Cole-Hamilton to deliver speech on winning back the Highlands

On Saturday 5th April, Alex Cole-Hamilton will address his party’s spring conference in Inverness.

On winning more seats from the SNP in the Highlands by being local champions for health and care, Mr Cole-Hamilton is expected to say:

There’s no secret as to why we’ve booked our conference in this picturesque capital of the Highlands.

We are at home here. In these streets, among the lochs and glens, we walk the footsteps of Russell Johnston, Ray Michie, and of Charles Kennedy.

Those names are given back to us with warmth on the doorsteps.

Yet here in Inverness, for the General Election, we were so far behind the SNP, almost everyone thought it was an impossible ask to win back Charles’ seat. Almost everyone.

Because when I travelled north and met a prospective councillor called Angus MacDonald, I knew we were in with a shot.

Because he was so switched on, so full of ideas on how to help people, create good jobs, revitalise high streets, and tackle fuel poverty and the housing crisis.

I knew we needed to make it happen. To show people what it means to have a local champion.

I kept going back. Month after month I could see what his team were building, it was a path to the unlikeliest of victories.

Angus’ result gives proof positive to the words behind me. We are winning here in Inverness. What’s more Conference, right across the Highlands we are winning everywhere.

As we look towards the Scottish Parliament elections, the belief is back.

People in the Highlands know that Lib Dems are focused relentlessly on the issues that matter to them.

People in the Highlands know we are best placed to beat the SNP.

They know we can win.

And I can reveal to you today, our deep dive analysis of the general election results.

If the Westminster election of last year was transferred over to Holyrood’s boundaries, we would have won all three seats: Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch; Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; AND Inverness and Nairn.

Such was the size of the swing to the Scottish Liberal Democrats last year.

Kate Forbes, Maree Todd, Fergus Ewing. Three current and former SNP ministers.

We are coming.

We can win those seats.

And Conference, that would be the story of the night.

In his most personal speech yet, Alex will also talk about his roots, going on to say:

My father Dai – was a chemistry professor, an innovator at the forefront of new breakthroughs, who set up an international society of chemists against the proliferation of chemical weapons in our world.

My mother Liz – was a speech therapist and marine archaeologist. For years she ran a support group for people with profound and complex disabilities.

Round our dinner table, they instilled in us a social conscience.

Then there’s my beautiful wife Gill. She leads the additional support for learning department in her school, helping children facing any kind of barriers with empathy and fairness.

My children Finn, Kit, Darcy– already embarking on varied paths, but each of them concerned about the world around them, so ready to embrace our Ukrainian housemate.

I am not always an easy person for them to live with.

During the pandemic, I couldn’t knock on doors to speak to constituents. We weren’t allowed to campaign. I had so much pent-up energy.

So I decided to make 2,500 calls to constituents who we knew would be shielding, just to check they were ok.

I joined a local charity and delivered 1,700 meals to people who were self-isolating.

I was so inspired by those around me: a host of volunteers looking out for those in their community.

The values of my parents, my family and my community are ones that I believe our party and our country shares.

Community, aspiration, the belief that people deserve better.

And Conference, I’d like to thank someone else who may surprise you.

Someone who has provided us with a quote for the ages.

Speaking about the Liberal Democrats, they said “they are in local communities. A typical Liberal Democrat will be somebody who is good at fixing their church roof.”

For once, Kemi Badenoch’s not wrong.

I’m proud we’re known for that. Because that’s what this party is about.

Thousands of seemingly tiny acts of public service, up and down the country, working to make our communities better.

To fix what is broken.

To build anew.

To protect liberal values at home and abroad.

Ours is a vision for Scotland back to its best.