Author Archives: Mark Valladares

I’m a veteran Party bureaucrat, having joined the old Liberal Party at university. And, perhaps not entirely surprisingly, I’ve held a range of positions since then - everything from Secretary-General of the Young Liberals to being a member of the ALDE Party‘s Financial Advisory Committee. Returning Officer, Presidential consort, committee secretary, you name it, I’ve probably done it. These days, I’m the Chair of the Parish Council for a (very) small rural village in Suffolk’s Gipping Valley, and a member of the East of England Regional Candidates Committee.
Mark Valladares

News from the first tier of local government

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th March 2026 - 3:53 pm

As some of our readers will know, I’m a Parish councillor in deepest Mid Suffolk, chairing my council as I have for most of the past eight years. Creeting St Peter is a “micro council”, as defined by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), with a precept of just over £6,000 a year, and a professional staff of approximately 0.05 full-time equivalent. We don’t do “big stuff”, like providing services, but what we do is represent our residents and lobby principal authorities on their behalf. I like to think that we’re quite good at it, in our own modest …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 30 March 2026 – the most random elections ever?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th March 2026 - 7:27 am

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another Monday morning. No, really, it’s not that bad…

Polling day is getting ever closer and predictions on how the various parties will get on are beginning to emerge, as Mark Pack has noted. I’m of the view that it’s harder and harder to make predictions based on national data, and that, as we saw in the 2024 General Election, voters will make decisions based on who they think the best alternative is where they are. Where Liberal Democrats are active, they’re likely to be seen as the best bet to keep Reform out, but even the Conservatives are claiming that voters are turning to them to keep Reform out. As the Guardian reports in an article about Conservative prospects on 7 May;

One MP suggests that tactical voting could boost the party’s results. “On the doorsteps I’ve had quite a lot of people say things like: ‘I’m normally a Lib Dem, but it’s you versus Reform here, and I want to keep Reform out at all costs, so I’ll vote for you.’

And, of course, in urban areas, there is a definite turn against Labour, outflanked to the left by the Greens and, perhaps, the Liberal Democrats, losing support to the Conservatives in places like North West London, and to Reform in predominantly white, working class areas. For some voters, the decision of who do vote for to give Labour a kicking and keep Reform out is going to be a challenging one. And, with rather lower turnouts than for national elections, what enthuses voters to come out om polling day will be key.

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Mark Valladares

27 March 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 27th March 2026 - 10:30 pm

Still no luck with HQ press releases, I’m afraid, but nonetheless…

  • Scottish Liberal Democrats can win in every corner of Scotland
  • Historic Anti-Corruption Law adopted: Liberals and Democrats increase protection for citizens and democracy

Scottish Liberal Democrats can win in every corner of Scotland

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today continued his party’s speedy start to the election campaign by speeding up the Clyde in a powerboat as he set out how his party can win seats on the peach regional ballot in every corner of Scotland and how more Liberal Democrat MSPs will get more done in the next parliamentary term.

Mr Cole-Hamilton highlighted his party’s achievements in the Scottish Parliament including:

  • Fresh support for high street businesses struggling with the cost of living
  • A 10% increase in the college budget to produce the skills our economy and public services need
  • Investment to speed up autism and ADHD assessments
  • Millions for hospices so they can attract and retain staff
  • Young entrepreneurs being backed to take their idea to the next level
  • New facilities for new mothers and babies born addicted drugs
  • Cash for flood-stricken families and businesses in Fife when the government turned its back
  • More money for ferries in the Northern Isles
  • Suzanne’s Law and Michelle’s Law, strengthening the rights of victims and their families
  • Money restored to the housing budget after it was cut by the Greens and SNP
  • Family carers have the right to earn more
  • Work restarted on Edinburgh’s Eye Hospital and the Belford in Fort William

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

We’re making a speedy start to this campaign because Scottish Liberal Democrats believe in getting things done.

There are some political parties which only fire out angry press releases, oppose everything for opposition’s sake, and achieve absolutely nothing for their constituents. There is another way of doing things. Budget by budget, bill by bill, case by case, we care to use our leverage as MSPs to deliver change with fairness at its heart.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have shown that we are serious about getting you the fair deal you deserve. There is a long list of changes that we have won for our constituents and for Scotland as a whole. The more MSPs we have, the more we can get done, like delivering more GPs, dentists and mental health professionals near you.

This election is your chance to elect local champions and win the change our country desperately needs. We can gain more constituencies from the SNP than any other party. But wherever you are, you can have an MSP who will get stuff done by backing the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach regional ballot.

Historic Anti-Corruption Law adopted: Liberals and Democrats increase protection for citizens and democracy

Renew Europe welcomes today’s final adoption by the European Parliament of the new EU anti-corruption law, marking the successful conclusion of interinstitutional negotiations and delivering tougher sanctions, stronger prevention and greater protection for citizens and journalists across Europe.

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Mark Valladares

New pilot schemes aim to make voting easier but…

By Mark Valladares | Fri 27th March 2026 - 12:15 pm

I don’t know about you, but the news that the Government had announced four pilot schemes to make voting “easier and more convenient” during this year’s local elections had rather passed me by.

To quote the release from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government;

In Milton Keynes, voters can have their say in the city’s main shopping centre – Midsummer Place – rather than being restricted to a single designated polling station. This could eventually be rolled out across the country in future elections along high streets and in town centres.

People in Cambridge, Tunbridge Wells and North Hertfordshire

…

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Mark Valladares

26 March 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 26th March 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats launch election campaign in seat they will take from SNP
  • Greene comments on Reform’s Scottish campaign collapse
  • Greene comments on latest wave of ferry chaos
  • Labour missing golden opportunity to set up Port Talbot industrial supply chain
  • EU-US Turnberry deal: Renew Europe backs Parliament’s firm mandate

Scottish Liberal Democrats launch election campaign in seat they will take from SNP

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today launched his party’s campaign, setting out how his party can win ten constituencies to deprive the SNP of a majority and win big on the peach regional ballot in order to get more done in the next parliamentary term.

Speaking at the launch at Newhaven harbour, Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

We know you feel let down by the other parties.

We think Scotland deserves better than this. But it needs to be change with fairness at its heart.

Scotland has so much going for it. But right now, it feels like our country simply isn’t working.

Household bills are soaring. The long waits to see your GP. The national embarrassment of the ferries fiasco. And Scottish education just isn’t what it used to be.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats believe Scotland deserves better than this. We believe in fairness for everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from. That’s why we have a realistic plan to get things done: delivering first-rate health care, helping you with the cost of living, getting Scotland moving again, and getting Scottish education back to its best.

I’m bursting with excitement for the campaign ahead. I will be travelling all over our country letting people know that the Liberal Democrats are winning again, with more councillors, a record number of MPs and more to come.

Let me be straight with you. You have two votes. In many constituencies like Edinburgh Northern, we are on the verge of winning against the SNP. Our victories can deny them the parliamentary majority that John Swinney craves. Equally importantly, wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver MSPs committed to delivering change with fairness at its heart.

Scotland deserves better. And with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for it.

Greene comments on Reform’s Scottish campaign collapse

Responding to the news that two more Reform UK Holyrood election candidates have withdrawn their candidacies this morning — bringing the party’s total number of dropouts to four — Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene MSP said:

As the wheels continue to come off Reform’s Scottish campaign, Lord Offord continues to prove he and his party should be nowhere near politics or power.

Two candidates have dropped out because of ‘administrative errors’, one because of shady business dealings during Covid, and another after calling Humza Yousaf an ‘Islamist moron’. Good riddance, yes, but it’s not enough.

We found out this week that Lord Offord has a vile sense of ‘humour’ that makes him unfit for public office, while another Reform candidate is still standing despite having publicly backed Tommy Robinson.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are yet more skeletons in the closet and candidates dropping out in the coming weeks.

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Mark Valladares

25 March 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th March 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • More than 17,000 children waiting longer than a year in temporary accommodation
  • David Chadwick calls for Government action to protect Rural Community Transport Schemes
  • Greene: Aspiring politicians must campaign with decency
  • Greene: Offord and Reform should reject secretive crypto donations
  • Collien Fernandes: Renew Europe calls for EU action to close loopholes on AI deepfake abuse

More than 17,000 children waiting longer than a year in temporary accommodation

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson and Central Scotland candidate Paul McGarry has today accused the SNP of “catastrophic neglect” as he published figures showing that over the past five years, there have been more than 17,000 children trapped in temporary accommodation for more than a year.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information to every Scottish council asked for the number of children stuck in temporary accommodation for over twelve months in every year since 2020.

Of the 30 councils which provided the data, the responses show that:

  • Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 17,811 children were trapped in temporary accommodation for longer than a year.
  • This included a total of 10,147 children in Edinburgh and 3,742 children in Glasgow.
  • In 2024, 3,504 children waited over a year in temporary accommodation- the highest level of the five-year period.
  • Between January and October 2025, 3,126 children waited over a year in temporary accommodation.

It comes amid separate figures showing that the number of children currently in temporary accommodation has a reached a new record, rising to 10,480.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Paul McGarry said:

These figures lay bare the SNP’s catastrophic neglect.

As Housing Secretary, Mairi McAllan was supposed to offer a fresh start, but things have gone from bad to worse. Housing is clearly not a priority for the SNP.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out a realistic plan to tackle a lack of availability and poor-quality homes.

We want to see change with fairness at its heart, which starts by confronting the housing crisis head-on: getting more homes built, maximising existing stock and giving everyone a safe place to call home.

If you are disgusted by the SNP’s failure to build enough homes, no matter where you are, you can back Scottish Liberal Democrats on the peach regional ballot paper at May’s election and deliver the change that Scotland needs.

David Chadwick calls for Government action to protect Rural Community Transport Schemes

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has called on UK Government ministers to urgently update outdated mileage rates for volunteer drivers which haven’t been updated since 2011, warning that community transport services across rural Wales are under growing pressure from rising costs.

Speaking in a debate on support for voluntary groups and community centres, Mr Chadwick highlighted the vital role community transport plays in keeping rural communities connected, particularly for older residents and those without access to a car.

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Mark Valladares

24 March 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 24th March 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to embargoed A&E analysis
  • Cole-Hamilton comments on drops in cancer survival
  • Cole-Hamilton comments on avoidable mortality
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to SNP missing key health target
  • Welsh Lib Dems respond to RCEM report – nearly 1,000 deaths linked to long Emergency Department waits in Wales in 2025
  • Greene responds to Malcolm Offord homophobia report
  • EU-Australia deal: a strategic milestone for Europe’s security and prosperity

Cole-Hamilton responds to embargoed A&E analysis

Responding to new analysis from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, which reveals that it could take more than 200 years to reduce the number of people waiting 12 hours or more at A&Es, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

People never used to wait so long at A&E, but the SNP have turned 12 hour waits into a terrifying new norm.

The only way to cut these waits is to fix the broken social care system because every night there are 2,000 people marooned in hospital unnecessarily. They are medically ready to leave, but there are not enough care packages and care workers to get them home. It’s a care bottleneck that means long waits in A&E, ambulances stacking up outside and longer waits when you dial 999.

In May, you should back the Scottish Liberal Democrats on your second, peach, regional ballot paper to reward care workers and attract more people into the profession to free up vital space in A&Es.

Cole-Hamilton comments on drops in cancer survival

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has said that Scotland deserves a government that will “move mountains for cancer patients”, following a drop in the survival rates for certain types of cancer.

New figures published today show:

  • The one-year survival rate for leukaemias dropped from 77.9% to 75.4% between 2013-17 and 2018-22
  • The one-year survival rate for head and neck cancer fell from 75.2% to 72.6% between 2013-17 and 2018-22
  • The five-year survival rate for leukaemias decreased from 61.9% to 57.5% between 2013-17 and 2018-22
  • The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphomas dropped from 68.0% to 64.1%
  • A huge range in survival rates for the period 2018-22, varying from 23.1% for pancreatic cancer to 97.9% for testicular cancer

The Scottish Government’s standard states that 95% of eligible patients should wait no longer than 62 days from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first cancer treatment.

This target has never been met since it was introduced in 2012.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

It is alarming to see a drop in survival rates for certain types of cancer.

Much more needs to be done to improve care, but all we have seen is an SNP government never once meeting a key cancer waiting times target in the fourteen years since it was introduced.

Scotland deserves a government that will move mountains for cancer patients.

To boost survival rates, Scottish Liberal Democrats would cut waiting times, detect and treat cancer early and roll out a new national lung cancer screening programme capable of saving hundreds of lives a year. We would also enable US scientists to finish their cancer research here, instead of letting Trump cancel all their good work.

Cole-Hamilton comments on avoidable mortality

Responding to new figures which show that Scotland continues to have a higher avoidable mortality rate than England and Wales, with 1 in 4 deaths considered avoidable in 2024 and the rates in the most deprived areas quadruple those in the least deprived, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

The SNP simply cannot be trusted with your health.

They have allowed waits for cancer, care packages, mental health and A&E to spiral out of control.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have got a realistic plan to get people the first-rate healthcare they need. We will cut waiting times and make sure you’re able to see your GP, NHS dentist or mental health professional when you need them.

If you like the sound of that, it’s time to back us on your second, peach, regional ballot paper in May.

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Mark Valladares

23 March 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd March 2026 - 11:30 pm

We’ve been having a few problems with these of late – a technical problem with HQ Press Office and e-mail bouncing appears to be at fault. Whilst we continue to try to solve this…

  • Greene responds to Findlay’s cost-of-living claims
  • Slovenian election interference allegations: European democracy is not for sale

Greene responds to Findlay’s cost-of-living claims

Responding to Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay’s claim that his party will put Scotland’s cost-of-living crisis front and centre of its campaign, Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene MSP said:

The Tories’ fiscal plans seem to be centered around making poorer people worse off to fund tax cuts at the

…

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Mark Valladares

This week in the Lords – 23-27 March 2026

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd March 2026 - 11:34 am

We’re getting close to the end of the Parliamentary cycle now, as the Labour Government strives to get as much of its legislation through as it can before the House rises in anticipation of a King’s Speech in early May. And there’s much to keep Peers busy this week.

Bills

Today sees Day 3 of the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill. Monroe Palmer will seek an amendment requiring the Government to report on the impact of market consolidation on competition and new market entrants within a year. Also, John Thurso seeks to make provision for lump sum payments from the Pension Protection Fund to persons who qualify for an increase in periodic compensation for pre-1997 service to compensate for unpaid increases in the years since the failure of the pension scheme.

On Tuesday, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has the first day of its Report Stage. As a parish councillor, I fret about Section 60 of the Bill, which talks about “effective neighbourhood governance”. Given this Government’s seeming lack of respect for Town and Parish Councils, there is a fear that such arrangements will circumvent an existing and continuing tier of government, in favour of their fetish for “strong leaders”. Cathy Bakewell has an amendment in to make “rural affairs” as an area of competence of strategic authorities, whilst John Shipley wants to insert a requirement for Community Empowerment Plans. In addition, Robin Teverson is moving amendments to effectively ensure that Cornwall isn’t merged with, say, Devon under one combined authority. There will be a second day set aside for the Bill on Thursday.

Peers will be busy on Wednesday, with the Third Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, plus “ping pong” on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill, where Opposition Peers will decide whether or not to have another go at persuading the Government to accept their attempted amendments.

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 23 March 2026 – a gentle tip of a toe into the icy water?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd March 2026 - 7:30 am

It’s been a long time since I last wrote one of these. In truth, I’ve not been entirely in the right frame of mind to do so, not quite as engaged as I might be. But there’s a lot happening in the world, and Liberal Democrat Voice is the place for Liberal Democrats and others of similar mind to discuss them, so here I am, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on a springtime Monday morning.

I guess that the most pressing order of business is whether or not the United Kingdom is being drawn irrevocably into a war not of our making. What is the difference between attack and defence, and who does that really matter to? The Iranian political leadership aren’t exactly going to be referring to international law if they define Britain as a combatant, regardless of what Keir Starmer or anyone else in our Government claim, yet we have a moral responsibility to protect those under fire across the region and to extract those British nationals trapped in the Gulf through no fault of their own.

But, regardless of what view you take as to our level of involvement, one thing that is abundantly clear is that reliance on fossil fuels extracted in less than entirely friendly nations is a risk that a nation like the United Kingdom simply should not be taking. Fuel security is going to an issue, whether we address it collectively with our European neighbours or by upping our game in terms of home-based renewables.

And we’re not alone in facing that challenge, as Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP, the Dutch Chair of Renew Europe’s working group on sustainability and structural policies said a week ago:

European citizens are feeling the consequences of higher energy prices directly in their pockets. European leaders have to quit being in denial. We need to act decisively to reduce our dependence on energy imports: invest in clean energy, expand electricity grids and make homes for energy efficient.

It’s another reason why Reform UK’s opposition to renewable energy is yet another reminder that they don’t want a strong and independent United Kingdom, but a vassal state to whichever strongman they’re cosying up to this week.

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Mark Valladares

Scottish Liberal Democrats set out stall ahead of Budget

By Mark Valladares | Mon 12th January 2026 - 11:10 pm

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Budget, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy and finance spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

The Scottish Liberal Democrats get stuff done, so we will always act responsibly and pragmatically in a parliament of minorities. We have been absolutely clear with the SNP about what we want to see in this year’s budget if they’re after cross-party support for it.

We’ve highlighted in our discussions with ministers the perilous state of Scotland’s colleges, councils being forced to cut services that people rely on, the barriers facing people with ADHD and autism, the cost of childcare preventing mums and dads from

…

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Mark Valladares

8 January 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 8th January 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Corridor care: Govt has to treat this as a national emergency
  • Davey calls on PM to rule out use of UK bases to attack Greenland
  • Met vetting scandal: Lib Dems call on Conservatives to apologise for putting targets over public safety
  • Business rates change “last chance” for “treasured” pubs
  • Cole-Hamilton: £440m delayed discharge cost “utterly astonishing”
  • Woman in Far North stuck in hospital for over 400 days waiting for care

Corridor care: Govt has to treat this as a national emergency

Responding to reports that corridor care has become so normalised hospitals are fitting plugs in hallways, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Corridor care is a disgraceful symptom of years of neglect in our NHS. It is completely scandalous that treatment on crammed corridors is now normalised with thousands of patients left on trolleys for hours or even days on end.

Enough. This horrific practice must end. The Government has to treat this as a national emergency. That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for an Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, which includes a rapid expansion of hospital beds and fixes our broken GP and social care services, to finally bring an end to this shameful chapter.

Davey calls on PM to rule out use of UK bases to attack Greenland

Ed Davey has today called on Keir Starmer to categorically rule out the US using British military bases to support a US attack on Greenland, just hours after UK airfields supported the American operation to seize a shadow fleet vessel in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Liberal Democrat leader has demanded today UK soil must “never” host aggressors against a NATO ally, including Greenland.

The Government has so far failed to rule out that such an operation could be launched from British bases.

Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat Leader, said:

The UK must never play midwife to American aggression directed against our NATO allies.

I’m deeply concerned that our Prime Minister is yet to rule out the use of British bases to propel American troops onto the ground in Greenland – to take the territory by force.

Starmer must spell out to Trump and his lawless cabinet that the UK will never support such a dangerous act, and will abide by NATO and international law – even if they won’t.

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Mark Valladares

7 January 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 7th January 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for “talking down” London
  • Govt must state if US military seizure of oil tanker was legal under international law
  • ScotRail disruption payments top £3 million
  • Greene responds to watchdog warning on waiting times
  • Welsh Lib Dems raise ongoing red tape hitting Welsh lamb
  • Greene: Pause business rates revaluation

Lib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for “talking down” London

Responding to a Reform UK press conference, announcing Laila Cunningham as their mayoral candidate, Lib Dem London Spokesperson Luke Taylor MP said:

From its history to its culture to its people, London is the greatest city in the world but all Reform seem to do is talk it down.

Cunningham and Farage care more about sowing division than they do about solving the actual problems that Londoners face.

The Liberal Democrats will stand up for the millions of Londoners who love this city and its values and ensure London is a better place for everyone.

Govt must state if US military seizure of oil tanker was legal under international law

Responding to the US’s seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic, Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, said:

The Russian shadow fleet is busting oil sanctions for Russia and allies like Iran. It helps Putin sustain his brutal war on Ukraine. We support measures that stop the illicit flow of oil that powers sanctioned regimes.

But this is another example where Donald Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela has undermined steps to uphold international law.

The use of US air bases in the UK to launch this operation places a particular obligation on the Government to show that we are committed to acting lawfully. So the Government needs to state whether this military intervention is legal and who is now responsible for the vessel.

ScotRail disruption payments top £3 million

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene has today revealed that since the nationalisation of the ScotRail franchise the service has paid out more than £3m in payments to passengers whose trains have been cancelled or delayed.

Passengers whose trains are delayed by more than half an hour can make delay repay claims.

Figures for delay repay payments are typically published by ScotRail with a six-month lag, however figures acquired by Scottish Liberal Democrats reveal that between April 2022, when the service returned to public ownership, and the end of October 2025:

  • £3,089,106.54 was paid to passengers for late trains.
  • There have been 262,747 claims for delay repay in that time, with 178,446 of those being approved and paid out.
  • This means that the average pay-out for delay repay in that time has been £17.32.

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

This is an eye-watering, multi-million-pound bill for delayed trains.

The SNP have been directly responsible for the trains for three and a half years, but these figures point to a serious level of disruption that will be frustrating for commuters, holidaymakers and taxpayers.

Since this figure only covers those who have applied for a refund, there may be many more people who have been similarly inconvenienced but who simply haven’t claimed.

With people across the country struggling to make ends meet, these payments need to be brought under control. That’s also how we create a more efficient service that will help encourage people out of private cars.

Passengers and commuters deserve better. Wherever you are, by backing the Scottish Liberal Democrats on your peach regional ballot next May, you can vote for a public transport that works for all communities, ages and for the planet. We would achieve that with new options for two/three-day-a-week season tickets and by working with councils to explore new lines, especially in areas where public transport links are poor.

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Mark Valladares

6 January 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 6th January 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Patients waiting up to three years for heart care
  • Worst November on record at A&E
  • More than 800,000 still stuck on an NHS waiting list
  • Greene responds to Constance breaking ministerial code

Patients waiting up to three years for heart care

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has raised concerns over long waits for cardiology services as he revealed new data showing patients waiting more than three years for care.

A freedom of information request submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats shows:

  • At least one patient in NHS Lothian has waited more than three years for a cardiology outpatient appointment.
  • 611 patients are currently waiting for a cardiology outpatient appointment who have been waiting more than 52 weeks
  • At least 18 patients have been waiting more than 104 weeks (2 years).
  • NHS Fife recorded that the longest waiting time in the last 12 months for a patient to be seen by cardiology services recorded was 130 weeks, while NHS Ayrshire & Arran and NHS Lanarkshire both recorded patients who had to wait over 100 weeks.
  • The current longest waiting time (i.e. the patient who has currently been waiting the longest and has not yet been seen) was 113 weeks in NHS Fife, followed by 110 weeks in NHS Grampian.

Commenting on the figures, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

With the equivalent of one in six Scots now on a waiting list, long waits for specialist care are becoming terrifyingly normalised.

Scottish Liberal Democrats believe Scotland deserves better than this. At the forthcoming election we will put delivering first-rate health care at the top of the agenda – so you can see your specialist, GP or mental health professional when you need them.

On top of the stress of knowing you are not getting treated, long waits for care affect people’s lives in other ways too. We’ve had constituents reporting wanting to take a well-earned holiday but they can’t go because they can’t get travel insurance approved until after their appointments take place.

SNP Health Secretaries come and go without making a dent and it looks as if Neil Gray will go the same way.

If you’re frustrated with the SNP making you wait to access the NHS, vote Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach regional ballot and help us to kick them out.

Worst November on record at A&E

Responding to new figures showing the worst November at A&E on record, with only 66.7% of people attending A&E seen within the 4 hour target in November, while 17,745 people waited over 8 hours and 8,287 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

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Mark Valladares

5 January 2026 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 6th January 2026 - 12:51 am
  • Lib Dems demand release of Venezuela legal advice as Starmer again refuses to say whether Trump breached international law
  • Cole-Hamilton: Scotland deserves better than old divisions
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to World Cup bank holiday
  • Lib Dems raise alarm after Conservative Shadow Minister hints they would cut free bus passes for over-60s in Wales

Lib Dems demand release of Venezuela legal advice as Starmer again refuses to say whether Trump breached international law

The Lib Dems are calling on the Government to publish any legal advice it has received on breaches of international law by the United States in its strikes on Venezuela and kidnapping of Nicolas …

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Mark Valladares

Cole-Hamilton unveils strategy to fix NHS workforce planning

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th January 2026 - 1:00 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton today set out his party’s plans to fix how the NHS trains and retains the doctors, nurses and other staff needed to end long waits for treatment and reinvigorate local health services, and urged voters to use their second, peach-coloured ballot paper to back them at May’s election.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats’ strategy will:

  • Launch a rolling 10-year NHS Workforce Plan.
  • Create an early warning system by presenting a detailed annual workforce report for debate in the Scottish Parliament, identifying staffing issues and addressing past failings.
  • Establish a Health and Social Care Staff Assembly, putting the experience of

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Mark Valladares

15 December 2025 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 15th December 2025 - 11:16 am

Davey on strikes: “Government must declare a national emergency and offer flu jabs unconditionally”

Following news that resident doctors have voted to strike from Wednesday in England, and following surging rates of hospitalisation for flu in recent weeks, the Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to treat the NHS crisis as a national emergency.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has urged the Government to introduce emergency measures, including universal access to NHS flu vaccines in community spaces across England, an appeal for retired doctors to work winter shifts and regular COBRA meetings chaired by the Prime Minister. The party would also …

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Mark Valladares

15 December 2025 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 15th December 2025 - 7:30 am
  • “Less than two weeks to save Christmas” – Lib Dems call for new winter discharge unit as figures reveal patients wait 268 days to leave hospital
  • Brexit and SNP missed opportunities are costing Scotland dearly

“Less than two weeks to save Christmas” – Lib Dems call for new winter discharge unit as figures reveal patients wait 268 days to leave hospital

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new dedicated winter discharge unit to stop thousands of patients being trapped unnecessarily in hospital over the festive period amidst a perfect storm of doctors strikes and winter pressures.

The unit would use a new £90m fund to deliver a surge of locum doctors during discharge bottlenecks to free up doctors on shift, backed by 24/7 patient transport, and 5,000 emergency social and home care packages a week over the Christmas period.

It comes as a Freedom of Information request by the party reveals the scale of the crisis in our NHS and social care which is leaving patients waiting hundreds of days to be discharged.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust admitted that their longest delay for a patient to be discharged last year was 268 days, which is almost 9 months. Surrey and Sussex Health Care NHS Trust had similarly eye-watering waits, with their longest hospital discharge hitting 196 days, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust left a patient waiting to be discharged for 193 days, or over 6 months.

Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS foundation trusts reported their longest waits of 162 days, whilst Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust revealed their longest day was 154 days. This is the equivalent of over 5 months.

In December 2024, even without strikes or record levels of flu, 20,000 people had a delay being discharged of longer than four days, with 2,553 facing delays of over 21 days. The cost of delayed discharge has been estimated by the Kings Fund at £395 per bed, per night. Last December, more than 10,000 patients a day remained in hospital who were no longer meeting the criteria to stay, suggesting a cost to the NHS in excess of £122m.

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Mark Valladares

19 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 19th November 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Inflation stats: Chancellor must put households and high streets first
  • Lib Dems: Govt must go further and “ban surge pricing”
  • PMQs: Kemi Badenoch should apologise for £40bn of Conservative stealth tax hikes
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats call for World Cup fan parks and late night licenses
  • Stone secures meeting with Treasury to save high street banks

Inflation stats: Chancellor must put households and high streets first

Responding to the latest ONS inflation figures released this morning, Daisy Cooper, Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said:

As the cost-of-living crisis rages on, the Chancellor mustn’t look this small gift horse in the mouth.

Hitting people with a stealth tax at next week’s Budget would prolong the pain of higher taxes for much longer and unfairly pull poorer pensioners and low-income workers into paying tax for the first time.

We Liberal Democrats are calling for emergency measures to slash people’s energy bills, save our high streets with a VAT cut for hospitality and boost growth in every corner of the UK – funded fairly by taxing the banks. The Chancellor must put households and high streets first and put an end to the most vulnerable from having to choose between heating and eating.

Lib Dems: Govt must go further and “ban surge pricing”

Responding to the government’s announcement banning the reselling of tickets for profit, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Anna Sabine MP said:

Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to ban surge pricing – a practice that can see ticket prices skyrocketing for in-demand events, and require ticket resale platforms to verify that listed tickets actually exist before they are allowed to be sold.

So while this is a good opening act, let’s make sure the encore truly gives live events back to the fans, not the scalpers.

PMQs: Kemi Badenoch should apologise for £40bn of Conservative stealth tax hikes

The Liberal Democrats have blasted Kemi Badenoch’s hypocrisy on stealth taxes at PMQs, highlighting the £40bn stealth tax bombshell the Conservatives hit the public with during their time in office.

Between the stealth tax being announced in 2021 by the Conservatives, and the 2024-25 financial year at the end of the last Parliament, frozen income tax thresholds hit households with £38.7bn in total, according to figures from the OBR.

The Conservative freeze on income tax thresholds has meant that, by the end of the last Parliament, basic rate taxpayers had paid an additional £950 in total due to the freeze on the Personal Allowance, while higher rate taxpayers were hit with nearly £4,800, according to Liberal Democrat analysis of figures from the OBR.

Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

Kemi Badenoch should apologise for the years of stealth taxes put in place by the Conservatives if she wants to be taken seriously by the public.

The Conservative government she loyally served hammered families with years of unfair tax hikes.

Both Labour and the Conservatives seem intent on punishing the public with endless tax hikes, instead of turbocharging our economy with a closer trade deal with the EU.

Scottish Liberal Democrats call for World Cup fan parks and late night licenses

Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for huge fan parks to be set up across the country so fans can gather to watch Scotland’s World Cup games and for pubs to get special dispensation to show their matches in the event that they are scheduled for late at night.

The party says stadiums and parks could host huge screens to beam back the games from the USA, Mexico and Canada.

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Mark Valladares

18 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 18th November 2025 - 11:57 pm
  • Highest number of 8 hour waits at A&E in 2025
  • Scot Lib Dems call for action on Alzheimer’s and dementia
  • Rennie: Scottish education deserves better than third decade of SNP
  • Government must set out support for workers at Mossmorran
  • McArthur: Prison crisis shows every sign of getting worse
  • Rennie: Housing Secretary has some nerve as heating bill dropped

Highest number of 8 hour waits at A&E in 2025

Responding to new figures showing only 61.5% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 9th November 2025 (11,020 waited more than 4 hours, the highest in 2025), while 4,532 people waited over 8 hours (the highest in 2025) and 2,181 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

Under the SNP it feels like every week at A&E is breaking a some kind of record for long waits. We are now seeing the highest number of people waiting over 8 hours of the entire year.

With the cold snap of the last few days we can be under no misapprehension that winter has now arrived, yet the SNP have squandered the months it had to prepare and left our A&E departments in a perilous state.

The Scottish Government needs to start taking serious action to support the staff facing these pressure cooker conditions. Scotland’s A&E patients deserve better – and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for change with fairness at its heart.

Scot Lib Dems call for action on Alzheimer’s and dementia

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today called for the Scottish Government to make sure people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias don’t fall through the cracks as new figures confirmed that they now account for around one in 10 of all deaths.

New figures published today by the National Records of Scotland show:

  • There were 6,612 deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias registered in Scotland in 2024. This is one of the leading causes of death in Scotland, accounting for around one in 10 of all deaths.
  • After adjusting for age, there were 122 deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias per 100,000 people in Scotland in 2024. This rate has almost doubled over the last two decades.
  • Almost two-thirds (64%) of deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were females and 36% were males.

Delegates at the Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference recently backed a motion calling for the Scottish Government to urgently establish minimum national care standards and entitlements for Scots with dementia.

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Mark Valladares

17 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 17th November 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Asylum hotels: state-endorsed robbery will not fix the crisis
  • Lib Dem MP calls for National Crime Agency crackdown after “mountain of waste” uncovered in Oxfordshire
  • Greene calls for Scotland-wide school fire safety audit
  • Poll suggests Lib Dems can win over wide range of voters and take on SNP
  • Scottish Conservatives seem to have nothing but name-calling left

Asylum hotels: state-endorsed robbery will not fix the crisis

Commenting on the Government’s annoucement to confiscate asylum seekers’ jewellery to pay for their housing costs, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

The Government must fix the asylum system, but stripping vulnerable people of their family heirlooms will not fix a system that is costing taxpayers £6 million every day in hotel bills.

This policy goes against who we are – a nation that has long responded with compassion to those fleeing the worst atrocities imaginable.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the end of asylum hotels and to give asylum seekers the right to work, so that they can support themselves financially, integrate and pay tax. That is how we bring down the bill – not by state-endorsed robbery.

Lib Dem MP calls for National Crime Agency crackdown after “mountain of waste” uncovered in Oxfordshire

The Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Calum Miller, has used an urgent question in Parliament to call on the Government to pay for a 150 metre illegal waste dump in Oxfordshire, and for the National Crime Agency to investigate the most serious cases.

The mountain of rubbish, which is situated in a field between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington, has been described by Calum as “pollution on a grotesque scale.”

Calum also suggested that the site has to “be seen to be believed” and condemned criminal fly-tipping gangs, who he said are “carefully planning operations to dump industrial waste in the countryside” without consideration for the “health of people or animals”.

Calum has today (Monday 17th November) used an urgent question in Parliament to call on the Secretary Of State to issue an “urgent directive” to clear up the site “before it is too late” for the River Cherwell. The cost of cleaning the pile of waste, which is up to 20 feet high, is more than the entire budget of Cherwell District Council. Calum also called for an Independent “root-and-branch review” into the Government’s response to waste crime.

Greene calls for Scotland-wide school fire safety audit

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the West of Scotland Jamie Greene has urged the Scottish Government to conduct a Scotland-wide audit of fire safety in schools.

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Mark Valladares

The ALDC Liberal Democrat Town and Parish Councillors Conference – at the coal face of local democracy

By Mark Valladares | Mon 20th October 2025 - 8:31 am

4 parallel white vertical lines on orange background ALDC logoSaturday saw the third annual ALDC online Conference for Town and Parish Councillors, an event which has developed as an opportunity to reach out to the Cinderella tier of local government, although we’re more likely to have the budget for a glass slipper than our principal authority colleagues do these days.

Opened by Sarah Green MP, Town and Parish Councillors from across England, including some pretty heavy hitters at the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), came together to discuss some of the big issues that face the sector – Local Government Reform, the accelerating devolution of valued local services to the sector – and how to use the opportunities of local power to promote the Party, build campaign teams and win elections at principal authority and Parliamentary levels.

Sarah spoke passionately about how success in elections for Amersham Town Council just before her famous by-election win laid the platform for the campaign that followed, establishing the Liberal Democrats as the best option to defeat the Conservatives, and how town and parish councillors across her constituency act as an “early warning system” for issues that affect residents.

The Conference then broke out into three sessions;

  • the impact of national change on town and parish councillors, with Justin Griggs from NALC;
  • social media best practice for town and parish councils, with Dan Purchese from parish consultants Breakthrough Communications; and
  • building the Lib Dems at a town and parish level, with Councillor Hannah Perkin (ALDC) and Councillor Sam Potts

Conference was fortunate enough to have Justin Griggs, NALC’s Head of Policy and Communications, to take delegates through both the key aspects of Local Government Reform but also to explain how NALC was responding to the various strands of current proposals.

After a critical break for refreshment, delegates came together for a roundtable on how Liberal Democrat Town Councillors have used the platform of their councils to make real change in their communities, chaired by Baroness Ros Scott in her usual ebullient manner. Ros has been NALC’s President for three years, having been a former President of ALDC, so she knows the sector well.

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Mark Valladares

18-19 October 2025 – the weekend’s (non-Conference) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 19th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”
  • Lib Dems: Govt must “break the link” with gas prices to reduce bills

Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”

Responding to the news that Rupert Lowe will joining the Public Accounts Committee in place of a Conservative, Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs, commented:

Huge numbers of decent British people – including many Conservative voters – will be rightly appalled to hear that Kemi Badenoch has decided to support somebody with Rupert Lowe’s views.

This decision proves yet again just how far the

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Mark Valladares

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s speech to Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference

By Mark Valladares | Sun 19th October 2025 - 11:15 am

Conference, when I first met Adam he introduced himself to me as a former pirate. Not the strangest introduction I’ve had from a Liberal Democrat, but it’s up there.

While living and working in London, Adam was a homework volunteer with The Hackney Pirates. They help disadvantaged kids, often from single parent families with their schoolwork in the evenings.

He’s worked as a Deliveroo driver, a RADA-trained actor, and a charity worker fighting to secure life changing treatments for cystic fibrosis patients. But he always found time to offer mentorship to those adrift from school or at risk of offending.

That speaks to a community spirit that has punctuated his approach to life and politics.

Adam is now raising a young family where he grew up, just up the road in Bishopbriggs. So go and knock doors for him. Susan Murray won the equivalent seat last year, and like then it’s a straight fight between us and the SNP.

Because he’s on the verge of making history, as the first ever Liberal Democrat representative for Strathkelvin & Bearsden in the Scottish Parliament.

It’s great to be back in Glasgow. Home to one of our country’s greatest seats of innovation, creativity and learning, and the alma mater of Charles Kennedy, and of course our dear friend Ming Campbell.

Three weeks ago, Ming slipped away from us. A giant of our party and a regular at our conferences since the 1970s. He grew up in a flat a short walk away in Kelvinbridge.

Conference, my first political act of any kind, took place on the morning of the 1987 General Election. I was nine years old.

At 4am my father woke me from my sleep and bundled me out the door to help him deliver Good Morning leaflets to the entirety of our village in Fife. They were for Ming Campbell.

I did so without complaint because Dad had taken me to his adoption meeting a few weeks previous.

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Mark Valladares

18 October 2025 – the Scottish Conference press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sat 18th October 2025 - 10:00 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good
  • Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland
  • Scottish Lib Dems back proposals to support night-time economy
  • Lib Dem conference backs new plans for dementia support
  • Scottish Lib Dem conference backs measures to tackle violence against women and girls

Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good

Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow has today backed plans put forward by West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene to end the SNP”s ferries fiasco for good.

It follows a consultation run by Mr Greene which heard from local people, workers, ferry experts and businesses who have been messed around.

The party”s new plan calls for a series of measures including:

  • A new Ferries Bill within the first year of the new Parliament which guarantees that island communities are served by a reliable network, which listens to the needs of island communities and empowers them in decision-making.
  • New requirements to replace ageing vessels and produce a rolling 30-year strategy for ferries and port infrastructure, so no community is ever left without a viable lifeline service.
  • Restructuring the current tripartite governance arrangements of Scotland”s maritime assets, making them independent of government and putting community voices at their heart.
  • Expanding the compensation scheme for those affected by the SNP’s ferries fiasco, removing the current arbitrary limits that are unfair to so many businesses in island and coastal communities.

Jamie Greene said:

Islanders and coastal communities have paid the price for the failure of the Scottish Government to provide the ferries they need, manage maintenance, and procure new vessels on time or on budget.

They deserve better than SNP ministers who’ve shown that they don’t understand local needs and can”t be trusted with lifeline links.

We need to get Scotland moving again. By backing this motion, conference has sent a clear message that we have a realistic plan to get things done.

We will end the ferries fiasco for good through a new Ferries Bill that puts fairness for these communities at its heart. They deserve a new strategy that guarantees vessels are replaced in time and a real say on how their ferries are run, on top of proper compensation for the disruption they”ve suffered.

We are poised to beat the SNP in seats where their ferries fiasco has hit hard, but wherever you are a vote for the Liberal Democrats on the peach ballot next year can fix the ferries for good and get Scotland moving again.

Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland

The Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference has today backed proposals from Highland Liberal Democrats which would ensure that all legislation works for rural communities.

The motion also calls for a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities and funding formulas – subject to their request – to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities.

It was put forward by the party’s candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green and candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber Andrew Baxter, and backed overwhelmingly by conference.

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green said:

Scotland’s rural communities are vital to our economy, our environment, and our culture – but are too often left behind by the SNP’s centralised, urban-focused policy. People in the Highlands are tired and frustrated with always feeling they are at the back of the queue.

Many rural communities have a wealth of opportunities but also face significant challenges, including depopulation and the loss of young people; a chronic shortage of affordable housing and childcare; and poor transport connectivity.

Liberal Democrats successfully championed legislation to ensure that the needs of island communities are considered in every piece of legislation. That same consideration should apply to Scotland’s rural communities.

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch candidate Andrew Baxter said:

Highland council covers an area almost the size of Belgium. People living in Skye, Wick and Aviemore don’t necessarily have exactly the same interests. Meanwhile it is distant SNP ministers in Edinburgh who are making decisions about what local services should look like. That’s not good enough.

The motion also calls for the Scottish Government to enable a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities – subject to their request – and funding formulas to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities. If communities want to see local authorities broken up then they should be able to decide that for themselves.

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17 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 17th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Number of serious childbirth injuries spikes by over a fifth
  • Lib Dems winners of by-elections Super Thursday, sweeping the board in once true blue Surrey as Conservative council tries to delay elections again
  • Farron: No Govt change on family farm tax is a “kick in the teeth” to farmers
  • Chamberlain to set out plans to tackle violence against women and girls

Number of serious childbirth injuries spikes by over a fifth

The number of third and fourth degree perineal tears following child birth has spiked dramatically since 2021 with the injuries now affecting almost 3% of all births.

The data found that, as of 2024, almost 29 in every 1,000 births now results in a serious perineal tear, up from 23.5 in 2021, the first full year of comparable data. That is a rise of more than a fifth. The number has risen every year between the comparable years since that data began to be recorded. Throughout 2024 there were 7,995 third or fourth degree tears reported.

The research also revealed that the number of readmissions following childbirth has risen on last year, with more than 5% of all childbirths resulting in one with more than 14,000 reported in 2024.

It comes as previous Liberal Democrat research has also found that the number of maternal deaths has also risen from 209 in 2015-17 to 254 in 2021-23. The NHS has faced a £27 billion bill for maternity failings over recent years, far more than the health service’s £18 billion budget for newborns over that period.

In April the government announced cuts to the national Service Development Funding (SDF) for maternity services from £95m in 2024-25 to just £2m in 2025-26. The fund had been introduced following the Ockenden Review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford to improve the quality of maternity care.

The Liberal Democrats said the figures were “heartbreaking” as more mothers had to endure these traumatic births. The party has called on the Government to immediately implement all of the actions from the Ockenden report into maternity care and to reverse the cuts to the SDF.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Behind these figures are heartbreaking stories of women suffering unimaginable trauma at a moment that should be full of joy.

The Conservatives neglect of maternity services was unforgivable, putting mothers and babies under threat, but Labour risks kicking action on this problem into the long grass. We of course need to understand why these awful injuries are on the rise but the Government’s inquiry cannot be used as a shield against taking meaningful action now.

It is unacceptable that, while so many women die or are injured by poor maternity care, the Government raided the key ring-fenced fund for improving maternity services. Their promises to improve safety will ring hollow until they change course.

If the Government is serious about ending the disaster unfolding on our maternity wards, they must reverse these cuts at once, support our hard-working NHS teams, and implement every measure in the Ockenden Review without delay.

Lib Dems winners of by-elections Super Thursday, sweeping the board in once true blue Surrey as Conservative council tries to delay elections again

  • Party wins 7 out of 10 council by-elections this week, including all 6 out of 6 in Surrey.
  • Wins include Caterham in East Surrey constituency, held by Claire Coutinho, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, as Ed Davey says “what remains of the Blue Wall is crumbling away.”
  • ⁠Lib Dems also gain from Labour in Preston, beating Reform to the win.
  • ⁠Conservatives in Surrey looking to delay elections again in bid to remain in power for another year.

The Liberal Democrats have won the most by-elections on what has been dubbed ‘Super Thursday’, winning 7 out of the 10 council seats up. The wins came in Surrey but also in Preston, Lancashire, where the party gained from Labour, beating Reform to the win.

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Mark Valladares

16 October 2025 – today’s Scottish press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th October 2025 - 11:37 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats to debate plans to end ferries fiasco for good
  • Scotland has Britain’s highest rate of violent injuries to school staff

Scottish Liberal Democrats to debate plans to end ferries fiasco for good

On Saturday 18th October, Scottish Liberal Democrat conference will debate plans being put forward by West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene to end the SNP”s ferries fiasco for good.

It follows a consultation run by Mr Greene which heard from island communities directly, respondents included ferry experts and businesses who have been badly affected by endless ferry disruption.

The motion calls for a series of measures including:

  • A new Ferries Bill

…

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Mark Valladares

16 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th October 2025 - 10:52 pm
  • Lib Dems say China witness statements raise “more questions” than they answer and call for statutory inquiry
  • Hospices: Govt must reverse NI hike to deliver real change
  • GDP growth: Govt must kickstart growth and “quit slowcoach approach”
  • Lib Dems: Summon US ambassador over secretive meetings with Farage on rolling back women’s rights in UK
  • If China is a “daily threat” then “insane” not to cancel super-embassy, say Lib Dems
  • Chinese embassy plan must be “put out of its misery”

Lib Dems say China witness statements raise “more questions” than they answer and call for statutory inquiry

Responding to the Government publishing evidence regarding the collapsed China spy case, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Calum Miller MP, said:

These witness statements are only part of the puzzle and raise yet more unanswered questions.

Did emphasising the government’s desire for a positive relationship with China effectively cause this trial to collapse? What evidence was the CPS requesting which the government failed to provide?

And who was aware of these statements and the evidence being asked for both among ministers and in Number 10?

We clearly need a statutory public inquiry to get to the bottom of this whole fiasco.

Hospices: Govt must reverse NI hike to deliver real change

Commenting on the Government’s announcement on hospice funding, Liberal Democrat Care and Carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP said:

While this announcement goes some way to help children’s hospices, it entirely ignores the profound issues in funding adult hospices. The Government must go much further to deliver the real change hospices are crying out for.

For starters, to have any chance of tackling this ticking time bomb, the Government must reverse their cruel National Insurance hike that cost hospices £34 million last year, and make sure funding keeps pace with local need.

For too long, the vital role played by hospices in our health and care system has been overlooked. The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save the nation’s hospices. Everybody should have access to the very best palliative care, and to dignity at the end of life. This will never happen while government ministers are burying their heads in the sand.

GDP growth: Govt must kickstart growth and “quit slowcoach approach”

Responding to the news that GDP only grew by 0.1% in August, Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:

Today’s figures show the economy climbing slower than a sloth under a government simply not doing enough to kickstart growth.

The Chancellor must quit her slowcoach approach to the economy and finally drop her damaging national insurance hike, which has stifled business and hit high streets up and down the country.

The Government must take today’s news as a wakeup call and put an ambitious growth plan front and centre of their Budget later this Autumn – starting with a bespoke new UK-EU customs union which would unleash the potential of British exporters to trade more easily with our European neighbours.

Lib Dems: Summon US ambassador over secretive meetings with Farage on rolling back women’s rights in UK

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to summon the US Ambassador to explain why the US embassy in London held secretive talks with Nigel Farage on rolling back women’s rights and online safety laws in the UK.

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15 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 15th October 2025 - 10:45 pm
  • Budget rumours: Reeves must rule out “cloak and dagger” efforts to drag people into paying more tax
  • China case: Lib Dems call for release of all legal advice — including evidence needed for spy case to proceed
  • Angus MacDonald MP calls for common sense on rural helipads
  • Murray presses PM over small business national insurance in East Dunbartonshire

Budget rumours: Reeves must rule out “cloak and dagger” efforts to drag people into paying more tax

Responding to Rachel Reeves admitting there may be more tax rises in this autumn’s Budget, Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:

Millions of people up and down the country are worried they could face more damaging tax hikes, after the Conservative party saddled them with a stealth tax and this Government hit them with an unfair jobs tax.

Prolonging this uncertainty for weeks will leave people deeply worried about what this could mean for their payslips and bills.

Rachel Reeves must rule out a cloak-and-dagger effort to raise revenue by extending the Conservatives’ stealth tax and dragging even more working people into higher tax rates. What we need is a proper growth plan and for the big banks, social media giants and gambling companies to pay their fair share of tax.

China case: Lib Dems call for release of all legal advice — including evidence needed for spy case to proceed

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of his plan to publish the witness statements by the deputy national security adviser on the China case, the Liberal Democrats are now calling on the Government to put the full legal advice they received on the public record.

The party is calling for the Government to publish advice including on what evidence would be needed for the spy case to proceed.

Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, said:

The public have had enough of the constant blame game between the Conservatives and Labour on the collapse of the China spy case.

The Government must bolster their publication of witness statements and put all the legal advice they’ve received on this case on the public record – including advice on what evidence would be needed for this trial to go ahead.

Number 10 must also urgently launch an independent inquiry so we can finally get to the bottom of what actually happened in this labyrinthine case.

Angus MacDonald MP calls for common sense on rural helipads

Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, has called on the UK Government to cut through “bewildering” red tape that has stopped search and rescue helicopters from landing on community helipads in rural areas.

While leading a Westminster Hall debate on Access to Community Helipads in Rural Areas, Mr MacDonald raised the case of the Portree and Braes Community Trust helipad, which serves the north end of Skye, including the local hospital. Despite being purpose-built and refurbished to high safety standards, search and rescue helicopters operated by Bristow are not currently able to land there.

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10 October 2025 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Fri 10th October 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • Scottish Lib Dems respond to Regan quitting Alba
  • Liberal Democrats respond to Plaid Cymru childcare announcement
  • Jamie Greene selected as Scottish Lib Dem candidate for Inverclyde
  • Rennie responds to EIS strike ballot
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to BMA strike ballot

Scottish Lib Dems respond to Regan quitting Alba

Responding to Ash Regan quitting Alba, Scottish Liberal Democrat Lothians list candidate Jane Alliston Pickard said:

Quitting two different political parties after failing to get elected leader is quite the political feat.

It looks like Ash’s dream of a giant independence readiness thermometer has been thwarted for good. That’s bad news for parliamentary sketch writers but good news for the Scottish public.

With Alba’s last parliamentarian now abandoning ship, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before their whole party winds up.

Liberal Democrats respond to Plaid Cymru childcare announcement

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds said:

Families across Wales deserve more than Plaid are offering today.

For the last 18 months, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been calling for an ambitious plan to deliver 30 hours of free childcare for every child from 9 months to 4 years old, a far more generous and life-changing offer than Plaid have set out.

Plaid Cymru’s proposal shows once again that they lack the ambition and vision needed to deliver meaningful change for Wales’s children and parents.

Jamie Greene selected as Scottish Lib Dem candidate for Inverclyde

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that Jamie Greene MSP has been selected as the party’s candidate for the Inverclyde constituency at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Brought up in the Gibshill estate of Greenock and schooled in Port Glasgow, Mr Greene was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016. He has since served as the Member for the West Scotland region, getting re-elected in 2021.

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland, Selection news and Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , and | 5 Comments
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