A&E waits a grim warning of the winter ahead
Alex has called for urgent action from the Scottish Government to tackle the avoidable deaths in emergency care, staff burnout and problems in social care.
17 Oct 2023
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Western
Alex is the constituency MSP for Edinburgh Western, and Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He was first elected in 2016, and re-elected in 2021.
Before Parliament, Alex worked in the childrens voluntary sector, including being Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights) and worked on the campaign to raise the age of leaving care in Scotland to 21.
Since being elected Alex led the successful campaign to save HIV Scotland from planned funding cuts, forced the Government to abandon their plans to abolish jury trials during the Covid pandemic and has spoken up for bus services, dentist and GP provision, and protecting greenbelt land in west Edinburgh.
He has prioritised campaigning on children's mental health, first aid awareness, long covid and supporting Ukrainian refugees. He was sanctioned by the Kremlin in August 2022 following his public criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and for his efforts to highlight Russian influence in Scotland.
Sign up for email updates...
Cole-Hamilton leads on Access to Healthcare
Access to wrap around child care, including after school clubs and child minders has become increasingly difficult in West Edinburgh - with demand in many cases far outstripping supply.
2 Oct 2023
Alex leads calls for action on faulty concrete
Schools, hospitals and other public buildings in Edinburgh are being inspected for the use of RAAC. Alex was the first to raise this in the Scottish Parliament after Lib Dem research uncovered the issue.
2 Oct 2023
Alex urges action as Great British Beach Clean gets underway
Alex has urged the Scottish Government to do everything in its power to clean up Scotland’s sewage problem and to tackle plastics pollution on beaches across the country.
16 Sep 2023
PIP to Adult Disability Payment Transfer
Alex is asking for people who have been required to undergo an assessment despite having a long term or chronic condition from which there is no recovery, as part of the transfer, to get in touch.
5 Sep 2023
3000 people wait over 8 hours for an ambulance
Alex has today called on the Scottish Government to support ambulance crews as he revealed that almost 3,000 people faced waiting more than 8 hours for an ambulance last year.
28 Jul 2023
Increases in A&E drug attendances and deaths
Alex has urged the government to move further and faster following the publication of a new report showing an increase in the number of people attending A&E due to a drug-related incident and a rise in drug deaths earlier this year.
26 Jul 2023
A&E Waiting Times hit Record High
With a new record set for waiting times in A&E, local MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton has called on the Scottish Government to take immediate action.
26 Jul 2023
Dangerous concrete in Edinburgh primaries
Pupils at Cramond and Trinity Primaries will be taught in portable units after the discovery of a potentially dangerous concrete in their buildings.
26 Jul 2023
Alex to host second Edinburgh housing summit
Alex is leading efforts to bring stakeholders and officials together to build a strategy to answer Edinburgh’s growing housing crisis.
3 Jul 2023
School and Hospital Building Standards Concern
Alex has called on the Scottish Government to help local health boards and education authorities to replace a dangerous building material that has been discovered in some public sector buildings constructed in the 1960s and 70s.
3 Jul 2023
Alex urges Edinburgh Households to claim remaining energy support vouchers
Alex has urged households which use prepayment meters to redeem energy bill support vouchers before they expire on 30th June.
26 Jun 2023
Twitter Feed
The latest Tweets from Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP