LIB DEM AND TORY ‘BAD DEBTORS’ MUST PAY POLICE AT ONCE

The SNP have called on Willie Rennie and Ruth Davidson to sort out the ‘unacceptable embarrassment’ of the Lib Dems and Tories being placed on Police Scotland’s ‘bad debtors’ list for refusing to pay nearly £1 million of conference policing costs. 

Commenting on a report on Sunday Herald, revealing that Police Scotland services will not be made available to either party until the Lib Dems pay Police Scotland £800,000 and the Tories pay their £22,000 debt, Sandra White MSP said: 

“The Lib Dems being placed on Police Scotland’s bad debtor list highlights the fact that they are a complete shambles of a political party - it is hugely embarrassing for Danny Alexander as Treasury Chief Secretary that the Lib Dems have defaulted on their debt. 

“Danny Alexander and Willie Rennie at Lib Dem conference claimed to know nothing about this bill at their party conference – trying to pass the buck to 'the organisers'.

“If the conference had taken place in Berwick on Tweed or Carlisle the UK Government’s Home Office would have paid most of the policing bill – with the local force picking up the difference. Yet the Home Office – part of the Government the Lib Dems are part of – have refused to do the same for Glasgow. To make matters worse the party themselves have also refused to pay.

"It is high time Willie Rennie as the leader of the Lib Dems faced facts. He must ensure his party pay the bill to Scotland’s police immediately. Failure to do so is a failure to support our police men and women in carrying out the excellent and important job they do.

"And Ruth Davidson needs to sort this out immediately too - the officers of Police Scotland do a great job of protecting our streets and communities, and for the Tory Party also to be defaulting on their debts is totally unacceptable."