Lib Dems say never again to Tory coalition

THE Lib Dems have ruled out a coalition with the Tories after the next Holyrood election, even if Ruth Davidson wins the most seats, according to a senior MSP.

Tavish Scott said his party would ‘never’ formally join a government with the Tories after the 2010 Westminster agreement, which many say will take them ‘decades’ to recover from.

The Shetland MSP claims he lost many of his close colleagues as a result of the coalition government, led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg. It led to the party’s vote collapsing at the 2015 general election.

Mr Scott was one of several MSPs interviewed by Holyrood Magazine, and was asked what would happen if the Conservatives were the biggest party in Scotland following the next Scottish parliament election.

Sources within the party believe the Tories could become the largest party at Holyrood in 2021, which may see Miss Davidson lead a government.

But if they failed to win a majority of seats, the Tories would have to rely on the support of others, possibly with a coalition.

Mr Scott, leader of the Scottish party during the 2010 coalition, said: ‘We had a really good coalition [at Holyrood] with Labour because we were broadly in the same space on a lot of issues. You should never say never in politics, but I will say never on a coalition with the Tories because of what happened in 2010.

‘I lost most of my best friends because of that coalition. All of the people we grew up with in politics are no longer in politics.

‘The bitter lesson for the Liberal Democrats of coalition politics is “don’t go to the right” because you get trampled by that big blue car.’

Tory MSP Donald Cameron, who has been tasked with finalising policy for the next Holyrood election, believes it is ‘perfectly feasible’ the Conservatives will be the largest party at Holyrood.

But he said it was unlikely they would form any formal coalitions.