The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plenty of pledges but not much honesty
Sir, – Last week it was the turn of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to hold their conference.
Party leaders told the delegates at Aviemore that they were leading on mental health.
They were, they said, taking the Scottish Government to task.
What I suspect was missing from conference speeches was the evidence from Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer who reported last week that mental health had worsened because of the impact of welfare reform.
It is significant to note that the Liberal Democrats were themselves responsible for this during their coalition with the Conservatives in 2010-15.
As Scotland looks to develop its own security system, modest perhaps in comparison to the responsibilities of Westminster, it has already demonstrated either through its citizen panels involving those affected by mental health in the shaping of the new system, or by not introducing a sanctions regime in its work programme, a more enlightened approach.
I hope Liberal Democrats continue to take the government to task.
To so do is a very important part of their role.
However, they must also acknowledge the positive direction of travel by the Scottish Government.
However, while doing so, they should also be big enough to reflect on their own unhelpful role in introducing the policies which did so much to undermine the care and treatment of mental health problems. Iain Anderson. 41 West End, St Monans.