Care is at the heart of who we are - Alex Cole-Hamilton

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain during a visit to Craigie's Farm in South Queensferry to launch the party's General Election manifesto

But stunts aside, Monday’s launch was also the first time that people got to see the full spread of what Scottish Liberal Democrats are offering at this election. And this is it: positive, intelligent and practical ideas for repairing problems at their root, changing our society and our politics for the better.

I’ll give you a great example. Care goes to the very heart of who we are as a party. It’s incredibly important to our national leader, Ed Davey, who cared for his mother and now for his disabled son. With millions of people across the country looking after loved ones every day, care is also what holds so much of our society and our NHS together. But it is also in a state of crisis. Paid and unpaid carers do so much of the heavy lifting but more often than not, they feel like the system is stacked against them.

If we fix the crisis in care, we can relieve pressure on our hospitals, right through to the ambulances stuck for hours outside A&Es. That means we can transform mental health services, get you fast access to GPs and an NHS dentist, and ensure people are treated closer to home through new investment in local facilities. If we support carers, we can get people off waiting lists and into work and, if we do that, we can get our economy thriving again.

That’s why I announced a £500 million rescue package for care in Scotland, supporting families, getting everyone access to the healthcare they need and lifting up our economy. Our plans don’t stop there. You see, there’s method in the madness of the Shetland ponies and horses. What could be a better backdrop than this to set out our commitment to deliver £170m for Scottish agriculture?

We know that our farmers are the best in the business. But they have had to contend with increases in energy bills, fertilisers and feed. The Conservatives’ hard Brexit has contributed to food shortages and high prices, severely damaging farmers’ and fishers’ ability to export to their main markets in Europe. By investing in our farmers and their future, we’ll tear down barriers to trade, address worker shortages and renegotiate botched overseas trade deals that undercut our high standards.

On top of that, our plans would generate an additional £1 billion in capital funding for Scotland. Just think of what that could be used for. To build new local health facilities, tackle the housing crisis and bring thousands of empty homes back into use, end the scandal of crumbling concrete in public buildings and stop sewage dumping.

The Liberal Democrat vision of a better Britain is one where we work in partnership with each other, restore your faith in politics and fix our broken relationship with Europe. If that sounds good to you, I have some great news. Back the Liberal Democrats and you will get a local champion who’ll stand up for you, who'll fight for your community and ensure no-one is left behind.

Alex Cole-Hamilton is leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats