A hot debate Sally Pattle

In Scotland and across the UK, prices are climbing and living standards are falling, hitting the poorest in our society the hardest.

Despite living in a wealthy country, public sector workers are being forced to use food banks.

In West Lothian, over 3500 emergency meals were distributed by food banks last year.

Two new centres in Livingston and Armadale have opened in the area, bringing the total to eleven.

I believe a better future is possible. The Liberal Democrats will stand up for the most vulnerable people and also for our hardworking nurses, teachers and police by ditching the pay cap, so they can afford to get by.

Our manifesto proposes to end years of pay restraint for nurses, teachers, police and the armed forces by lifting the 1 per cent cap on public sector pay and up-rating wages in line with inflation.

In contrast, the Conservative’s public sector pay cap combined with rising inflation since the Brexit vote will mean that public sector workers are worse off.

The SNP claim they can do nothing because they are‘bound by the Treasury’.

The Liberal Democrats will give Holyrood the resources it needs to increase pay for Scottish public sector workers. Our UK policy would also see civil servants and the armed forces receiving a pay rise direct from Westminster.

In these uncertain times, food banks are vital services, but they are designed to provide an emergency service, not fill the gap left by a neglectful Government.

Only the Liberal Democrats have policies to tackle the problem at its root.