| Liberal Youth Scotland | |
|---|---|
| President | Sophie Bridger |
| Treasurer | Eilidh Dickson |
| Founded | 2008 (in current form) |
| Headquarters | 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR |
| Ideology | Liberalism, Market liberalism, Federalism, British unionism |
| Mother party | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
Liberal Youth Scotland is the youth and students wing of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Reformed from the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats in 2008, the organisation has taken a prominent role in party conferences.[1][2] Sophie Bridger is the current President, as of May 6th 2011.
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In November 2008, an interim committee was elected including Tom Maidwell as President, Ruaraidh Dobson as Vice-President, Anna Rothwell as Treasurer and Ailsa McGregor as Secretary. This committee saw the group through its successful launch event at the Scottish Liberal Democrats Conference Spring 2009 in Perth. At this conference, LYS submitted two motions, one on the Minimum Income Guarantee for students, and one on investigating the ban on homosexual and bisexual men from giving blood, both of which were passed overwhelmingly. Also, Ruaraidh Dobson picked up the award for best speech at conference, for his summation of the Minimum Income Guarantee motion.
As of June 2011, the office bearers of Liberal Youth Scotland are as follows:
| President | Sophie Bridger |
| Vice-President of Campaigns | Robbie Simpson |
| Vice-President of Communications | Ross Stalker |
| Membership Secretary | Kavya Kaushik |
| Treasurer | Eilidh Dickson |
| Ordinary Executive Member | David Evans |
| Ordinary Executive Member | James Harrison |
| Ordinary Executive Member | Alex Paul |
| Ordinary Executive Member | Euan Davidson |
| Ordinary Executive Member | Alex White |
A representative from every Liberal Youth Scotland branch is also entitled to sit on the Executive as a voting member.
This committee will serve until the group's AGM in March 2012.
As of 2011, LYS also elects an Honorary President and two Honorary Vice-Presidents who are members of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to serve as figureheads, and provide advice to the executive.
| Honorary President | Alistair Carmichael |
| Honorary Vice-President | Alex Cole-Hamilton |
| Honorary Vice-President | Elspeth Attwool |
On the 23rd of May 2009, Liberal Youth Scotland organised and staged a demonstration in support of Scott Rennie, the Clergyperson called to be Minister of Queen's Cross, Aberdeen, who's appointment was being challenged by a minority of the Aberdeen Presbytery who believed he should not take up the post on account of his homosexuality. The protest was staged outside the General Assembly Building of the Church of Scotland, where the Assembly were debating whether or not to uphold the Call from Queen's Cross Kirk and the Aberdeen Presbytery, and attracted around 80 demonstrators. At 10:34pm, after four hours of debate, the General Assembly voted to uphold the Call.[3]
In late 2009, Liberal Youth Scotland and their federal counterparts campaigned against the Student Loans Company, the organisation who are responsible for allocating funding to students from England and Wales. The SLC failed to pay thousands of students, leaving University hardship funds depleted, and many students having no money to fund their studies. Liberal Youth Scotland held a protest outside the organisation's HQ in Glasgow, and succeeded in the campaign for resignations from some of the senior figures[4]
At the Scottish Liberal Democrats conference in March 2010, LYS once again succeeded in changing the party's policy, this time to call for equal marriage rights for all couples. The organisation also picked up the Ray Michie prize for membership, for recruitment at Fresher's Weeks around the country.
In 2011 Liberal Youth Scotland campaigned for a review of sentencing for drug possession, and an amendment by LYS member and founder of Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform Ewan Hoyle ensured that specialist diamorphine treatment could be considered in the review.
In their manifesto for the 2011 election, the Scottish Liberal Democrats included many policies introduced by LYS: ending the gay blood ban, equal marriage rights, and the review of drug possession sentencing.
All Liberal Democrat university societies within Scotland are affiliated to Liberal Youth.
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