"The Scottish Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity."
From the Preamble to the Scottish Liberal Democrats' constitution - Read the full preamble.
What it means for the Highlands
The Highland Liberal Democrat team work together to apply our values to the problems which face local communities, as well as others in rural areas across Scotland and the UK. Our priority is to empower individuals to fulfill their potential and sustain Highland communities through enterprise and democratic participation. That is reflected by the campaigning we do on a wide range of issues:
- Affordable Housing - The shortage of appropriate or affordable housing is a major problem for local people. It causes the misery of temporary and ill-suited accommodation for many and - in the worst cases - it can cause homelessness. It is also a major burden on our local economy - forcing young people to leave the Highlands and severely restricting the working age population.
- Transport - Our remote areas are heavily dependent on the infrastructure which connects them to centres of population in the Highlands, the Central Belt and all over the world. The Highland Liberal Democrats campaign to lift the burden of the 'triple whammy' of transport costs from our area - longer distances, more expensive fuel and extra fuel duty. We are keen to see regionalisation of fuel duty, and eventually a system of road-pricing which would favour journeys on quiet roads where there are few or no public transport alternatives. Where the public transport network is most limited, it is especially important that services link together so travel is possible for people without their own car.
- The Environment - Our environment is one of our greatest assets, both for its own sake and for businesses such as tourism and farming. We want to protect it by ensuring that Highland communities remain strong, and are supported by a vibrant, sustainable economy. We support renewable power generation in the Highlands, so long as it is sensitive to the landscape and benefits local people. We are especially keen to see the rapid development of tidal and wave power.
- Education - We believe that good education is crucial to our future. Local primary schools are the heart of many of our smaller communities. We have campaigned to improve facilities at primary and secondary schools across our area. We are vocal supporters of UHI Millennium Institute, which will become the University of the Highlands & Islands in 2007. It will provide new jobs, new educational opportunities right across the Highlands and help to keep young people in the area while attracting others from elsewhere.
- Young people - We need young people not just to study in the Highlands but to live here and put their skills to use in our communities. They are the future of our economy and our culture. We are working to improve the housing situation and also to improve leisure facilities for people growing up in the Highlands.
- Fairness - We believe it is vital that remote communities are treated fairly by the UK and Scottish Governments. We will fight to defend lifeline transport services, the universal service obligation of our postal service, and our rural post office network itself. We oppose measures like OFGEM's tranmission charging system which penalise the Highlands to the detriment of the whole country's energy policy.
The Highland Liberal Democrats; void('');)