Jamie Stone praises Willie Rennie's 'tenacity and courage' as Scottish Lib Dem leader stands down

Jamie Stone paid tribute to the "tenacity and courage" shown by Willie Rennie in rebuilding the Scottish Liberal Democrats over the past decade after the North East Fife MSP announced he is standing down as leader.

The party's representation at Holyrood was reduced to four seats after the Scottish Parliament election in May and Mr Rennie says it is "time for a fresh face" to take the party forward.

Mr Stone, the Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: "I fully understand why Willie has decided to go but on a personal level I’m really sad. Willie was the man who picked up the shattered remnants of the Scottish Lib Dems after the 2011 disaster [that year's Scottish Parliament election].

"He had the tenacity and courage to rebuild, and all this was done with an exceptional feel for his fellow politicians – but, more importantly, what the wider general public thought and looked for.

"Finally, in the last election, he held his seat by a landslide. He may not be leader now, but he remains an incredibly important building block on which the future of our liberalism will be built. His place in Scottish history is assured.”

Alex Cole-Hamilton, the MSP for Edinburgh Western, is being tipped as a likely successor to Mr Rennie.

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