This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-34616826

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Willie Rennie to make plea to independence supporters Willie Rennie says it is 'time to move on' from referendum
(about 14 hours later)
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie will make a direct appeal to supporters of independence as the party's conference begins in Dunfermline. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has said the police, the NHS and schools have to take priority after the "damaging" independence referendum.
He will say some of those who backed the SNP's cause of independence felt "let down" by its record in government. He said that some of those who backed the SNP's cause of independence felt "let down" by its record in government.
Mr Rennie will say voters have a choice between boosting health and education over the next five years or another referendum campaign with the SNP. Mr Rennie said voters had a choice between boosting health and education over the next five years or another referendum campaign with the SNP.
The Lib Dems currently hold just five seats in the Scottish Parliament.The Lib Dems currently hold just five seats in the Scottish Parliament.
In his speech, Mr Rennie is expected to say: "I recognise that many liberal-minded people have supported independence. In his speech at the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference, Mr Rennie offered an alternative to the "targets, controls and top-down diktats" which he said had damaged local health provision and policing.
"As a consequence, many then felt compelled to back the nationalists even if they were unhappy about the performance of the SNP in government. 'Relationships broken'
"I want them to know they now have another option." And he painted a picture of families divided by the independence referendum campaign.
He will add: "I want to make a direct plea to supporters of independence today - if you want to fix the problems facing your local GP surgery, if you want to end industrial-scale stop and search on our streets, if you want to put the the treatment of mental ill-health on an equal footing with physical health, then try out the Liberal Democrats. "Last week I met a woman in Anstruther who told me that the relationship with her daughter had broken down," he said.
"That is the choice. Five years for health. Five years for education. Five years for freedom and liberties with the Liberal Democrats. "It had been like that for over a year. It started with an argument about independence.
"Or five years of another referendum campaign with the nationalists." "Her family is not alone. An opinion poll found that a quarter of a million people believe their relationship with a friend or family member has been permanently damaged as a result of the independence referendum.
The conference starts at 10:00 BST at the Vine Venue in Dunfermline. "For the sake of the country, we need to move on from those divisions."
'Yes' voter plea
The Lib Dem leader added: "Nicola, our constitution has had our time. Surely our police, our NHS and our schools deserve our time now."
He warned that national testing in schools would undermine progress and bring in the "destructive teaching to the test".
And he said a targets culture was also damaging nursing and the police.
In an appeal to 'Yes' voters, Mr Rennie told delegates at the Vine Venue in Dunfermline: "I want to make a direct plea to supporters of independence today - if you want to fix the problems facing your local GP surgery, if you want to end industrial-scale stop and search on our streets, if you want to put the treatment of mental ill-health on an equal footing with physical health, if you want all these things, then try out the Liberal Democrats."