Tag Archives: ed davey

Jack Meredith

One Nation Liberalism: reclaiming compassion without conservatism

By Jack Meredith | Fri 10th October 2025 - 11:55 am

When our leader, Ed Davey, invited One Nation Conservatives to join the Liberal Democrats, he tapped into something important: the collapse of moderate conservatism and the hunger for decency in politics. Yet, this appeal has left some party members, myself included, uneasy. There is a fear that in trying to welcome disillusioned Conservatives, we risk softening our liberalism into a kind of managerial centrism, one that mistakes moderation for vision.

However, the truth is that Britain doesn’t need a return to One Nation Conservatism. It needs to rediscover One Nation Liberalism.

The phrase “One Nation” has always carried emotional power in British politics. When Disraeli wrote of a nation divided into “two nations”, one rich and one poor, he captured an anxiety that has never truly disappeared. Chimneys and factory gates no longer separate those two nations, but housing markets, regional inequities, and access to opportunity. The same fiscal fissures that alarmed Disraeli still scar Britain today, but the solutions no longer lie in patriotism from above. They lie in liberalism from below; building a society of free citizens bound by mutual respect, fairness, and opportunity.

Liberals have always been the true heirs to the One Nation tradition. Our philosophy is based on the belief that liberty is not merely the absence of restraint, but the presence of opportunity. The New Liberals of the early twentieth century understood this well. T. H. Green, L. T. Hobhouse, and John Hobson argued that freedom was meaningless if poverty, ignorance, or ill-health prevented people from exercising it. For them, liberty was social as much as political.

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Mark Valladares

9 October 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 9th October 2025 - 11:25 pm
  • Davey: Gaza ceasefire deal must be first step
  • Tim Farron: Govt must protect customers and replace Ofwat
  • Lib Dems: Religious hate crime on the rise “demands response”
  • 12 hour waits in A&E surge by 25% to worst September on record as Lib Dems call on Govt to protect NHS against winter “cliff edge”

Davey: Gaza ceasefire deal must be first step

Responding to news of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said on X:

News of a ceasefire deal in Gaza brings real hope.

The UK and our allies must do all we can to get the hostages home, get aid in to starving people, and finally end this horrific violence.

This must be the first step towards a two-state solution and a lasting peace.

Tim Farron: Govt must protect customers and replace Ofwat

Responding to the news that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has allowed five water companies to increase bills by a higher amount than Ofwat had originally allowed, Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, said:

This is not a functioning market; it is a rigged racket. Customers are seeing their water bills rocket, whilst leaky infrastructure further deteriorates and gallons of disgusting sewage is pumped into British rivers and seas.

These increases are disgraceful and insulting to customers. They shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the failures of private water companies to clean up the mess they themselves created. And we shouldn’t have a regulator that can simply be ignored.

Enough is enough. The Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to get on with replacing Ofwat with a new, powerful regulator and implement a single social tariff to better protect the most vulnerable customers.

Lib Dems: Religious hate crime on the rise “demands response”

Responding to the latest hate crime statistics, which show a 3% increase in religious hate crime over the year, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equalities Marie Goldman said:

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Mark Valladares

8 October 2025 – today’s Scottish and Welsh press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 8th October 2025 - 10:45 pm
  • Rennie comments on embargoed care system report
  • Davey visits Edinburgh College and sets out plans to cut bills
  • UK Government must strike steel deal to save what’s left of Welsh industry

Rennie comments on embargoed care system report

Commenting on the embargoed joint report by the Accounts Commission and the Auditor General, which warns that the care system in Scotland lacks clarity and accountability, Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said:

Care-experienced children have told MSPs on the education committee that they aren’t feeling the change which was promised. They were angry and today’s report only makes clearer that they are right to be.

The report shows that the SNP has let down children in care by promising major reform without any assessment of the resources and skills needed to bring it about. There has been a vacuum of clear leadership, and a lack of urgency and cohesion.

The government must now prioritise the development of a comprehensive roadmap with clear actions and timescales if the transformation of care is to be fully realised.

Davey visits Edinburgh College and sets out plans to cut bills

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has today visited Edinburgh College sector-leading Renewables Centre, located in his party’s key target seat of Edinburgh Northern, where he set out his party’s ambition to halve energy bills.

The Renewables Centre aims to upskill and reskill current and future professionals in green technologies.

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Mark Valladares

8 October 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 8th October 2025 - 9:30 pm
  • Kemi Badenoch Speech: Lib Dems blast Tory economics as “laughable”
  • China spies case: Investigation needed on if Govt is doing enough to protect our democracy and national security
  • NHS/US Drug Price Increases: Ministers must come clean
  • Ed Davey urges One Nation Conservatives to join Lib Dems after Kemi Badenoch’s conference speech
  • Badenoch Speech: “Liz Truss on steroids”

Kemi Badenoch Speech: Lib Dems blast Tory economics as “laughable”

Responding to the Conservatives’ unveiling a new set of economic plans, announced by Party Leader Kemi Badenoch in her keynote speech today, a Liberal Democrat Spokesperson said:

The idea that the public would now trust the Conservative party with the economy is laughable. From almost crashing our economy to leaving public services on their knees, the Conservatives have shown their economics is almost as bad as their spelling.

Only the Liberal Democrats have a clear plan to make our economy thrive again, from halving energy bills to striking an ambitious trade deal with our European neighbours which would boost business and raise revenue.

China spies case: Investigation needed on if Govt is doing enough to protect our democracy and national security

Responding to reports that a case involving two men accused of spying for China collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the Government referring to China as a national security threat, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said:

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey invites “one nation” Tories to join Lib Dems

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 8th October 2025 - 3:00 pm

As Kemi Badenoch frightened a lot of progressive horses with her plans to get rid of the Climate Change Act, leave the European Convention on Human Rights, put the Human Rights Act on a bonfire and be even more vile to asylum seekers and immigrants, Ed Davey invited “one nation” Conservatives to join the Liberal Democrats.

Certainly a lot of moderate Conservatives will be disgusted with Robert Jenrick’s full mask-off racism and his attack on the judiciary.

In an open letter to those who feel that the Conservative Party has speeded away from them, he said:

Dear friends,

Our country is at a crossroads.

The Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch is becoming more extreme and out of touch, chasing Nigel Farage instead of focusing on the issues that really matter to people. Meanwhile, Reform UK is growing in strength – threatening the tolerant, decent values that hold our communities together.

I know many One Nation Conservatives are deeply concerned about the lurch to the hard right in our country and under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership. Her plans to tear up the Climate Change Act and withdraw from the ECHR show she is abandoning traditional British values of tolerance, decency and the rule of law.

So my message to the millions of One Nation Conservatives who feel let down by their party and reject the divisive politics of Badenoch and Farage is to come and join us. Help us save our country and defend the values we all hold dear.

We will stand strong where others back down. We will not pander to Reform. We will fight to protect our environment, stand up for decency and the rule of law, and stop Trump’s America from becoming Farage’s Britain.

So if you share those values, now is the time to join the Liberal Democrats.

With best wishes,

Ed Davey

The party has also put a poster van near the Conference venue in Manchester.

It is perfectly understandable that he should make this sort of plea during the Conservative Conference. I think that we do need to be a bit cautious about the strategy though.  We need to be careful that the people in or who vote for other parties don’t hear from this messaging that we are a one nation small c conservative party. Because we are not. Nor will we ever be.

We don’t want to stick to the status quo, we want to reform just about everything about how our government operates.

We need to make sure that we emphasise that everyone who believes in the freedom of all to be who they are, human rights, civil liberties saving the planet and reforming the immigration and asylum system to make it decent and humane is welcome in the Liberal Democrats.

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The Voice

Ed Davey’s statement on second anniversary of October 7 attacks

By The Voice | Tue 7th October 2025 - 7:46 pm

Ed Davey issued a statement today to mark the second anniversary of the 7th October attacks in Israel:

Two years ago, we watched in horror those appalling scenes of Hamas’s evil terrorist attack on Israel. 1,200 innocent people brutally slain, including hundreds of young people at a music festival. Others raped, sexually assaulted and mutilated. 251 people taken hostage, ripped away from their families.

Those terror attacks also triggered a shocking rise in antisemitism here in the UK – a terrible scourge that took the lives of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz at their synagogue last week.

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Mark Valladares

6 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 6th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Reform DOGE unit in Kent a “spectacular failure” for which Yusuf must “personally apologise”
  • Lib Dems: Thames Water’s data protection “as leaky as its infrastructure” as party calls for company to be placed under special administration
  • Ed Davey statement marking Oct 7 anniversary: “We stand in solidarity”

Reform DOGE unit in Kent a “spectacular failure” for which Yusuf must “personally apologise”

Responding to reports that Reform’s DOGE unit in Kent has found no savings and is set to hike council tax, Daisy Cooper MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

Reform’s pledge to slash millions from Kent Council’s budget has turned out to be nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Just like his idol Elon Musk, Zia Yusuf has spectacularly failed to deliver what DOGE promised. It turns out cribbing the notes of dodgy American tech billionaires is no way to run a council.

Zia Yusuf should personally apologise to the people of Kent for misleading them.

Lib Dems: Thames Water’s data protection “as leaky as its infrastructure” as party calls for company to be placed under special administration

Responding to reporting by BBC Radio 4 that Thames Water have been giving out customer information over the phone without completing adequate identity checks, Liberal Democrat MP for Witney and Thames Water campaigner Charlie Maynard said:

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Sophie Layton

The Stunts don’t work. And they never have.

By Sophie Layton | Fri 3rd October 2025 - 9:55 am

I have a massive amount of respect for Sir Ed Davey and the entire Liberal Democrat campaign teams. Last year, they took the party from the political wilderness in Westminster to a decisive victory, reclaiming Britain’s third party status. Unseating Conservative minister after Cabinet Member after party veteran, the party was seemingly unstoppable, with millions putting their faith in Davey and his pitch for grown-up politics to return once again. From 10pm on July 4th and over the following two days, it became clear: the Liberal Democrats were back.

Since then, much debate has arisen, particularly in recent months, as to whether these stunts should continue. Many were underwhelmed by Davey’s hobby horse offering at the Local Elections, and debate has continued in the intervening months. I thoroughly enjoy Davey’s stunts. I think they’re incredibly funny, personable and a great joy to watch. They were something different and special, and now everyone knows about Daredevil Davey. But they don’t work. And they never have.

Writing my postgraduate dissertation, I analysed hours of television coverage of the Liberal Democrat election campaign, from a variety of different mainstream media sources, as well as distributing a questionnaire showcasing some of the most memorable offerings and asking for direct feedback. Both methods showed broadly similar results.

It was clear that stunts are effective in helping to generate coverage, but only when a stunt is seen as exciting or entertaining. Whilst each of the stunts surveyed got over 70% coverage, the bungee jump for example was covered to a greater extent than the waterslide. However, once the stunts reached television, the results were less positive. Responses from figures in the media, and their guests, was mixed, with their proximity to the campaign and prominence as individuals being key; those on the ground with the campaign and with a lower individual profile reported more favourably than those detached from it or brought on in a commentator or opinion-providing capacity.

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The Voice

WATCH: Ed Davey’s speech – with subtitles

By The Voice | Wed 24th September 2025 - 10:39 am

Here is Ed Davey’s speech to Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth for anyone who hasn’t seen the whole thing, whether they were busy at work or at Not the Leader’s Speech.

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Mark Valladares

13-14 September 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 14th September 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Government proposals for carer’s allowance compensation would be “victory” for carers and campaigners
  • Mandelson appointment: Lib Dems call for independent investigation with access to documents and messages
  • Farage must come clean on who’s bankrolling his US trips to “badmouth Britain”
  • Greene: Scotland is lagging behind in research and development investment
  • Greene urges all parties to support key victims’ proposals ahead of final vote

Government proposals for carer’s allowance compensation would be “victory” for carers and campaigners

Responding to reports that the Government is considering compensation payments to those caught up in the carer’s allowance scandal, Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat Leader, said:

I really hope the government will give the victims of this appalling scandal the compensation they deserve. It would be a milestone for carers across the country, and a victory for all those who have campaigned tirelessly for justice.

The government has a chance here not just to compensate the victims, but to overhaul carer’s allowance so it properly supports carers and doesn’t punish them for working. We will keep pushing ministers to seize that chance.

Mandelson appointment: Lib Dems call for independent investigation with access to documents and messages

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an independent inquiry into what was known about ex-US Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein at the time of his appointment, saying that victims must be “put first.”

The party’s Cabinet Office Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said an independent investigation is needed to uncover what was known, when and by whom regarding Mandelson’s connections to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for relevant text messages, WhatsApps and emails to be handed to the inquiry for proper independent scrutiny of how the appointment was made.

It comes as Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, claimed in an interview with Laura Kuennsberg this morning that “if we had known the information we know now, it is highly unlikely that would have been appointed”, calling the new information “materially different” from the content reviewed during vetting.

Sarah Olney, Cabinet Office Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said:

The Government has serious questions to answer about what they knew when. The current explanations just don’t add up.

Number Ten must put the victims of Jeffrey Epstein first, not their own reputation. We need an urgent, independent inquiry into how details of Mandelson’s ties with a convicted paedophile slipped through the cracks of Government vetting.

This inquiry must be given access to all the relevant messages, texts and documents so it can get to the bottom of this appalling mess.

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Vince Cable

Vince Cable writes: Boycotting Trump

By Vince Cable | Sun 14th September 2025 - 8:50 am

Whoever advises Ed Davey gets full marks for suggesting the boycott of next week’s  Trump banquet at the Palace. And congratulations to Ed for taking up the right issue in the right way at the right time. 

A boycott  signals clearly that Lib Dems reject the Labour government’s obsequious, subservient cultivation of Trump. And to focus on Trump’s active complicity in the horrors of Gaza touches the moral core of British public opinion. 

I set something of a precedent by boycotting the state dinner for the King of Saudi Arabia when I was Acting Leader. There was some tut-tutting from party grandees as well as the anti-Lib Dem press (ie. most of it). I was accused of disrespecting the Royal Family. 

But we should argue that the use of royalty to massage the vanity of appalling guests – from Mobutu and Ceausescu to Trump – is, itself, disrespectful to the head of state. I never experienced any subsequent rebuke from the Palace for my boycott and I very much doubt if Ed’s dealings with the King will be affected.

The focus on Gaza is timely and correct. But there is a wider issue: the way in which the government has turned the UK into a supplicant, vassal state of Trump’s America. The implications go beyond the indignity of bowing and scraping to Trump. Of course, the USA has been our close ally since wartime and is the centrepiece of NATO. Continued US support is currently needed to help support Ukraine in its existential struggle. But clinging to hope and sentiment isn’t a strategy.

 The Trump presidency should surely be wake-up call to Britain and other European countries. If the ‘Special Relationship’ amounts to no more than the American President’s susceptibility to flattery, a love of royal photo-opportunities and a liking for Scottish links golf courses, it is worthless. It could evaporate as quickly as Peter Mandelson’s role as Trump ‘whisperer’ and courtier-in-chief. Any defence guarantee to Ukraine or the rest of Europe is unreliable and is discounted in the Kremlin accordingly. Trade agreements are even more precarious.

The choice facing the UK and other Western allies is stark. One is to ‘hang in there’ in the hope that Trump will continue to smile in our direction, will mellow and be succeeded by someone less capricious, avaricious and opportunist. That appears to be UK government policy. Sadly, there is little sign of mellowing or of a more tractable successor. The recent humiliation meted out to the Japanese in their negotiation over trade is a warning that even the most craven of supplicants will be trodden underfoot if it suits Trump’s mood.

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Mark Valladares

11 September 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 11th September 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • NHS waiting lists: Govt must tackle social care to end era of sky-high waiting lists
  • Davey on Mandelson sacking: Starmer must come before Parliament
  • NHS maternity payouts rise to £1.3bn as Ed Davey visits South West to discuss crisis
  • Farage stamp duty: Reform leader has “serious questions to answer”
  • Mandelson: PM must carry out full review of vetting procedures

NHS waiting lists: Govt must tackle social care to end era of sky-high waiting lists

Responding to the number of people on NHS waiting lists rising for the second month in a row to 7.4 million in July, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The Government promised to go full throttle when it comes to cutting NHS waiting lists, instead they’ve gone into reverse.

The Conservatives brought the NHS to its knees, with patients often suffering tragic consequences, but far from bringing the change people are crying out for, this Labour government is just treading water.

Without fixing the underlying issues in our health service this situation will persist and patients will suffer. Only by urgently tackling the crisis in social care can we unclog the system and bring and end to this era of sky-high waiting lists.

Davey on Mandelson sacking: Starmer must come before Parliament

Responding to the news that Peter Mandelson has been sacked as the UK Ambassador to the United States, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Prime Minister now needs to appoint an ambassador who will stand up to Trump, not cosy up to him and his cronies.

He also needs to come before Parliament and explain why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place, given everything the Government knew then.

This Government seems to be lurching from one crisis to another. It desperately needs to get a grip on fixing the economy and public services so badly damaged by the Conservatives.

NHS maternity payouts rise to £1.3bn as Ed Davey visits South West to discuss crisis

NHS figures show that clinical negligence payouts for maternity rose to £1.3 billion last year, up 13% on 2023/24’s figure of £1.15 billion with total payouts hitting a record high in 2024/25.

It comes as Ed Davey visits the South West today (12th September) to discuss issues with local maternity services.

The 2024/25 NHS compensation figures found that maternity clinical negligence payouts had risen £150 million on the previous year to £1.3 billion, a 13% rise. Maternity clinical negligence payments account for 42% of all clinical negligence payments.

NHS clinical negligence payouts generally rose to a record £3.1 billion, up from £2.8 billion in 2023/24 which was also a record. It represents an 11% increase.

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.

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Mark Valladares

10 September 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 10th September 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems call for mandatory origin labelling on beef
  • Davey on Doha Strikes: Starmer must summon Israeli Ambassador
  • Ed Davey on Mandelson: Civil Service Commission must investigate if ambassador has broken diplomatic code
  • Lib Dems push vote on banning loud music on public transport as new poll reveals impact of “headphone dodgers” on commuters
  • Chamberlain writes to Health Secretary over stroke patient’s 80-mile journey for care
  • Greene: Asylum motion shows desperate Conservatives aping Reform

Lib Dems call for mandatory origin labelling on beef

On Back British Farming Day, the Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to protect British farmers by making it mandatory to include country of origin on produce.

This follows months of concern from British farmers about the impact of the UK-US trade deal on British beef producers, after the UK agreed to allow up to 13,000 metric tonnes of beef imports from the US tariff-free.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for beef produced sold in large shops and large restaurants to include mandatory labelling that includes the country of origin to allow consumers to make informed decisions and promote British produce.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Farmers are absolutely vital to Britain – to our economy and future food security. They put food on our table, manage our landscapes and without them, we would all be worse off.

Over the past year, the Government has done nothing but neglect the farming community, first with the cruel family farm tax, and then by cutting the farming budget and selling out British farmers by accepting US beef produced to lower standards.

The Liberal Democrats back British farmers who deserve so much better. I am urging the Government to do the same, axe the family farm tax, give the farming budget £1bn more a year and back British farmers.

Davey on Doha Strikes: Starmer must summon Israeli Ambassador

Responding to the Israeli airstrikes in Doha, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey said:

Netanyahu’s strikes on Doha show that he is less interested in securing the release of the hostages than he is in continuing to fuel regional destabilisation.

Keir Starmer must summon the Israeli Ambassador to Downing Street – immediately – to make clear that these strikes were utterly reckless and a flagrant breach of international law.

This latest escalation will only undermine efforts to secure the release of the hostages still held in Hamas’ captivity, and set back the path to a desperately needed ceasefire.

Starmer needs to make that case when he meets with President Herzog today – and confirm to the President that the UK will no longer send F-35 parts to Israel which it can use for its devastating campaign in Gaza.

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Mark Valladares

5 September 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 5th September 2025 - 11:55 pm
  • Lib Dems call for Farage to be put on foreign influence watchlist as party rebrands Reform HQ Trump Tower
  • Lib Dems demand Farage is dragged in front of DCMS Committee after Reform threats to national journalists
  • Davey on reshuffle: Labour “learning the wrong lessons” from calamity Conservatives
  • David Chadwick raises concerns that Welsh families are being left behind in vital childcare support

Lib Dems call for Farage to be put on foreign influence watchlist as party rebrands Reform HQ Trump Tower

  • The Lib Dems have called on Farage to officially register his ties with Donald Trump under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS)
  • Daisy Cooper has branded the Reform leader a “Trump puppet” following his meeting with the US President this week
  • The move comes as party lit up Reform HQ to rebrand it as Trump Tower last night

The Liberal Democrats are demanding that Nigel Farage be placed on an official foreign influence watchlist due to his ties to Donald Trump.

Liberal Democrat Deputy leader Daisy Cooper has raised Farage’s ties to Donald Trump as a potential example of foreign collusion – as her party called for the Reform leader to register himself under the Government’s Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

The party lit up Reform HQ last night to rebrand it as ‘Trump Tower’ “to show where Farage’s loyalties really lie.”

The FIRS scheme came into force on 1 July and was set up to oversee attempts by foreign powers to influence democratic processes in the UK. It requires individuals and organisations to register any arrangements they have with foreign powers within 28 days of making them. This can include arrangements to receive payments or future favourable treatment from a foreign power. Failure to register when required under the scheme is a criminal offence.

The Liberal Democrats have said given Farage’s close personal links to Trump and his efforts to lobby the US administration he should be registered under the scheme. Farage is a long-term close personal friend of Trump and described the UK’s 2016 government as “petty” for not taking advantage of his connections to the then-president. He has since repeatedly spoken at Trump fundraisers, including most recently in March of this year.

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Mark Valladares

4 September 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 5th September 2025 - 11:14 pm
  • Carers UK report: A wake up call for the Government
  • No formal inspections at largest kids’ psychiatric hospital during cruelty allegations

Carers UK report: A wake up call for the Government

Commenting on the Carers UK report published today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

These figures are a wake up call for the government. Carers keep are communities and our NHS going, but they have been pushed to breaking point.

The report is shocking but not surprising. Not surprising for millions of people caring round the clock because no one else will. Not for the carers going months and years without a break.

…

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Mark Valladares

3 September 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 3rd September 2025 - 11:52 pm
  • Government needs to “put Thames Water out of its misery” with special administration
  • Lib Dems demand new measures to cut Russian oil and gas profits as “drop in the ocean” oil cap cut falls short
  • Davey responds to latest on Rayner stamp duty
  • Rennie drags ministers to Parliament over their Gupta deals
  • Cole-Hamilton comments on PVG checks for politicians
  • Calls for new Dŵr Cymru CEO to rule out supporting water privatisation in Wales

Government needs to “put Thames Water out of its misery” with special administration

Responding to the announcement by Thames Water creditors of rescue plans to bring in £20.5 billion of private investment, Charlie Maynard, Liberal Democrat MP for Witney, stated:

To present this as a solution is the worst sort of joke – and it’s at the expense of 16 million customers with the misfortune to have Thames Water as our monopoly supplier. Throw in Ofwat continuing to go easy on the company paying its fines for polluting our rivers and you have enough to make us all throw up.

This is just more of the same. The Government needs to get a grip and bring this horror show to an end – Special Administration is what’s needed to put Thames Water out of its misery.

Lib Dems demand new measures to cut Russian oil and gas profits as “drop in the ocean” oil cap cut falls short

  • The Liberal Democrats have launched a new package of proposals to cut Putin’s war chest, including a ban on UK imports of products processed from Russian oil in third countries
  • The party is also calling for a ban on UK companies shipping or insuring Russian liquified natural gas (LNG), as well as a further cut to the oil price cap. Together, these measures could cost the Kremlin millions in profits which would otherwise fuel Putin’s barbarism in Ukraine
  • The demands coincide with the Russian oil cap cut coming into effect today, which the party has called a “drop in the ocean” compared to what action is needed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a comprehensive new package of measures to hit Putin’s coffers as the Russian oil cap cut comes into effect.

Liberal Democrat Defence spokesperson Helen Maguire called today’s reduction in the price cap for Russian oil to $47.60 per barrel a “drop in the ocean” in the fight against the Kremlin.

This comes as her party launches a suite of policies aimed at doing much more substantial damage to Putin’s profits, and as the Kremlin continues to escalate its barbaric assault on Ukraine.

The Liberal Democrats have demanded a further cut to the oil price cap to just $30 – a move which could cut Russian revenues by a further 10% – as well as a ban on UK imports of petroleum products processed from Russian oil in third countries.

Currently the UK still imports oil products processed from Russian oil, despite a ban on directly importing Russian oil and oil products introduced in December 2022. Think tanks suggest that the Kremlin has benefitted to the tune of £510 million in tax receipts thanks to this loophole – with the Lib Dems demanding it be closed.

The calls form part of a wider range of new measures proposed by the party, including a proposal to ban the provision of all UK maritime services for Russian LNG, including its transport and insurance.

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Mark Valladares

28 August 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 28th August 2025 - 11:20 pm
  • Lib Dems call on Farage to intervene after Nottinghamshire Reform council bans local journalists reporting
  • Davey calls on Blair to give evidence in Parliament following White House Gaza meeting
  • Adult mental health waits stretching to more than 1,000 days
  • Rennie comments on report showing bill for flood schemes is spiralling

Lib Dems call on Farage to intervene after Nottinghamshire Reform council bans local journalists reporting

The Liberal Democrats have written to Nigel Farage to demand he intervenes after Reform’s Nottinghamshire County Council Leader blocked his councillors from speaking to local journalists from Nottinghamshire Live and the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson Max Wilkinson has written to Farage demanding he step in and urge Reform’s council leader Mick Barton to reverse the “dangerous and chilling” decision.

Max Wilkinson said the move risks contravening local government’s code of conduct, which calls on elected officials to “submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure … accountability”, and prohibits information being withheld from the public “unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing so”.

Max Wilkinson MP, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson, said:

Reform’s move to block local journalists from reporting on their work is straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy that politicians of all stripes are held to account — but for some reason Farage’s cronies think they can make themselves exempt.

This move sets a dangerous and chilling precedent for if Reform were to win power nationally and goes against our deeply rooted British values of freedom of the press. We must stand up to Reform’s assault on those principles.

Nigel Farage pretends to champion free speech: I’m calling on him to take some responsibility for once in his political career and demand that Nottinghamshire County Council Leader Mick Barton reverses this decision.

Davey calls on Blair to give evidence in Parliament following White House Gaza meeting

Responding to Tony Blair’s meeting at the White House with the Trump administration discussing the war in Gaza, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Tony Blair needs to come before Parliament to give evidence about his discussions with the Trump administration about the ongoing war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

If he has special insight into Trump’s intentions, it’s only right that Parliament and the Government are made privy to this.

Trump has a unique power to help end this war, get the hostages out, and get the desperately needed aid in to relieve the horrendous human suffering in Gaza. We must leverage all the information and resources at our disposal to make him do the right thing.

Adult mental health waits stretching to more than 1,000 days

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that the SNP have no plan to fix the crisis in mental health after new research by his party revealed shocking waits for psychological therapies across many of Scotland’s health boards, including a patient waiting more than seven years to start treatment.

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Mark Valladares

27 August 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 27th August 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Energy price cap: Government must cancel rise and take up plan to halve bills
  • Mounjaro supply chaos: Lib Dems call for CMA investigation
  • Farage u-turn shows he “has taken as much time reading his own plan as he does his constituents’ emails”
  • Thames Water fines: Govt should stop “wheeling and dealing” and finally put customers first
  • Ed Davey to boycott Trump state banquet in push to end Gaza’s humanitarian disaster

Energy price cap: Government must cancel rise and take up plan to halve bills

Responding to Ofgem announcing that the energy price cap will rise by 2%, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The last thing struggling

…

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The Voice

Ed Davey to boycott Trump State visit banquet over Gaza

By The Voice | Wed 27th August 2025 - 7:37 pm

Ed Davey has announced that he will boycott the State Banquet to be held during Donald Trump’s State Visit because of Trump’s complicity in the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. He explains why in this video:

He said:

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Mark Valladares

26 August 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 26th August 2025 - 11:05 pm
  • Reform press conference: Farage wants to follow Putin and tear up our hard-won rights
  • Dash Questionnaire “doesn’t work”: Urgent review into approach to domestic abuse needed
  • Starmer must rule out conceding to Trump on digital services tax
  • Government’s latest announcement on EU deal shows it “moving at a speed sloths would laugh at”
  • Liberal Democrats warn of Reform ‘Taliban Tax’ as regime says it is willing to work with Farage

Reform press conference: Farage wants to follow Putin and tear up our hard-won rights

Responding to Reform’s press conference this morning, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said:

Farage’s plan crumbles under the most basic scrutiny. The idea that Reform UK is going to magic up some new places to detain people and deport them to, but don’t have a clue where those places would be, is taking the public for fools.

Of course Nigel Farage wants to follow his idol Vladimir Putin in ripping up the human rights convention. Winston Churchill would be turning in his grave. Doing so would only make it harder for each of us as individuals to hold the government to account and stop it trampling on our freedoms.

On Zia Yusuf’s comments regarding paying the Taliban to take back Afghan migrants, Daisy Cooper added:

Reform’s Taliban tribute plan would send British taxpayers’ cash to fund their oppressive regime, fuelling the persecution of Afghan women and children and betraying our brave Armed Forces who sacrificed so much fighting the Taliban. Clearly British values mean nothing to Farage and his band of plastic patriots.

Dash Questionnaire “doesn’t work”: Urgent review into approach to domestic abuse needed

Responding to the news that Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has admitted the main screening tool used to decide which domestic abuse victims get urgent support “doesn’t work”, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde MP said:

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Mark Valladares

19 August 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 19th August 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Davey: commit British typhoon jets to strengthen Zelensky’s hand
  • Poorly thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off
  • Scottish Government must listen to Scot Lib Dem plans for cancer screening
  • Scotland’s LED road signs break down 1,419 times

Davey: commit British typhoon jets to strengthen Zelensky’s hand

Following the conclusion of yesterday’s talks between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Trump’s plan to hand Ukrainian territory to Putin would not bring peace. It would be the greatest reward for aggression in living memory, and only lead to more Russian aggression in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe.

Ahead of Zelensky’s trilateral with Putin, the UK and European leaders need to step up. For Starmer that means making a commitment to providing British typhoons to the Ukrainian air force, seizing the frozen Russian assets and showing Putin that we will continue to back Ukraine.

Poorly thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off

Responding to County Councils warning that Government proposals will place an unfair burden on rural taxpayers, Liberal Democrat Housing, Communities and Local Government Spokesperson Vikki Slade MP said:

Councils across the country are already teetering on the edge after years of Conservatives’ neglect of local funding and services – from bus services cuts in rural areas to the rising costs of social care. These ill thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off.

To truly help local authorities, the Government should urgently look at supporting councils who receive the least grant funding and those that face additional pressure on services in rural and coastal areas, to help them with spiralling costs.

Scottish Government must listen to Scot Lib Dem plans for cancer screening

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today urged the Scottish Government to adopt his party’s plans for a national lung cancer screening programme, as new figures showed that a rise in the number of deaths from cancer in Scotland.

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Caron Lindsay

“A price we cannot allow Ukraine to pay” – Ed Davey calls out the BS from last night’s White House talks

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 19th August 2025 - 8:23 am

Not going to lie, I don’t often punch the air and squeal during Ed Davey interviews, but he has just been fabulous on BBC Breakfast.

I watched the scenes from the White House last night with a growing sense of anxiety that Trump’s appeasement of Putin was being presented as a good thing and a positive step forward. While it was great to see Zelensky go mob-handed with his European supporters, this did not hide the unfairness and injustice in what was being asked of him and his country: that he should give up vast swathes of territory to an aggressor who had helped himself to it, committing atrocities along the way.

I wanted someone to call out the BS. And along comes Ed on BBC Breakfast and says almost exactly my thoughts.

He said that the idea of Ukraine giving up so much land was “À price we cannot allow Ukraine to pay,” adding “If you appease an aggressor we know from history that this ends in a bad way.”

On the proposed trilateral meeting with Trump and Zelensky, he said:

“it should worry us. They are essentially asking Zelensky to sit down with a war criminal who has invaded Ukraine and continues to kill innocent Ukrainians.”

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey: “perilous” Alaska summit could see two of “most unreliable Presidents imaginable” carve up Ukraine

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th August 2025 - 10:30 pm

I expect most of us will be holding our breath as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska tomorrow. Heavens above, Trump doesn’t even know his own territory, saying on Monday that he was “going to Russia”, so the thought that he could carve up anyone else’s is really scary.

Ed Davey has  described the summit as a “perilous moment.”

This is a perilous moment for Europe as two of the most unreliable Presidents imaginable seem to think they can carve up Ukraine amongst themselves without any word from the Ukrainian people.

Even at this late hour I hope Trump reverses his position and invites Zelensky to Alaska.

Whatever happens the UK must stand with our European allies and continue to make sure that democratic Ukraine is in charge of its own destiny.

He also remembers the 20,000 children abducted by Russia during the war on Ukraine:

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NewsHound

Lib Link: Ed Davey – Brexit has been a resounding disaster. Starmer must find the courage to change course

By NewsHound | Wed 6th August 2025 - 10:25 am

Many party members will be very happy to see Ed Davey say out loud that Brexit is not working in a piece for the Guardian.

Our leader said:

Brexit isn’t working, and the British people know it. Poll after poll, including that unveiled this weekend by More In Common for the Sunday Times, shows that people are feeling the terrible damage caused by the deal forced upon us by Boris Johnson, Kemi Badenoch and the rest of the Conservative party, and want something different. The latest shows less than a third of Britons would vote to leave the EU if a referendum were repeated. There’s no doubt that fundamental change is needed. There’s no doubt the public will is there to make it happen. The question is: will Keir Starmer seize the moment and deliver it?

He urges Starmer to stop tinkering:

Of course, we know why Starmer has been reluctant to go further. He’s spooked by the combined threat of the Conservatives and Reform, both of whom are itching for the chance to plunge Britain back into the nasty Brexit wars of the past decade. Well, I say let them try. With so many serious problems in need of urgent solutions, the British people have absolutely no appetite for all that division and distraction, and they will have no truck with politicians who do.

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Mark Valladares

30 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st July 2025 - 7:30 am
  • Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault
  • Greene responds to CalMac timetable updates during ‘storm’ of disruption
  • SNP are breaking another attainment gap promise

Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault

Responding to reports that all outbound UK flights were hit by an air traffic control technical issue leading to delays, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. With thousands of families preparing to go on a well earned break, this just isn’t

…

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Mark Valladares

29 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 30th July 2025 - 7:30 am
  • Davey on Southport attacks one year on: We are a caring country not one of thuggery
  • Davey calls for Lord Hermer to publish legal advice on Gazan aid blockade
  • Anglian Water fine: Lib Dems urge “No More Sewage, No More Excuses”
  • Lib Dems: “If Trump really loves Scotland, why is he hammering Scotch whisky with tariffs?”
  • Cole-Hamilton accuses SNP of serial failures on A&E, care and drugs
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to decline in healthy life expectancy

Davey on Southport attacks one year on: We are a caring country not one of thuggery

Reflecting on the one year anniversary of the Southport attacks, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Today especially, we hold in our hearts Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Three little girls, horrifyingly murdered at their Taylor Swift dance class in Southport. Three young lives, so cruelly cut short by a heartbreaking tragedy.

Our thoughts are with their families and friends, who still grieve such a cruel loss.

The lawless riots that followed appalled us. Egged on by hate preachers and conspiracy theorists, thugs resorted to appalling racism and violence, targeting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

But last summer also saw the best of the British people. Everyone who came together with love and compassion to mourn the deaths of Bebe, Elsie and Alice. And all those who stood peacefully in solidarity against the riots. Who powerfully rejected racism and Islamophobia.

That is who we are: a caring country, not a country of thuggery. A nation of laws and decency, not hate and lawlessness.

As we grieve today – as we remember Bebe, Elsie and Alice – let us also remember that.

Davey calls for Lord Hermer to publish legal advice on Gazan aid blockade

Commenting ahead of a Cabinet recall on the conflict in the Middle East, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for the Attorney General Lord Hermer to publish his legal advice to the Government, saying:

There can be no denying that Israel has egregiously breached international law through its devastating blockade of Gaza.

The Australian Prime Minister said this two days ago. And yet the UK Government continues to drag its feet on describing these acts as anything more than merely “risking” a breach.

Actions speak louder than words. It’s time for the Attorney General to publish the legal advice he has given to the Government on the Netanyahu cabinet’s grotesque restriction of aid to Gazans.

Anglian Water fine: Lib Dems urge “No More Sewage, No More Excuses”

Liberal Democrat MP Pippa Heylings has condemned Anglian Water’s repeated failings, following Ofwat’s damning £62.8 million fine for the company’s illegal dumping of raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters.

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Mark Valladares

28 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 29th July 2025 - 12:20 am
  • Lib Dems call for PM to confirm Honours for Lionesses
  • Starmer must not take Trump at his word on Ukraine and the Middle East
  • SNP must do more to help more than quarter of a million Scots on long term sick back to work

Lib Dems call for PM to confirm Honours for Lionesses

Following the Lionesses’ victory at the Euros last night, and ahead of the reception being hosted for the team at Downing Street this evening, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to commit to Honours for the whole squad, including confirmation of a rumoured honorary Damehood for coach Sarina Wiegman.

The party is also calling for a statue of team captain Leah Williamson to be displayed at Wembley Stadium.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Max Wilkinson MP, said:

The Lionesses have swept us all away with their record-breaking performance, accomplishing back-to-back Euro victories, while making us all proud every step of the way.

It is time for the Prime Minister to formally recognise this historic moment by confirming an honorary damehood for Sarina Wiegman, and appointing the whole squad an MBE for their momentous accomplishment. This formal recognition would be a fitting display of the pride and gratitude the Lionesses have given the nation.

It would also be more than fitting for a statue of Leah Williamson to be proudly displayed outside Wembley – the home of English football.

Starmer must not take Trump at his word on Ukraine and the Middle East

Commenting on Starmer’s meeting with President Trump this afternoon, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Warm words from Donald Trump on ending Putin’s war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are welcome, but the Prime Minister would be naive to take him at his word.

We know Trump’s unpredictability all too well by now. In both Ukraine and the Middle East the situation is utterly intolerable and the Prime Minister needs to work with our allies to put a proper plan in place, so that we can lead even if Donald Trump continues to refuse to act. That should start with us recognising the state of Palestine, and seizing frozen Russian funds in the UK.

SNP must do more to help more than quarter of a million Scots on long term sick back to work

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene has today called on the Scottish Government to do more to help the 269,000 people who are long-term sick or disabled to find work, including investing more in tackling mental health conditions, autism and ADHD.

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Mark Valladares

26-27 July 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 27th July 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Davey: PM must show Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising Palestine
  • Jardine challenges Government over long waits for driving tests
  • Cole-Hamilton presses Health Secretary over long waits for cataract surgery

Davey: PM must show Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising Palestine

Commenting ahead of Keir Starmer’s meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow, where the PM is expected to raise the situation in Gaza, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Starmer must urge Trump to use his influence with Netanyahu to end the unconscionable suffering in Gaza through securing a ceasefire and getting much needed aid in. But it’s clear that only proper recognition the of Palestinian state by the international community will finally make way to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.

The Prime Minister should make clear to Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising the state of Palestine.

Jardine challenges Government over long waits for driving tests

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has today challenged the UK Government to cut long waits for driving tests and do more to block the reselling of block-booked driving tests as she revealed that three quarters of Scotland’s test centres have longer waits than the national average.

Media reports and constituents have raised concerns over long waits for practical driving tests and unscrupulous booking practices where individuals or companies buy up available driving test appointments and then resell them to learners, often at inflated prices.

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Mark Valladares

25 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 25th July 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans
  • Davey urges PM to pressure Trump on ending the humanitarian disaster in Gaza
  • Doctors strike: Lib Dems call for patients to be sent to private hospitals to ease impact
  • Lib Dems call on RAF to ‘lead the way’ on Gaza airdrops
  • Lib Dems call for Family Farms Tax U-turn as record number of farms close

Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on Keir Starmer to launch a UK airdrop operation over Gaza, in response to the reports of mass starvation and the mounting number of deaths related to malnutrition.

The operation would involve RAF planes supplying aid into Gaza from the air. Similar operations were undertaken by British pilots in Spring 2024, delivering hundreds of tonnes of aid to support humanitarian relief efforts in the Strip.

The call comes as over a hundred humanitarian organisations have warned that the population of Gaza is at risk of mass starvation as a result of the Israeli Government’s failure to comprehensively reopen aid supply routes across the occupied territory.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is simply inhumane that the entire population of Gaza is at risk of starvation as a direct result of Israel’s aid blockade. The time for words is over – now we must act. That should include the UK Government conducting a fresh set of aid airdrops over Gaza.

Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land. But the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe we are now witnessing requires us to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get aid to Gazans.

The Prime Minister should secure agreement from other international partners that they will follow the UK’s example and conduct their own airdrops. This must be alongside a redoubling of our collective effort to secure the total reopening of aid supply routes on the ground – the most effective and sustainable way to alleviate the suffering of Gazans.

Davey urges PM to pressure Trump on ending the humanitarian disaster in Gaza

Ed Davey has written to the Prime Minister urging him to work with President Trump to bring an end to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza ahead of the US President’s visit to the UK this weekend.

In his letter, Davey emphasised that Starmer has a “crucial window” to persuade President Trump to take decisive action to end the conflict in Gaza. Davey condemned Trump’s grotesque previous comments on Gaza, while acknowledging the US President’s significant sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu.

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Mark Valladares

24 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 24th July 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Unsolved crime epidemic continues as shoplifting cases soar by 20%
  • UK/India Trade Deal: Only a fraction of what we could get from the EU
  • Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans
  • Welsh Lib Dems comment as waiting lists rise again

Unsolved crime epidemic continues as shoplifting cases soar by 20%

Following the release of new crime statistics, the Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour Government of not doing enough to tackle the “unsolved crime epidemic” left behind by the previous Conservative government.

The statistics revealed that in the year ending March 2025, shoplifting offences soared by 20% to the highest figure on record since current police recording practices began in 2003. 530,643 shoplifting offences were recorded across England and Wales, compared to 444,022 in the previous year.

56% of these cases went unsolved, while just 20% resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.

The statistics also uncover the shocking extent of unsolved crime in England and Wales. 2,071,156 crimes went unsolved in the year ending March 2025. This is equivalent to 5,674 crimes going unsolved every single day.

Meanwhile, just 387,891 crimes resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed – accounting for less than 7.3% of cases.

In the wake of these new statistics, the party has renewed their call on the Government to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners and invest the savings in frontline policing, enabling a return to proper community policing with more bobbies on the beat.

The party would replace PCCs with local Police Boards made up of councillors and representatives from relevant local groups, which would be properly accountable to the communities they serve, at a fraction of the cost of PCCs.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:

Every day, thousands of innocent victims are being left without the justice they deserve after falling victim to heartless criminals. It is an absolute scandal.

The previous Conservative government left behind a legacy of failure, but the Labour government has not been quick enough to address the unsolved crime epidemic – particularly as shoplifting spirals out of control.

This neglect of victims cannot be allowed to continue. Our high streets and communities deserve better than this. If the Government wants to deliver safer streets, cracking down on the unsolved shoplifting epidemic must take priority.

Scrapping wasteful Police and Crime Commissioners is the first step towards returning to real community policing and getting more bobbies on the beat.

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