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    Scottish Lib Dem leader resigns

    ITN – Sat, May 7, 2011

    The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has resigned from his post after a "disastrous" result for the party in the Scottish Parliament elections.

    Tavish Scott's party suffered a heavy defeat in the Holyrood election, losing deposits after 25 constituency candidates failed to gain 5 per cent of the vote.

    The Scottish Parliament will have just five Lib Dem MSPs, with no constituency seats on the mainland. They had 16 MSPs in the previous parliament.

    Mr Scott, who was elected leader of the party in August 2008, said: "Thursday's Scottish general election result was disastrous and I must and do take responsibility for the verdict of the electorate.

    "The party needs a new direction, new thinking and new leadership to win back the trust of the Scottish people."

    The Liberal Democrat leader, Deputy Prime Minster Nick Clegg, said: "I was very sad to hear of Tavish's decision.

    "He has been an excellent and energetic leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats at an extremely difficult time, as well as a good friend and colleague."

     

    56 comments

    • MIRIAM
      MIRIAM  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Cleggy will not resign dont worry. They should have kept Ming
      He was a wishy washy Liberal, but at least he was sincere. So its
      now business as usual and back where they started. All will be
      forgotten, and yesterdays news will disappear like soap suds. Gleggs
      will not resign...no point hes safe in Downing Street for another 4
      years. Might as well become a proper Conservative which he is anyway.
      Bye bye Lib Dems...it was nice knowing you
      • Sir Malan
        Sir Malan 1 year 0 months ago
        What a load of tosh. Why is it the small minded 'liberals' think they've been lied to? Leaders made their promises based on their winning the election.... no one did, outright.

        Therefore a mature stance needs to be taken by those who share the responsibility. With that comes compromise. Why on earth can you lot not get that in your thick heads?!

        If Clegg goes now, there's no respected Libn Dem to take over. the governemnt will collapse and 6 months down the line you'll wish, no matter who takes their place, it was back to what you didn't want.

        Give them a chance, they have a difficult job.....

        PS - I've been un employed for 2 years, get no benefits and have lost over 1/4m quid in the process. and fear for my family's future. I bear no gridges (apart from towards Ladour). I have no favourites. But i live in the real world. And so should you.
      • aram
        aram 1 year 0 months ago
        'PS - I've been un employed for 2 years, get no benefits and have lost over 1/4m quid in the process. and fear for my family's future. I bear no gridges (apart from towards Ladour). I have no favourites. But i live in the real world. And so should you.'

        so maybe you should fight for the state to support people who fall on hard times (like yourself) better?

        LD should not have got into a coalition with a party whose views were so different to its own. Doing that was a betrayal of its voters.
      • MICHAEL
        MICHAEL 1 year 0 months ago
        Your grudges should be towards the tory bankers who are responsible for the mess we are in but of course being blinkered it is too easy to blame Labour,take off your blinkers and look at what this bunch have done to the bankers who caused us all to be far less well off.LEFT THEM WITH THERE NOSES STILL STUCK IN THE TROUGH
    • Mac44
      Mac44  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Thanks goodness for that. Just so you know, the demise of the LibDems in Scotland is not all down to Nick Clegg. Tavish - you did a pretty good job of ruining the party's standing in Scotland on your own. Very poor policies, combined with smugness and pomposity. I used to vote LibDem. Never again while the current unprincipled bunch is in the lead. Clegg should be ashamed of himself for the disastrous decision to turn a once proud and principled party into a Tory lapdog and whipping boy. Political naivety combined with a desire for power at all costs. Well it cost you a lot. Was it price worth paying? Bring back Kennedy. He may have liked a drink, but at least he was relatively politically astute.
    • WILLIAM
      WILLIAM  •  1 year 0 months ago
      correct,but if pigs could fly Clegg would be a wing commander
      • Mucklegipe
        Mucklegipe 1 year 0 months ago
        The liberal democrats saw the coalition of a way into power, relying on votes alone to do so was not going to work, but in doing so they have had to go back on too many of the policies that got them the votes they did get! So why are they and others surprised when they fail to even get those votes now?

        Oh, given sufficient thrust pigs fly fine!
      • WILLIAM
        WILLIAM 1 year 0 months ago
        no amount of thrust would let clegg fly again, he was played by the tories which proves he was just a puppet wanting power,having said that what was the choice BROWN?
      • KENNETH
        KENNETH 10 months ago
        Despite the Scottish people overwhelmingly voting in the SNP, and with more seats than the system set up should theoretically permit, having little or no Tory members in it David Cameron says Alex Salmond and the SNP have no right or remit to hold a referendum on independence and will oppose any attempt in doing so.

        But wait, the Tories are the ones in the minority in Scotland, every one in Scotland knows part of the SNP's policies are for independence, but still overwhelmingly voted for them, and were promised a vote. So what makes them think they can over rule the democratic process when it does not suit them?

        Scots are sick and tired of being the 'Guinea Pigs' in political experiments, the Poll TAX being a classic example, we had it one whole year before the introduction and riots else where got that folly removed.

        No Brown probably was not the answer, but yet another indicator why an independent Scotland may be a good idea, we would be able to choose the party we think will represent out needs and aspirations better.
    • saken
      saken  •  1 year 0 months ago
      we all had big hopes for him"clegg" he was seen as a regeneration of the political inertia in Westminster against hypocrisy and lies ,i still don't believe that he allowed the conservative to use the lib dem as a buffer to the cut against the populas a very clever move the conservative did a plan from a Machiavelli story book they came out clean wining on both sides unfortunately mr nick clegg had it all and he blew it ,i still believe that the lib dem will get back on their feet it will take time but he needs to go back to his forgotten promises and amend for it
      i urge the leaders of the lib dem to come out of this coalition its a dead end for the lib dem .
      • MIRAGE
        MIRAGE 1 year 0 months ago
        The Liberals are a dead end party anyway, bunch of headless chickens the lot of them.
      • MIRAGE
        MIRAGE 1 year 0 months ago
        The Liberals are a dead end party anyway, bunch of headless chickens the lot of them.
    • William Davies
      William Davies  •  1 year 0 months ago
      O,h how I envy you Scots! Should you now wish to, you can becomes independant and make the decision that has been uppermost in the peoples of the United Kingdom, all without interference from Tory,Liberal, or Labour politicians. That decision is Europe. In or Out. Great Britains economy ,year on year, did nothing but grow, from 1945 to 1973, until
      we joined that abomination, no, that corrupt abomination, the "European Union".The people have never (NEVER) had a referendum on Europe, and never will, in my book, thats tantamount to dictatorship, and it does,nt matter what slant politicians put on it, and they WILL try to justify being in Europe, it is nothing more than a cesspit of corruption, which is inexcusable.Now you Scots, have a golden opportunity to break away
      and become your own country again.
      O,h how I envy you!.......................................
      • frank
        frank 1 year 0 months ago
        we did in 1975
      • s
        s 1 year 0 months ago
        1975 was a wee while ago frank!
      • frank
        frank 1 year 0 months ago
        we did in 1975
    • WILLIAM
      WILLIAM  •  1 year 0 months ago
      tavish was a bit of a clown ,he said 8 times at the last debate ,IF YOU WANT INDEPENDANCE VOTE SNP ,the people did , thanks tavish he he he
      • David C
        David C 1 year 0 months ago
        Sad day for Scotland and all who sails with her if independence actually happens.....

        William, learn how to spell, he he he!
      • ugbo
        ugbo 1 year 0 months ago
        Scotland will have her independence soon. I wonder what is united here. There is no USSR, Yugoslavia, etc. anymore.
      • Garraelius
        Garraelius 1 year 0 months ago
        Then you'll all suddenly realise the true cost of living, without the aid of all the perks you get that the English tax payers pay for, but dont get themselves.... Good luck, I hope Scotland does become independant, England will be financially a lot better off overnight...
    • D
      D  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Pity you had not realised that the people see you shower as self serving charlatains!!
    • Franco
      Franco  •  1 year 0 months ago
      the other one which should do the same should be the previous one instead was made a lord.
      that is liberal democrazy ????????
    • CAROL
      CAROL  •  1 year 0 months ago
      I think Nick Clegg should resign the people have made it clear that he his
      not wanted,the lies thats been told by him and david cameron have brought this country
      down on its knees for their own gains
    • nestor
      nestor  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Cleggy should go period. People's mandate, no trust in him.
    • Neil K
      Neil K  •  1 year 0 months ago
      the Liberals are Now seeing how we feel feel about their lies, given just to acquire power, with Cameron and his Neo-Thatcherites.
    • J
      J  •  1 year 0 months ago
      If Nick Clegg had a ounce of decency in himself he would resign but hes looking after number one with his fat salary and generous perks.
    • ANTHONY
      ANTHONY  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Good riddance to all Tory loving Lib Dems. We will not be governed by Tories in Scotland. Simple as that. The electorate have spoken
    • nestor
      nestor  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Clerge should resign immediately. He got punished for collaborating with the torries especially on tuition fees. He has lost the trust.
    • Dave
      Dave  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Well he did do the honourable thing by resigning, he has had a good long but ineffective run as leader of the Libdems. If he resigns from the Scottish Parliament will he pay back the huge and perfectly legal killing on property we have bought for him in Edinburgh, as the Leader of the Libdems in England stated that his party who claimed for housing and mortgages paid for by us should do. Perhaps Nick Clegg will also do the honourable thing and also resign. But then pigs might fly. Now the SNP can get on with the job they have been prevented from doing by the Labour party and the Libdems with their negative whinging.
    • cuddles
      cuddles  •  1 year 0 months ago
      you always were a smarmy git and full of comments about the snp now the tables have turned but im sure you will have a smashing pension all paid for by the tax payer and you will get a back seat job with a title as franco said in some company as a consultant or somit hope i see you in b@q working
    • A Yahoo! User  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Why are you Scots complaining? If you do not want to be part of England then so be it. BUT if you become independent do not expect anything from this country, England. Let us see if your government will then allow you to have all the 'freebies' that we do not. Remember we pay towards your 'Freebies'
      Mr Clegg And Mr Cameron had to make hard decisions. Maybe you would like to carry on in the vein of Labour and bring us near to bankruptcy as they did when the great Maggie Thatcher took power. The tories seem to have to always take the blame for the idiots who have been in power before them. Only time will tell but please give them a chance.
      No I am not one of the wealthy so called Tories, I work, and earn approximately ��9000 a year but do not have holidays, drink at the pub, and go out for meals.
      If you were in power what would you do? Ask yourselves and please be honest!
      I wish you all the best and hope you become independent. You will still retain your beautiful country.
    • mortsoon
      mortsoon  •  1 year 0 months ago
      It is Clegg who should have resigned Tavish Scott is a well respected Scottish politician and it
      was not his fault that the Lib-dem vote collapsed in Scotland. I hope Mr. Scott remains in Scottish politics a long time.
    • Oor Wullie
      Oor Wullie  •  1 year 0 months ago
      He was a waste of space anyway no loss there! Dave sums him up admirably. He says the party needs a new direction, head south young man and joins the other Liberal wasters in Westminster.
    • Joey
      Joey  •  1 year 0 months ago
      If Scotland becomes independent: 1. Who will decide who is Scottish? 2. If there is a referendum on Scottish independence will people living in UK outside Scotland but who were born in Scotland be allowed to vote? 3. If Scotland becomes independent will people living in UK outside Scotland but who were born in Scotland wake up one morning and find they are now foreigners in their own country? 4. Scotland is part of the Union, so should the people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland also be consulted about any alteration?
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