23 May 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Telegraph deal: stake promised to UAE before legislation approved “puts the cart before the horse”
  • With just weeks to go, 125,000 meters still need replaced
  • UK Government admits it doesn’t know how much Welsh Rail electrification would cost

Telegraph deal: stake promised to UAE before legislation approved “puts the cart before the horse”

Responding to reports that the Telegraph has agreed a deal with a US private equity firm but that the UAE will retain a 15% stake, Chris Fox, Liberal Democrat Lords’ Spokesperson for Business and sponsor of the fatal motion to block the legislation allowing foreign state stakes in British papers, said:

Promising a stake in the Telegraph to the UAE before Nandy’s legislation has passed Parliament puts the cart before the horse.

We don’t believe in letting overseas states buy their way in to influencing the news we read. We’ll move to block the law as soon as it reaches the Lords – and can win the vote if the Conservatives do the right thing and stand with us.

The new permissions for foreign ownership of newspapers simply don’t exist yet, and there’s many lawmakers who don’t believe they should.

Of course we want to see our iconic British papers survive, but editorial independence must be shielded from foreign sway – not just in the current case, but for all future deals cut on UK newspaper ownership as the media landscape continues to change beyond recognition.

With just weeks to go, 125,000 meters still need replaced

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart has called for urgent action to prepare for the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off as she highlighted figures showing that with just weeks to go there are just under 125,000 meters still to be replaced but just 5,000 per fortnight are being replaced.

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From working in Greggs to becoming a Deputy Mayor

“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style”.

If someone told me exactly 20 years ago that I would become a Deputy Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, I wouldn’t have believed. Although I completed my MA Degree in History in Poland and Croatia, which included learning about the UK Parliament and its democratic processes, I don’t think that I understood the function of Mayor as well as the role of the Local Authorities. Starting in Greggs, then moving to a well-known retailer, Hertfordshire Council, Secondary School and eventually, landing in the Community and Voluntary Sector, which played a huge part in enabling me to fall in love with charities, local groups and grassroots organisation on issues such as engagement, community participation and capacity building.

Moreover, for purely political reasons and democratic composition of our Council, it would not be possible for me to even contemplate the possibility of putting myself forward and actually winning the contest.

It was quite a privilege to be appointed as the Deputy Mayor at the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s AGM on Monday, 19th May. It was equally amazing to be elected as the first Polish and European national to this role. It was wonderful to see a group of 30 people, to my surprise, who joined the meeting. The quiet Chamber has suddenly become a bit noisier! It was so uplifting to receive a number of encouraging messages, since my appointment.

Am I excited? Yes? A bit nervous? Yes? However, I am hugely looking forward to the opportunity that presents itself. The chain itself helps, however I am so keen, as a passionate activist, to ensure that this role enables me to inspire others to make a difference. I will work my hardest to build bridges, connect people, and challenge negative attitudes and misconceptions. So, none of it is about me but about bringing residents of Welwyn Hatfield together in order to create a sense of fraternity and belonging. It is so important, especially today, when we seem to be often separated and far away from each other.

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ALDC by-election report, 22nd May

 Three by-elections on Thursday 22nd May, and a trio of Liberal Democrat defences. 

In Horsham, there was a by-election to fill the seat vacated by new Liberal Democrat MP John Milne. Congratulations to Cllr Louise Potter and the team on a good hold! 

West Sussex County Council, Horsham Riverside
Liberal Democrats (Louise Potter): 1193 (45.7%)
Conservative: 569 (21.8%)
Reform UK: 547 (21.0%)
Labour: 181 (6.9%)
Green Party: 118 (4.5%)

Liberal Democrats HOLD 

A successful defence too on Eastleigh Council, where Cllr John Shepherd was elected to be Lib Dem group leader Keith House’s latest ward colleague. Congratulations! 

Eastleigh Borough Council, Hedge End South
Liberal Democrats (John Shepherd): 1266 (44.4%, -8.7)
Conservative: 735 (25.8%, -3.8)
Reform UK: 728 (25.5%, new)
Labour: 122 (4.3%, -6.6)

Liberal Democrats HOLD 

Congratulations too, in Sutton, where a potentially tricky by-election defence in a Conservative / Lib Dem split ward was emphatically won by Cllr Lisa Webster. 

Sutton London Borough Council, Carshalton South & Clockhouse
Liberal Democrats (Lisa Webster):1674 (52.2%, +12.1)
Conservative: 767 (23.9%, -18.2)
Reform UK: 573 (17.9%, new)
Labour: 89 (2.8%, -5.4)
Green Party: 79 (25.5%, -7.1)
CPA: 23 (0.7%, new) 

Liberal Democrats HOLD 

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Technocracy vs populism

The Labour government have announced a U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts. Pondering over Sir Keir’s leadership of Labour and now his current premiership, I’ve noticed that he is fighting a battle which I feel is being overlooked. What I currently find is that there is a polarising divide for politicians where they seem to try and find a balance between technocracy and populism.

What do I mean by these terms? Well, for us political nerds, I think we all know what populist politics is. It can come in many forms, from the Corbyn era to the MAGA movement, it is there to serve as an alternative to the status quo of politics. More than just a technical opposition in parliament, populists aim to change the system altogether. What do I mean by technocracy? Well, that is what I would define as the ‘establishment’. Politicians and civil servants who create legislation and policy that makes minimal change to the institutions.

Looking at the government, the Prime Minister is a technocrat at heart. A pragmatist. What I have learned, being a former Labour member under his leadership, is that ideology is not what he is interested in. He cares about details and prides himself on preservation of institutions. That has been Labour’s weakness since their election victory in 2024; Labour campaigned on ‘change’ but have shown through their actions that there will be no meaningful change. For example, a key educational policy in their 2024 manifesto is to recruit 6,500 teachers. That sounds like a lot; however, figures have shown that in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, nearly 40,000 teachers left the profession. 6,500 new teachers will not solve the retention crisis of school staff.

Labour can point to raising wages, which I support, but that policy alone does not solve poverty or wealth inequality. In my personal position, the wage rise only amounted to me having roughly £6 extra onto my day rates in one of my jobs. I don’t live in poverty but as a working-class person, that policy hasn’t eased the financial pressures we all face.

Looking at the numbers, I understand why Labour made their decision of the winter fuel cuts. There are plenty of pensioners that, in my view, were going to suffer as a direct result of the policy and be pushed into poverty. However, there are pensioners that were receiving the payment when they were quite well off. Rory Stewart recently spoke of how his mother received the payment when she didn’t need to. With an ageing population, the winter fuel payment is extremely costly to the taxpayer. This is the technocratic argument.

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22 May 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Government borrowing figures: “warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury” – Lib Dems
  • Government back Lib Dem campaigns protecting victims of domestic abuse and sexual offence
  • Teachers’ pay award: Government “building castles in the sky” if they think schools can fund rise
  • First Minister misses two-year NHS waiting times target

Government borrowing figures: “warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury” – Lib Dems

Responding to the latest figures showing that Government borrowing in April was at its fourth-highest since records began, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

The warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury this morning.

Rachel Reeves has failed to get a grip on the mess left by the Conservatives, making a series of blunders whilst avoiding taking the bold action that would set us on the right path.

It is time for the Labour government to change course. The first steps must be scrapping the damaging jobs tax, reforming business rates and being much more ambitious in negotiations with the EU, pushing for a customs union that would create the growth we desperately need to rebuild public services and protect family finances. Short-sighted red lines will only doom Rachel to failure.

Government back Lib Dem campaigns protecting victims of domestic abuse and sexual offence

Today, the Government has agreed to act on two Lib Dem campaign priorities as part of their response to the Gauke Review.

In response to Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde’s campaign to formally recognise domestic abuse crimes in the law, the Government has announced it will create a specific, new categorisation that will enable judges to officially register offences as crimes of domestic abuse.

This would enable the Government to finally be able to exclude domestic abusers from its SDS40 early release scheme – which has so far allowed many domestic abusers to leave prison early in the absence of such a categorisation – putting victims at risk.

It will also mean the Government will now be able to track the number and reoffending rate of domestic abusers offenders. Josh Babarinde uncovered via a Written Parliamentary Question that currently, in the absence of a categorisation, the Government doesn’t know how many domestic abusers are in prison.

Sarah Olney’s longstanding campaign to enable victims of rape and sexual offences to request a transcript of sentencing remarks free of charge has also been included in the Government’s review.

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Words have power: London must champion migration, not demonise it

Migration is not a threat – it is the very foundation of London life. From the Romans and Anglo-Saxons to the Windrush generation and Ukrainians fleeing war today, migrants have always shaped this city into a dynamic, diverse capital. That should be a source of collective pride, not a target for political attack.

Yet when the Prime Minister dismisses immigration as a “squalid chapter” or warns of an “island of strangers” and “incalculable damage,” more than disappointing, it is downright dangerous.

Such rhetoric dehumanises communities and deepens division. In a climate of rising hate crime and attacks on asylum seekers – including the horrifying attempt last year to burn down a hotel with people still inside – the Prime Minister’s words are worse than insensitive: they are recklessly incendiary.

Words have power. They shape opinion, policy, and lives. In moments like this, we need leaders who speak with care, clarity, and courage – who choose unity over fear, and hope over hate.

Instead, the language from Number 10 echoes the darkest chapters of our political past, more suited to Enoch Powell than a modern leader. And while Sadiq Khan has said these are not words he would use, that’s not good enough from London’s Mayor.

When I pressed him directly today at Mayor’s Question Time about whether he considered the Prime Minister’s language dangerous, he refused to answer, instead deflecting repeatedly. Our diverse capital demands more than quiet disapproval and political evasion. London needs bold leadership willing to vocally reject divisive rhetoric – even when it comes from a Labour government – and to defend a simple truth: migration is not a crisis to contain, but a core part of who we are.

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On capitalisation

This is not a treatise on economics, but a minor rant about the use of capital letters.

American media often like to capitalise every word in their headlines. For example: Trump Lectures South African President in Televised Oval Office Confrontation (New York Times) and Trump Claimed This Photo Proved ‘Genocide’ Of White South Africans, But There’s 1 Big Problem (HuffPost)

There are some exceptions to this practice in the US: see Trump confronts South African president, pushing claims of genocide (Washington Post). However in the UK none of our media capitalise headlines. For example: Trump ambushes South African president with video and false claims of anti-white racism (The Guardian) and Trump makes South African president squirm by playing ‘white genocide’ video montage during astonishing Oval Office moment (Daily Mail).

Being a kind of language nerd, on my editorial days I tend to carefully remove unnecessary capitals from the headlines of posts submitted to Lib Dem Voice.

I am equally strict about American spellings of words when the context does not justify it.  “Defense” written instead of “defence” is a common error, and don’t get me started on “gotten”.

There is one exception to my rules – our wonderful contributor Tom Arms. Tom is an American, hence the Ex-Pat. I do leave his spelling intact, but I still can’t resist removing capital letters from headlines.

In his day as editor on Lib Dem Voice Mark Pack campaigned about the use of spaces after full stops – only one allowed, not two. For my part, I have been known to have a prolonged discussion with one of our academic contributors on the correct use of single and double speech marks, to the amusement of the other members of the LDV team. Mark and I are both published authors so we have had the experience of justifying our writing style and use of terminology to copyeditors and proof readers, which does help us to consolidate our position on these rather esoteric issues.

We don’t expect that level of linguistic nit-pickery in our contributors – but I would ask you, please, to avoid assigning random capital letters in your headings and general text. And do not use American spellings for good English words.

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Action on Gaza at last – but is it fast and far-reaching enough?

This week, as Israel intensifies its ground operation in Gaza and aid agencies warn of impending famine, the UK government seems to be finally taking a stand. On Tuesday, the UK joined France and Canada in issuing a joint statement condemning Israel’s ongoing aid blockade and military escalation and warning of “concrete actions” if the Israeli government fails to change course. The following day, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a series of new measures, including a formal pause on UK-Israel trade negotiations, targeted sanctions on illegal settlers, and the summoning of the Israeli Ambassador to the UK – a rare diplomatic move not taken since the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in April 2024.

These are important and long-overdue steps, signalling a shift in government rhetoric and a new willingness to intervene after months of equivocation. But in the face of daily mass atrocities in Gaza, tougher and more comprehensive measures are required to compel urgent, on-the-ground change and pave the way to just and lasting solutions.

The need for decisive international action could not be clearer. After eleven weeks of total blockade, at least 500,000 people in Gaza face a critical risk of famine. Following mounting international pressure, Israel is now allowing a “basic amount of food” to enter, but this is a fig leaf, nothing more, certainly nowhere near enough to avert mass death from starvation. The UN’s humanitarian chief has warned that 14,000 babies could die within days without immediate help. At the same time, Israel has launched a fresh ground offensive aimed at seizing yet more Palestinian territory and forcibly displacing the population, killing at least 500 Palestinians since the offensive began last week. In the West Bank, illegal settlement building, land seizures and settler violence continue to surge, with senior minister Smotrich vowing that Israel will “apply sovereignty” i.e. illegally annex the land before the current government’s term ends in 2026.

For too long, the UK government has enabled these atrocities through inaction, evasion, and quiet complicity. Even as international legal bodies have made clear that the Israeli government is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza and that its occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, UK ministers have carefully avoided directly acknowledging Israel’s breaches of international law, preferring instead to reference “risks” of breaches. Rather than using its leverage to press for compliance with international law, the UK has consistently sent a dangerous message: that Israel is free to violate international law with impunity.

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22 May 2025 – the overnight press releases

  • Accounts Commission report shows councils face “titanic gulf”
  • Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Bevan Foundation Report on Impact of Disability Benefit Reforms on Wales

Accounts Commission report shows councils face “titanic gulf”

Responding to the embargoed Accounts Commission report into Scotland’s council finances, which warns that despite the average council tax rising by 9.6%, local government continues to face recurring pressures in excess of funding uplifts, with councils identifying a difference of £647 million between anticipated expenditure and the funding and income they receive, Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesperson Jamie Greene said:

Local authorities have had a raw deal from the SNP over many

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21 May 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Inflation: High time the Government put in place a proper plan to boost our economy
  • Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers
  • Winter Fuel Payments: the “world’s longest u-turn continues”
  • Winter Fuel Payments: Serious proposal from the Prime Minister Needed
  • Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Gov Business Rates Consultation
  • Carmichael challenges Prime Minister to pause family farm tax

Inflation: High time the Government put in place a proper plan to boost our economy

Responding to inflation rising to 3.5%, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s grim figures reveal a triple whammy on Britain’s households – resulting from the Government’s disastrous jobs tax, Donald Trump’s devastating tariffs and April’s damaging business rates bill rises.

Ministers cannot allow inflation to spiral as it did under the Conservatives, but they risk repeating their record for as long as the employer’s National Insurance hike remains in place.

It’s high time the Government saw sense and put in place a proper plan to boost our economy: scrapping the jobs tax, standing with our allies to end Trump’s trade war, and urgently negotiating a new customs union with the EU. We must see bold action to deliver relief for millions of hard-pressed households.

Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers

Responding to reports that Thames Water has halted their bosses bonus scheme, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Environment, Tim Farron MP said:

This will hardly be cause to celebrate for the millions of Thames Water customers who continue to face eye-watering bills.

The public are rightly fed-up with having Thames Water’s mess dumped on them.

The Government must act now and replace Ofwat with a new regulator with real power that can properly hold water companies to account on environmental pollution and unjustifiable bonuses.

Winter Fuel Payments: the “world’s longest u-turn continues”

Responding to the Prime Minister saying that more pensioners will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments next winter, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The world’s longest u-turn continues.

The Prime Minister has today announced the ‘concepts of a plan’ that have come far too late for the millions of pensioners forced to freeze in their own homes over the winter.

The least those people deserve is an apology for this punitive policy and a serious proposal from the Prime Minister on how he will begin to pick up the pieces from his Government’s disastrous decision. Not vague words that will take months to materialise into something meaningful.

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In service of the common good

Retirement offers many opportunities the most important of which is time to enjoy some pursuits which employment rarely allows. Reading more books is one of these. And, in parallel with reading goes the opportunity to write. 

As you may know, I have written previously about my time working in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Recently, I have tackled a much bigger writing task – that of an autobiography. This has been a laborious but a hugely enjoyable exercise – digging out diaries, documents, photographs, press cuttings and perusing and choosing which to use.

Core to the book In Service of the Common Good is the fundamental importance to humankind of the common good, empathy and kindness especially in today’s increasingly dangerous and selfish world.  Interspersed with reflection and humour, there are naturally strong liberal themes throughout; professional advice on councillor/officer relationships and the pitfalls and opportunities of political coalitions.

The book has now been published and is on sale for £10 and £5 p and p.  All proceeds will go to that excellent charity The Samaritans which has a branch in Selkirk. 

To give you a flavour of the book which has 126 pages, the chapter headings are as follows:

Musings from the Second Top Diving Board

  1. An Edinburgh Foothold

       2.Path-Finding

  1. An Unexpected Diversion  
  2. Making Waves
  3. The World as Workplace
  • Land of the Long White Cloud
  • Democratic Aspirations
  • And Iraq
  • Not Brexit
  1. A United Kingdom
  2. Art is the Heart of Things
  3. Influence and Encounter
  4. A Royal Salute

     10. And More Besides

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Ed Davey’s Why I care and why care matters out this Friday

Ed Davey has written a book about his own varied and lifelong caring experience and it’s coming out on 22 May, just in time for me to take my copy with me on my Highland holiday.

He sent an email to party members telling us about the book and letting us know that we can get 30% if we pre-order by today.

He said:

As you know, caring is, and has been, much of my life. And yet, it is only since becoming Leader that I have felt comfortable and compelled to speak about it. In my first speech, I talked about being a voice for carers, and you will remember how the message grew into the story I shared in our election broadcast.

Opening up like that was a big decision for both Emily and me. But since then, we have received a fairly constant stream of support and kindness. My inbox has become almost like a meeting place for carers from all over the country to share their support, advice and kind words, and talk about their problems.

It truly solidified for me that telling our stories – the realities of caring, the joys and the struggles – is the most powerful way to change things. It cuts through the noise and reminds everyone of the human beings at the heart of this issue.

The thought that care might slip down the priority list scares me. It too often feels like governments see care as something that’s just… too complicated, too difficult to really tackle. And that’s a shame, because I believe it’s the very foundation of a healthy society.

And so, I have written a book.

I will be honest, it’s deeply personal for me, and for the four other carers whose stories I tell. At times, I found it difficult to write.

But with these personal stories, and my reflections on what it’s going to take to really fix care, I hope we can put care at the forefront of people’s minds, make it so real that it can’t be ignored.

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21 May 2025 – the overnight press releases

  • Water sector investigations: Doesn’t even begin to address sewage scandal
  • Reaching net zero is ambitious but achievable if SNP ditch familiar excuses

Water sector investigations: Doesn’t even begin to address sewage scandal

Commenting to the Government’s announcement into the number of criminal investigations into environmental breaches by water companies, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

81 investigations does not even begin to address the sewage scandal that has plagued British rivers and seas for far too long.

This is a national scandal which got far worse under the Conservatives’ watch. Their record is one of rising sewage levels and water firms stuffing

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20 May 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Health Foundation mortality report: must be a “wake-up call” for Government to turnaround these “unacceptable statistics”
  • Winter Fuel Payment: u-turn taking so long it puts “turning an oil tanker around to shame”
  • Jamie Greene taking on additional role as transport spokesperson
  • Lib Dems: UK Govt must ensure households compensated if worse off after RTS shutdown
  • Rennie: Decline in college staff shows SNP neglect of further education
  • McArthur comments on young offender death inquiry
  • Greene responds to Liberty Steel news
  • Cole-Hamilton presses SNP over failure to deliver Erasmus replacement

Health Foundation mortality report: must be a “wake-up call” for Government to turnaround these “unacceptable statistics”

Responding to a report by The Health Foundation, which revealed that by 2023, female mortality rates in the UK were 14% higher when compared with the median of 21 other high-income countries, with male mortality rates 9% higher, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Preventing avoidable deaths and protecting the public’s health should be at the top of any Government’s priorities and to see it neglected in this way, bringing immeasurable suffering to people and their loved ones, should be a wake-up call to us all.

The Conservatives’ catastrophic mismanagement of the NHS and their savage cuts to public health support have brought us to this point but the Labour government has shown nowhere near the ambition required to repair these unacceptable statistics.

It is not good enough for ministers to sit on their hands and watch the NHS and the opportunity to live a healthy life decay in this way. We need to see the Government step in as a matter of urgency, to reverse the cuts to the public health grant and bring an end to these devastating deaths.

Winter Fuel Payment: u-turn taking so long it puts “turning an oil tanker around to shame”

Responding to the Chancellor’s comments that she will listen to concerns over the Government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This U-turn is taking so long it puts turning an oil tanker around to shame.

The Government should feel embarrassed that it has taken a dire set of a local election results to realise what everyone has known from the start: this policy was doomed to fail and punished some of the most vulnerable.

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19 May 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

A day later than usual, as I was busy being “gloriously” re-elected as Chair of Creeting St Peter Parish Council…

  • Davey on UK-EU deal: “positive first steps” but PM must ignore Reform and Conservative “dinosaurs”
  • Youth Mobility Scheme: UK needs “explicit details” not “woolly commitments”
  • UK-EU deal: with “more ambition” economic benefits could have been “ten times greater”
  • Scottish Water failure to follow up Holy Loch spilling “woefully complacent”

Davey on UK-EU deal: “positive first steps” but PM must ignore Reform and Conservative “dinosaurs”

Responding to reports that the UK and EU have reached a deal to be announced later today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

These seem to be some positive first steps in rebuilding our relationship with Europe after years of a Conservative Party that wrecked trust and broke our relationship with our closest allies.

The Prime Minister must ignore the naysayers and dinosaurs in Reform and the Conservative Party and be more ambitious in getting the best deal in the national interest.

Youth Mobility Scheme: UK needs “explicit details” not “woolly commitments”

Responding to reports that a youth mobility scheme has been agreed only in principle, Liberal Democrat Europe Spokesperson, James MacCleary MP said:

After months of flip-flopping, it appears the Government won’t get a youth mobility scheme over the line today.

That’s incredibly disappointing – we need more than just a woolly commitment. While an agreement in principle marks progress after months of Lib Dem pressure on this issue, we should have been able to negotiate a scheme at today’s summit, rather than kicking the can once more down the road.

The Government must make it an urgent priority after talks end to map out explicit details on how and when the youth scheme will be introduced.

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Britain is adrift, and the silence is deafening

I didn’t plan to write this. I’ve just come through an intensive weekend, much of it spent in hospital. And it’s from my bed, in the quiet hours between the beeping monitors and the routine checks, that I’ve had time to reflect not just on health, but on the health of this country. This is after I have witnessed two Filipino nurses spoken to and treated like something under a shoe. They did not deserve to be racially embarrassed in public, simply for stating they finished their shift three hours ago.

Racism in Britain isn’t always loud. It’s often quiet, strategic, systemic. It’s in the job you don’t get. The voice you’re asked to lower. The opportunities that somehow never arrive. I’ve seen it play out in boardrooms and back rooms, on doorsteps and in data. And I’ve watched how it’s brushed aside by a political class that either doesn’t care, or pretends not to see it.
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We should be proud to be the party of business

After a moment of epiphany, everything changes. Our brains get re-wired, and the world looks like a different place. Some people travel the world in search of these epiphanies, seeking spiritual guidance in some far-flung, lush, or exotic corner of the planet

Me? My defining moment of epiphany struck in the West Midlands Town of Dudley, in an office block besides a roundabout off the A4123. I guess that’s the thing about epiphanies: they tend to surprise you.

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Mathew on Monday – An opportunity is opening up for Lib Dems…will we take it?

We live in strange political times. Polarised politics, suffocating social media, a faltering economy. People want certainty in an age of ever swifter geopolitical change.

Some fall for the easy answers of the hard Right and the uncompromising Left. Where does that leave the moderate Centre? Sat on the fence? Stuck in the middle of the road, primed to become roadkill? Never prepared to give an opinion or pick a side? Always waiting to see which way the wind blows before choosing a direction of travel?

That is certainly how some see us. Are they wrong? Are we just the least worst option? A protest vote? Can a party which once saw in its ranks (even if not at the same time) both Darren Grimes (right-wing media regular and now a Reform deputy County Council leader) and Zack Polanski (now deputy leader of the Greens and running to lead that party on an unapologetically eco-Left agenda) really believe in anything? Are we just a blank canvas on which anyone can paint their particular brand of politics and sell it as Liberalism?

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Social Liberal Forum Conference in Manchester, 7th June. We have much to talk about!

We have reached a key moment in British politics. The recent local election results show that the two party system is well and truly broken.

Of course we have been claiming that for many years, but the scale of the losses for the two main parties – both at the same time – were, according to John Curtice, unprecedented for local elections.

A lot of that was down to big Liberal Democrat gains, but most of that was down to the anti-liberal Reform UK party, who are now threatening to destroy the Tory party and to take away Labour’s working class base.

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We must be brave on immigration – now!

The Liberal Democrats have always been at their best when they’re brave – when we shout about things we believe in, even if they go against the current trend. Things that can tap into a seam of public opinion that is sympathetic but whose members have been wondering whether they are the only ones to think what they’re thinking.

At the end of a week that has seen Keir Starmer do his best Enoch Powell impersonation with his ‘island of strangers’ speech, we have an opportunity – nay, a responsibility – to stand up for immigrants to the UK. This is …

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16-18 May 2025 – the (long) weekend’s press releases (part 3)

  • Davey on UK-EU Summit: PM must be ambitious and not “dragged back” by Badenoch and Farage
  • £5bn from Youth Mobility Scheme would give Government “nowhere to hide” on winter fuel payment, say Lib Dems
  • Davey on care visas: ‘Don’t leave our loved ones in the lurch’
  • 2024 worst on record for ambulance equipment faults

Davey on UK-EU Summit: PM must be ambitious and not “dragged back” by Badenoch and Farage

Ahead of the UK-EU Summit, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has urged the Prime Minister to be “bold and ambitious for our country” and ignore “dinosaurs fighting old battles” in Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage.

The Lib Dems wrote to Labour MPs over the weekend, urging them to back closer trade ties with the EU to boost the public finances and avoid cuts to support for vulnerable families and pensioners.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said:

Keir Starmer must be bold and ambitious for our country in today’s summit. Voters were promised change by this government, and they have to deliver.

Being truly ambitious, including a new UK-EU customs union, would be the single biggest thing ministers could do to boost growth and fix the public finances.

Anything less would be a choice to limit growth, harming living standards and hitting the NHS and other public services.

The Prime Minister must ignore the dinosaurs fighting old battles, who want to drag us back to the destructive Brexit wars of the past, and focus on getting the best deal possible for the UK.

£5bn from Youth Mobility Scheme would give Government “nowhere to hide” on winter fuel payment, say Lib Dems

The Centre for European Reform claims that a Youth Mobility Scheme could add 0.45% to GDP over the long-term. New House of Commons Library analysis commissioned by the Liberal Democrats suggests that such growth could add roughly £5 billion to exchequer revenues a year.

The House of Commons Library has estimated that if GDP was 0.45% higher this could mean an additional tax revenue of around £5 billion a year in the long-run. The 0.45% figure was arrived at by a Centre for European Reform study on the economic impact of a Youth Mobility Scheme between the UK and EU.

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Welcome to my day: 19 May 2025 – Keir, you can only take progressive voters for granted if they don’t have a choice…

Watching the Starmer administration thrash about as it attempts to put Reform “back in their box” has been an increasingly unedifying experience over the past few weeks. And yes, it’s probably time to treat them like any other opponent now that they’re in a position of power in a number of county councils, but apeing them on immigration policy isn’t exactly doing that, is it?

I am not naive, however. Many Reform voters (in fairness, most voters) pay little attention to the day to day of modern politics. They don’t care who runs local services unless things go wrong, have little understanding of, or care about, the difficulties of local government finance. They just know that their council tax bills goes up every year, and the services get worse. And, if nobody else is active in their neighbourhood, why not vote Reform? It couldn’t get worse, surely?

Obviously, it can though. Letting a bunch of people who have little knowledge of how local government really works and whose prejudices are unsupported by the facts risks either a series of poor decisions or effective officer control. The former leads to ever more diminishing services, the latter to a loss of democratic oversight and accountability. But there will always be someone else to blame, and that will be what some voters will be happy to accept.

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16-18 May 2025 – the (long) weekend’s press releases (part 2)

  • Lib Dems urge Labour MPs to back closer trade with EU which could raise £25 billion a year and avoid welfare cuts
  • Record low number of frontline NHS staff receive flu jabs this winter as some areas see less than one in 10 vaccinated
  • Youth Mobility Scheme news a ‘glimmer of hope’
  • Scottish Water urged to get a grip as bills and bonuses rise

Lib Dems urge Labour MPs to back closer trade with EU which could raise £25 billion a year and avoid welfare cuts

The Liberal Democrats have sent a letter to Labour MPs urging them to back closer trade ties with the EU to boost the public finances and avoid “savage” cuts to support for vulnerable families and pensioners.

It comes as House of Commons Library analysis, commissioned by the party, has estimated that if GDP was 2.2% higher, that could mean roughly £25 billion in extra tax revenues a year. The 2.2% figure is from independent analysis by Frontier Economics commissioned by Best for Britain and is for GDP in the long-run based on a new trade deal with the EU that secured deep alignment on goods and services.

This would easily be enough for the Government to U-turn on its cuts to winter fuel payments (£1.5 billion) and disability benefits (£5 billion), along with future cuts to public spending expected to be announced by the Chancellor in the Spending Review next month.

In the letter sent to Labour MPs, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller will say his party would be willing to work constructively on securing a new trade deal with Europe, providing the boost to public finances needed to reverse cuts to disability benefits and the winter fuel payment. The Liberal Democrats’ 72-strong group of MPs is the largest third party in 100 years. Over 100 Labour MPs have reportedly signed a letter calling on the Government to back down from the welfare cuts.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new trade deal with the EU including a new UK-EU customs union, which would significantly reduce red tape for British businesses exporting to the continent. Previous independent analysis has found that close alignment with the EU on goods and services could boost GDP by 2.2%. The House of Commons Library has estimated that if GDP was 2.2% higher, this could boost annual tax revenues by roughly £25 billion.

Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller MP said:

A far more ambitious trade deal with Europe, including a new UK-EU customs union, would be the single biggest thing ministers could do to boost growth and fix the public finances.

The Liberal Democrats stand ready to work constructively with Labour MPs to boost trade with Europe and avoid savage cuts for vulnerable families and pensioners.

The local elections showed the Government is facing a massive backlash for failing to deliver the change the country was promised. Ministers now face a stark choice: be bold enough to change course or continue with policies that are harming people and our economy.

Record low number of frontline NHS staff receive flu jabs this winter as some areas see less than one in 10 vaccinated

A record low of 37% of frontline health service staff took up flu jabs this winter, with some areas seeing less than one in 10 receive the vaccine. This came as hospitals battled a surge in those admitted due to the disease, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

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16-18 May 2025 – the (long) weekend’s press releases (part 1)

  • Davey on European Political Community Summit: PM needs to be “bold and ambitious” but EU leaders need to “play ball”
  • EFRA committee report: Government “must listen” and “ditch tax”
  • Greene blasts incompetence at the Water Industry Commission
  • Greene: If SNP won’t ban conversion practices, they should let me do it

Davey on European Political Community Summit: PM needs to be “bold and ambitious” but EU leaders need to “play ball”

Ahead of the European Political Community Summit, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Prime Minister must be bold and ambitious, using today’s talks to set out his stall for Monday’s vital ‘reset’ summit.

Between securing a youth mobility scheme, agreeing a comprehensive defence pact and making progress on building a bespoke customs union, he has the opportunity to deliver genuine growth and security for our country.

EU leaders need to play ball too. In the face of Trump’s unpredictability and Putin’s barbaric imperialism, it’s vital that we deepen our cooperation across trade and defence – and prevent talks stalling in a quagmire of petty disputes. A proper deal between the UK and EU will benefit us all.

EFRA committee report: Government “must listen” and “ditch tax”

Responding to the EFRA committee’s report saying that the Government must rethink the family farm tax, Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Spokesperson, said:

The Government’s disastrous family farm tax has been a hammer blow to many farms up and down the country. The EFRA committee is absolutely right to call for a pause to rethink this dreadful tax.

Lib Dems have been hounding the Government from the very start to axe the family farm tax and protect those farmers already hanging by a thread after years of being failed by the Conservative party, with a botched Brexit deal, rocketing bills and plunging incomes.

It’s about time the Government started listening to farmers — and that starts by admitting they were wrong, listening to this report and ditching the family farm tax.

Greene blasts incompetence at the Water Industry Commission

Responding to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee which notes that a ‘catalogue of failures’ led to the inappropriate and unacceptable use of public money at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and calling on the Scottish Government to review its systems for identifying concerns with public bodies to ensure any issues are caught at an early stage, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said:

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Tom Arms’ World Review

A divided Supreme Court?

Birthright citizenship coupled with the power of the courts v. the executive was up before the Supreme Court this week. And it looks as if the court is divided.

A decision will take time, probably a couple of months. But based on the questioning from the Bench it appears as if a decision could go either way, or be wrapped up in so much qualifying legal mumbo-jumbo as to be nearly useless.

Birthright citizenship and the courts v the president are two separate issues but they have been judicially linked because the lower courts have been blocking Trump’s plans to deport more than 5 million people who were born in the US to parents who were illegal aliens.

There are 94 District Courts in the US that hear cases involving the US constitution that are brought to them by people in their district. A ruling by one of the federal judges in those districts can be applied nationally. This means that one of Trump’s Executive Orders can be blocked until the Supreme Court finds time to make a final ruling. This could take many frustrating months—if not longer.

The Trump Administration wants the law changed so that a District Court’s judgements apply only to their district. This would, of course, substantially increase the power of the presidency and his Executive Orders, but could create a confusing judicial quilt of which laws apply where.

Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the The 13th Amendment of the US constitution. The amendment is a direct result of disputes leading up to the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery after it. In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that African American slaves had no right to citizenship. That meant that when Lincoln issue the Emancipation Declaration on January 1, 1863, the slaves were freed but they were also stateless. The 13th Amendment was meant to correct that.

When it was passed in 1865, no one thought at the time that the amendment would become a loophole for illegal aliens to establish citizenship for their children and a moral right to residency for themselves. But it is still the law. And because it is in the constitution, it is a chiselled in legal granite law.

The only way it can be changed is by amending the constitution. This involves one of two processes. The most difficult is a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress followed by passage of the change by three-quarters of the state legislatures. The second, more usual route, is by ratifying conventions in three-quarters of the states. Both are difficult and time consuming and the reason why the constitution is rarely amended.

Trump likes moving at speed, which is why he is hoping that the Supreme Court will either find a way to declare the 13th Amendment null and void or come up with a work around that will allow him to circumvent it.

Midterm dilemma

Republican Congressmen and Senators are in a bind. Or at least they will be in November 2026 when all of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are up for election.

I keep hearing that a growing number of the Republican congressional club are fed up, appalled and seriously worried at the way that Donald Trump is riding roughshod over the constitution, destroying established trade patterns with his tariffs and jettisoning important allies.

But they feel trapped. If they speak up. If they oppose him. They risk losing their seats. And if they lose their seats they lose the platform from which they can oppose him if they can find a way to do so.

It has happened before. Liz Cheney was a highly respected, extremely conservative, Republican senator who vociferously opposed Trump because she thought he was a dictator in the making. Trump turned to his loyal MAGA base and told them to dump Cheney in the Senate primaries and support the far-right MAGA alternative. They did as instructed.

Cheney’s demise was an object lesson for ever centrist-minded Republican in Congress. Tow the Trump line are you are out. Hence the climate of Omerta which has descended on Capitol Hill.

But, Trump is falling in the approval stakes. The majority is starting to turn against the president. Not everywhere. In some states MAGA remains dominant. But enough states that the anti-Trump vote is like to return enough Democrats for the Republicans to lose control of the House of Representatives.

Republican anti-Trump lawmakers are thus caught in the middle between Trump and the MAGA crowd on one side and baying Democrats on the other. It may just be possible that moving against Trump now could win them enough centrist and Democratic votes to keep their seats. That, however, seems unlikely.

Anti-Trump Republicans still, have 18 months until the next election. Will they remember their oath to defend the constitution, rediscover their morals and fight against Trump’s increasingly corrupt authoritarianism? If they do—and lose—at least they will have the knowledge that they went down fighting.

Nobel ambitions

Donald Trump desperately wants the Nobel Peace Prize. One of his success v failure yardsticks is outdoing Barack Obama. Obama won the peace prize. Trump must have it too.

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IDAHOBIT: How Lib Dem Councillors are fighting for LGBT rights

The recent Supreme Court judgement on the definition of a women by “biological sex”, a concept described by BMA resident doctors as “scientifically illiterate” has caused real anxiety amongst trans people whilst not making women any safer. In fact, with the current media focus on toilets and changing rooms, it’s likely to lead to all women being less safe and subject to challenge if they don’t conform to gender stereotypes.

It’s a lose-lose if ever there was one. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued interim guidance regarding the use of single sex facilities which is about as extreme as they could manage. It’s interesting to note that one of the judges who wrote the Supreme Court judgement said that these issues were beyond its scope, yet the EHRC has taken the cruellest approach that it could.

However, the Guardian reported this week that staff at the EHRC have expressed concern about the guidance and the fact that two weeks consultation was given. This is likely to be extended to six weeks.

One EHRC source said there had been significant disquiet among staff about the interim guidance and the way it was drawn up before being published on 25 April.

They said: “Most people, including some fairly senior ones, had no idea the interim guidance was coming until it was published late on the Friday evening.

“They woke up to texts from family members and friends saying: ‘What’s going on?’ Staff working on sex and gender issues hadn’t been told, and nor had the duty press staff who were meant to explain it to the media. It was completely shambolic.

“This is, understandably, a fairly inclusive workplace and quite a few staff have trans friends or even partners. They suddenly had to try and explain this guidance which made no sense.

All of this will affect Councils as they will have to look at they provide services. Lib Dem Councillors across the country will soon be able to access suggestions for their own trans-inclusive motions to submit  for debate in their areas. Lib Dem Women has been working with LGBT+ Lib Dems and ALDC to put together a draft for Councillors to use. it will be circulated to their members very soon.

In Edinburgh, Lib Dem Councillor Euan Davidson was instrumental in ensuring that the Council passed a motion recognising that trans people were anxious and re-affirming its position that LGBT people should feel welcome in the city.

Here is his speech in full, which you can watch here.

I want to start by saying that whilst we accept the Supreme Courts ruling let us be clear: trans people have been quietly and respectfully using the facilities that match their gender for over two decades. Without incident. Without uproar. Without chaos. What has changed is not their conduct—but the temperature of the national debate and the fear being sown in its wake by politicians pitting two vulnerable groups again one another.

And that fear is real. I have heard from LGBTQ+ constituents who are frightened to go about their daily lives. Who now feel they must look over their shoulders. Who feel less safe, due to the confusion and chaos left in the wake of the court’s rulng.

Let’s also be clear on this: trans rights are human rights. The Equality Act still protects people from discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment. The Supreme Court ruling affirms this. But in the absence of leadership from the UK Government—indeed in the presence of active confusion and hostility—too many public bodies are retreating. They are excluding. And they are, in some cases, going further than the law ever intended.

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IDAHOBIT: Christine Jardine “I will fight for entire LGBT community

Editor’s Note: This first appeared on the party website:

As we mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia this year, I am sadly reminded of how much more still needs to be done.

The past few years have been difficult and worrying, particularly for trans people. They have been targeted by divisive culture wars, too often stoked by the Conservatives and right-wing media. It’s more important than ever that the Liberal Democrats stand up for trans people – including by pushing the Government to ensure the Supreme Court ruling doesn’t lead to a roll back of trans rights.

Today gives us an important opportunity to acknowledge the violence and discrimination that too many LGBTQ+ people face, and reflect on what we can do to help change it.

Because far too many LGBTQ+ people face discrimination, prejudice and abuse, just for being who they are.

The statistics paint a sobering picture. Two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people report that they have experienced anti-LGBTQ+ violence or abuse. The number of hate crimes recorded against trans people have more than doubled in the last five years.

The LGBTQ+ community deserves so much better than this – and I believe that us politicians have a responsibility to help push for that positive change. Not just in the language we use, but also in the policies we push for.

I’m delighted that our party reaffirmed its commitment to LGBTQ+ rights at our Spring Conference. That includes bringing forward a clear plan to tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime. Like ensuring that hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are counted as aggravated offences, and delivering better training for police on preventing and prosecuting anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.

It’s not just about hate crime, either. Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia touches on every aspect of people’s lives. We want to see a world where nobody’s life chances are limited by their sexual orientation or gender identity.

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IDAHOBIT: Jamie Greene MSP: If SNP won’t ban conversion practices, they should let me do it

Our newest MSP Jamie Greene has hit the ground running since he joined us last month. Since being appointed as Economy and Finance spokesperson by Alex Cole-Hamilton, he has been holding the SNP to account on such issues as their spectacular ferry failures.

He knocked it out of the park on Debate Night (BBC Scotland Question Time equivalent which, unlike its UK counterpart, you can often watch without losing the will to live) on Wednesday. Here he is challenging Labour’s Melanie Ward about Keir Starmer’s disgraceful language on immigration:

The SNP Government recently announced that it was lobbing its promise to legislate to ban conversion practices into the very long grass. This week, Jamie challenged them to let him take the Bill through Holyrood if they won’t.

He said:

All political parties promised to back change in the law in their 2021 Holyrood manifestos. The SNP made an explicit promise if they got into government to introduce this Bill and haven’t.

It’s no wonder political parties were banned from taking part in this year’s Pride events. Organisers say they are sick of warm words of encouragement to the LGBT+ community and want action.

It might be politically unappealing in an election year to have difficult conversations and debates of this nature, but backing down from promises and shying away from the argument is an insult to those affected by this abhorrent practice

I’ve made a simple offer to the SNP government: introduce the legislation this year, and if you can’t, or won’t, give the Bill to me and I will introduce it.

The only blockage now is the Scottish Government. So it’s over to them: do they say you support the LGBT community in words alone or will they take action?”

The text of Jamie’s letter to Equalities Minister, Kaukab Stewart, is as follows:

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Lib Dems mark IDAHOBIT 2025 – we support you, we stand with you

The sun is shining, it’s Brussels Pride (where Lib Dem Women chair Donna Harris is today),  Doctor Who Eurovision (the Interstellar Song Contest featuring Rylan) and Actual Eurovision from Basel and it’s IDAHOBIT, the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Could a day be any more fabulous?

The LGBT community needs a moment of respite. Life for them, particularly our trans colleagues, is fairly unremittingly awful at the moment. I don’t know a trans person who isn’t scared about doing something as fundamental as going to the loo when they are out.  The UK is sliding down the international rankings as a good place for LGBT+ people to live at an alarming rate.

It’s not long after 10 as I write this, and already there have been a fair few good things from Liberal Democrats. Way too much to fit into one post, so there will be a few throughout the day.

First up, is Ed Davey’s video message which sends an unequivocal message to the LGBT+ community: the Liberal Democrats will never stop fighting to build a country where you are truly free to be who you are.

LGBT+ Lib Dems said:

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Observations of an ex pat: Middle East

The Middle East has been called Byzantine, a snake pit and a political cesspit. It is a land where there are said to be no national interests, only interests. Where today’s enemy is tomorrow’s bedfellow and vice versa.

The region’s many leaders have changed horses so many times that the horses are dizzy.

All the above is especially true today when the region’s faraway overlord—the President of the United States—is likely to change his mind at the drop of a bitcoin, especially if the coin drops into his account.

This week Donald Trump has been touring the region and it has changed. The Arabs and the Turks are very happy with America. The Iranians may be coming around. The Israelis are—surprise, surprise—unhappy with the mercurial president.

One of the reasons that the Turks and Arabs are pleased is that the US is lifting sanctions on Syria. This became a certainty when Trump met with Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa and pronounced: “I think he has got potential.” Not so many months ago the US had a $10 million dead or alive bounty on his head.

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