Why the Liberal Democrats are ‘open for business’ to join forces with Labour at the Scottish Parliament

Alex Cole-Hamilton has insisted the Scottish Liberal Democrats are “open for business” for working in partnership with Labour following the next Holyrood election, as he set a target to triple the party’s number of MSPs in 2026.

But the Lib Dems leader has ruled out co-operating with the SNP or Conservatives, whom he claimed have been “artificially stoking division” across Scotland.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said he believed his party and Labour had not “changed their clothes on independence”, insisting the constitutional squabbling “is over, at least for the time-being”.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton launch the Scottish party’s election campaign in North Queensferry. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Asked about next week’s general election, Mr Cole-Hamilton insisted “we’re having a great campaign”, adding “every week seems to bring more positive news about communities rediscovering their LibDem roots”.

“We’re going to take a big leap forward – I’m confident of that,” he said.

“I will make this projection now that there will be more liberals than nationalists on the green benches of the House of Commons and, my goodness isn’t that needed. Once the stranglehold of nationalism leaves our communities, then there will be no turning back.”

Leader of Scottish Liberal Democrats Alex Cole-Hamilton

The Scottish LibDems have four MPs, but are technically starting with just two seats to defend due to the boundary changes that Mr Cole-Hamilton said “were unkind” to his party.

He said: “We have to win North East Fife and Caithness all over again. The door-knocking returns coming out of that are very encouraging.”

The LibDems’ Susan Murray is in for a tight battle with the SNP’s Amy Callaghan for the new Mid Dunbartonshire seat, while the party is confident it will retain Christine Jardine’s Edinburgh West and Alistair Carmichael’s Orkney and Shetland seats.

Mr Cole-Hamilton also suggested his party could cause a “surprise” in the new Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat where the local candidate Angus MacDonald “is absolutely smashing it”.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he intends to lead a minority government at Holyrood (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA)

Like Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour, Mr Cole-Hamilton is looking ahead to the 2026 Holyrood election, when he hopes to triple his tally of four MSPs after a disappointing election in 2021.

He said: “The polling has been consistently higher. We’re now kissing 10 per cent, crucially, on the regional vote. I would be looking at anything north of 12 seats would be a really good night, but I think it’s doable.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton has been open about his intentions to work with Labour following the 2026 Holyrood election – a set-up Mr Sarwar is yet to be convinced about. The LibDems leader insisted “change is coming”.

“We are open for business when it comes to that change,” he said. “That doesn’t mean rushing into government. We have shown in Edinburgh, where we are one of the biggest opposition parties, that we can sustain an administration on a vote-by-vote basis. It gives us far greater power than we would have had as the junior partners in a coalition. There’s definitely a route to working like that.”

If the LibDems and Labour were to enter into an arrangement after the 2026 election, Mr Cole-Hamilton warned his party disagreed with “Labour’s approach to centralisation, about taking power away from communities”.

He said: “Labour want to merge Scotland’s territorial health boards, Liberal Democrats do not. We believe the power is better when it’s closer to the people it serves. They believe in big government. They’ve always had a penchant for things like ID cards – that rails against liberal approach to civil liberties.”

But Mr Cole-Hamilton admitted “we have a lot that we agree on”.

He said: “People mock me and Anas that we have a personal friendship and that’s fine. When they are telling us to take the anger out of politics, we can’t win.

“I will always challenge Anas on the many things we disagree on. If change is coming, Scotland will be looking for grown-up politics, people putting differences aside and working together where they can.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton is adamant that “I don’t see any circumstances where we could work with the SNP or the Tories”.

He said: “They are definitely part of the problem – they have been holding us back. They have been artificially stoking division in our society with flags.

“Labour hasn’t changed their clothes on independence and neither have we. I’m grateful for that because it’s another big voice in the room not talking about the constitution. This argument is over, at least for the time-being.”