Liberal Democrats, so I think we can gain seats here in Scotland.

“The SNP are going to lose a lot of seats in Scotland, we’re going to win seats here.”

The party’s launch focused on the provision of NHS dentistry – a devolved matter – with Sir Ed and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton arguing both the UK and Scottish governments had abandoned the service, leading people to “DIY dentistry”.