THE Scottish Liberal Democrats claimed yesterday it was the only party

that could offer Scots a fresh start in local government.

Mr Jim Wallace, the party's leader, said in Edinburgh that the

election on April 6 for the new unitary councils provided an opportunity

for voters to reject the Conservatives and Labour -- ''the two parties

of vested interest which have placed a dead hand on Scottish local

government for too long''.

Mr Wallace said a vote for the Liberal Democrats would be a vote for

the party that believed in open local government and a revitalised local

democracy. The Tories, he said, had shown a contempt for local democracy

during their 16 years in power.

The Local Government Act had removed 150 powers from local government

and handed them over to central government amd unaccountable quangos.

Tory-imposed spending cuts were squeezing the life blood out of local

government and stifling local initiative.

Mr Wallace said Labour was equally guilty of complacency and

''municipal quangoism''. The attitude of Labour councillors was that,

once they had passed the local selection process, the voters would

rubber-stamp the decision.

Mr Wallace again accused Labour of taking up most places in committees

in councils they controlled and appointing their own members to public

bodies, a matter he has already taken up with the Convention of Scottish

Local Authorities.

Mr Wallace said, however, that Liberal Democrat councillors were free

to make what deals they thought appropriate with Labour or SNP

councillors. He estimated the Liberal Democrats could field 500

candidates and have more than 100 councillors in the new authorities.