Mark Valladares

3 June 2026 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 10:45 pm

Carmichael demands meeting with Coastguard boss after cuts to volunteer remuneration

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today written to the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Virginia McVea, to demand a meeting over cuts to Coastguard volunteer remuneration.

Currently Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs), which make up the bulk of the Coastguard Rescue Service, are given hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises – approximately £11 per hour. The MCA plans to change these rules following a Court of Appeal judgement earlier this year, which classed responders as “workers” while they were carrying out their duties.

Mr Carmichael said:

The

…

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Caron Lindsay

Adam Harley’s first speech

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 5:30 pm

New Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Adam Harley made his first speech in Holyrood yesterday, highlighting the importance of providing young people with opportunities, protecting important community facilities and restoring trust in politics.

Adam originally worked in theatre and the arts before moving over to the charity sector, fighting for the rights of people with cystic fibrosis to access life-saving medicines.

He has also volunteered for organisations educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds and has worked with community groups supporting young people in danger of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, helping them turn their lives around.

The text is below

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Tara Foster

A roadmap to Queer Equality

By Tara Foster | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 3:22 pm

Rebuilding the trust of the Queer Community will be a long road. Yet, it is one we have now begun.

I have written before about how the Party’s reluctance to meaningfully challenge the regressive trend of queer rights in the UK has resulted in a loss of trust from the trans community, pushing many dedicated and experienced activists to join the Green Party. But, as the response from the Party to the EHRC Code of Practice has shown, there is potential to turn around this regressive trend. The Party likes to talk about our outstanding record on standing up for queer rights – from abolishing Section 28 to being the architects of the legalisation of gay marriage – and whilst our momentum has slumped recently, the leadership’s response to the EHRC code shows a welcome turn in the right direction.

With this in mind, I have some suggestions for the Parliamentary Party on how we can play out part in resetting to the pre-2025 status on queer rights, and how we can go further. Britain was once the best in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights, and we can take that place again.

  • Our MPs have 4 slots available to them from this Sessions private members bill ballot. One of these must be allocated to a bill that changes the law to make the Equality Act’s definition of sex trans inclusive, as well as removing transphobia (gender critical beliefs) as a protected belief. The UK’s system of gender recognition must also be repaired, de-medicalised, and further empowered to ensure a genuine legal threat exists against those who would endanger trans people by outing them.
  • Consensus must be reached on the approach to protecting and supporting transgender children. We know that the suicide rate is rising and is under-reported. We know that the puberty blocker ban is wrong, having been widely discredited by global medical bodies. It’s time for our MPs to take the evidence-based approach, to dismiss the Cass Review for the unscientific shambles which it is, and advocate for a return to affirmative and clinician-led healthcare.
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Jack Meredith

Britain has privatised care into the family

By Jack Meredith | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 12:15 pm

At the heart of Britain’s care settlement lies a contradiction: unpaid carers are thanked for their work, while the growing responsibilities and stresses they face are ignored, with little to no reprieve.

Unpaid carers across the UK provide care worth approximately £184 billion a year, with more and more responsibilities absorbed by households, which increased by 29.3% between 2011 and 2022. Those same care responsibilities usually fall on one family member, with women aged 55-59 years old and living in the highest levels of poverty being most likely to provide unpaid care in Wales alone.

Public Health Wales …

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Jennie Rigg

A strange but welcome feeling

By Jennie Rigg | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 10:10 am

I write this as a serial and vocal complainer about much of what the Parliamentary Party does. I have been such for many years. Way back in the neolithic era I won awards for blogging my complaints. So it’s only fair that when the Parliamentary Party knocks something out of the park I be equally vocal with my praise.

Firstly, on Sunday, Ed Davey, our leader and Marie Goldman, our Equalities Spokes, sent this letter to Bridget Phillipson. The consensus among the exec of LGBT+LDs was “well, we might have worded a couple of things differently, but mostly, it’s really good”. We weren’t really surprised at Marie’s name being on it, because she’s been consistently great in the equalities role from day one, but Ed putting his name to it was a very welcome surprise.

Then yesterday’s debate on the EHRC New Section 28, I’m sorry, services guidance happened in parliament. And our MPs were MAGNIFICENT.

It’s worth reading the whole thing in Hansard, for exactly how great they all were (and how awful the non-responses from the Labour minister were), but I want to do a roll call. First up was Marvellous Marie, who pointed out how unworkable the guidance was, and asked the minister to consider new legislation.

Then came my fellow Yorkshirer Tom Gordon, who was appalled by the Tory response.

Then, Honorary President of LGBT+ LDs Queen CJ admonished the minister for her non-adherence to the spirit of the Equality Act.

Then, Layla Moran asked the minister to consider what would be the consequences if her assertions that this document provides protections for trans and non-binary folks were wrong.

Then, Josh Babarinde, our Party President, not only made the point that this code does nothing to protect women and girls, but also gave a shout out to LGBT+LDs and Lib Dem Women.

Then, Vikki Slade pointed out the lack of respect for human rights of trans and non-binary people.

Then, Charlotte Cane asked “Will the Minister consider changing the law so that the Equality Act lives up to its name?”.

And then Mike Martin asked for a vote on the code itself.

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Caron Lindsay

Fifteen years ago today……

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 9:37 am

Headshot of Andrew Reeves

Fifteen years ago this morning, I was woken up by an unusually early phone call from a friend telling me the devastating news that Andrew Reeves, our campaigns director in Scotland, had died suddenly at the heartbreakingly young age of 43.

Andrew was hilarious, incredibly hard working and very good at getting you to do very much more than you had ever planned to do for a particular campaign. We had known each other for years online before he moved to Scotland in 2008, but I first worked closely …

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Mark Valladares

2 June 2026 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Tue 2nd June 2026 - 11:00 pm
  • Cole-Hamilton calls for SNP inquiry and Sturgeon to assist cops
  • Transport Sec pushed on A9 dualling committee

Cole-Hamilton calls for SNP inquiry and Sturgeon to assist cops

Responding to Peter Murrell’s hearing today and confirmation that the majority of items bought with stolen funds have not been located, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

While there is a comical note to Peter Murrell purchasing shampoo and conditioner for his ill-gotten campervan, it is extremely serious that the SNP Chief Executive was routinely producing fraudulent invoices, especially when the party had received considerable sums of public money over the years.

This is just one reason

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Mark Valladares

2 June 2026 – today’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Tue 2nd June 2026 - 10:30 pm
  • Rennie puts questions to minister over Lower Melville Wood fire
  • Cole-Hamilton slams SNP for more miserable health figures
  • Youth unemployment in Wales soars nine times faster than Scotland as Welsh Lib Dems warn of “Lost Generation”

Rennie puts questions to minister over Lower Melville Wood fire

North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie has today written to the new community safety minister, Kirsten Oswald MSP, to raise more than a dozen questions about the Lower Melville Wood fire and how the incident was handled. He has also called for a public meeting to discuss the future of the site.

Following the major fire which broke out at the Lower Melville Wood waste processing and transfer facility three weeks ago, Willie Rennie has written to the Scottish Government’s new community safety minister to raise a number of questions which have been raised with him by people in the area around the fire who have been worst affected, and which he wants to be addressed by an investigation into the fire.

These questions include:

  • What was the initial cause of the fire?
  • Why was the fire able to spread across the compartments to the neighbouring waste when those compartments were designed to stop spread?
  • Did other fires on the site in recent months trigger an upgrade to fire prevention measures?
  • Why was there so much waste stored on the site?
  • Why was the fire judged to be level one?
  • Why was it not felt necessary to have local, mobile air quality monitors?

He has also questioned the communications to local people throughout the incident, which he described as ‘poor’.

Willie Rennie said:

The fire was a major incident and I am grateful to the emergency services and other staff who have been involved in dealing with it. It has been difficult, methodical work to contain the fire and dowse a large volume of smouldering material. While I have tried to get answers for local people, I believed that the focus should be on dealing with the incident.

However, now that the emergency services have returned the site to Cireco, I want to turn to an investigation into this incident. This needs to be carried out thoroughly and robustly but also as quickly as possible. Local people also believe that it should be carried out independently.

Throughout the fire many of the people living closest to it – the people who were hit hardest by smoke, exacerbated medical conditions, and road closures – felt that they were left in the dark, without clear communications from the authorities dealing with this incident. They are looking for explanations and assurances, and they deserve to get them.

That is why I have written to the Scottish Government to set out what I believe needs to be included in the investigation. I have also made clear that there needs to be a public meeting to address these issue directly with the local communities.

Cole-Hamilton slams SNP for more miserable health figures

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has criticised the SNP for presiding over thousands of people waiting hours at A&E, huge numbers of patients marooned in hospital, long waits for mental health care and worrying vacancies amid nursing and midwifery staff.

New figures published today reveal:

On A&E waiting times, Alex said:

The fact that there were virtually no 12 hour waits when the SNP first took power shows just how much they have failed.

To cut these horrific waits, we need to fix the broken care system. The gaps in community care are a bottleneck that’s causing 2,000 people a night to be marooned in hospital when they don’t need or want to be there.

You simply cannot fix the NHS without fixing social care.

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The Voice

Michael Meadowcroft

By The Voice | Tue 2nd June 2026 - 9:08 am

Embed from Getty Images

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Michael Meadowcroft.

The West Leeds Dispatch reports:

“Former Liberal MP for Leeds West, alderman, journalist and political affairs consultant, Michael Meadowcroft, has died at the age of 84 after a short illness, his family have announced.”

We will, of course, carry a full obituary for Michael in due course.

For now, we link to a 2020 piece Michael wrote for Liberal Democrat Voice which politely gave the party a kick up the proverbial, ending with these words:

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday: Pluralism Means More Than a Slogan

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 1st June 2026 - 6:16 pm

On Saturday I travelled down to London to attend the Compass and Progressive Economy Forum’s Change: NOW! Conference, which brought together around 700 people from across the progressive spectrum for what felt like a serious and timely conversation about the future of politics in Britain.

In an age of deep political fragmentation, rising populism and the growing threat posed by Nigel Farage and Reform UK there was something very refreshing about spending a day at an event where people were prepared to engage with those beyond their own political tribe.

Speakers included Caroline Lucas, Vince Cable, Zack Polanski, Clive Lewis MP, Stella Creasy MP, the economist Gary Stevenson, Author and Observer columnist Will Hutton, and many more, representing a broad range of traditions, perspectives, and experiences.

One contribution in particular stayed with me.

Lib Dem MP for the South Cotswolds Roz Savage argued powerfully that “no one political party has a monopoly on good ideas.” It is an observation that sounds obvious when stated aloud, yet too much of modern politics is conducted ax though the opposite were true. Too often parties, including our own, retreat into their own comfort zones, convinced that wisdom begins and ends with those wearing the same colour rosette.

Savage went further. It is not enough, she suggested, to simply describe themselves as pluralists. We have to demonstrate pluralism in practice. We have to show voters that we are capable of working with those with whom we do not agree on everything in pursuit of outcomes that improve people’s lives.

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John Kelly

Urgent Call to Action by Lib Dem MPs on Palestine

By John Kelly | Sun 31st May 2026 - 11:30 am

Recent statements from the UK government and its representatives have made one thing abundantly clear: the Government fully understands both the dire situation on the ground in Palestine and the extent to which Israeli actions are violating international law. Sadly, what remains absent is any willingness to translate that recognition into meaningful action.  There is an opportunity for our MPs, when they return from recess next week, to make a difference.

Speaking at the UN Security Council this week, the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, Ambassador James Kariuki, described in no uncertain terms the appalling suffering of the people in Gaza as a result of the Israeli blockade. He referred to children “living amid sewage, parasites, and disease”, “images of newborn babies with rat bites on their faces” and UN reports of “widespread infestations now affecting almost 1.5 million people.” The statement also condemned the taunting of flotilla activists in a recent video posted by Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and called for an end to escalating settlement expansion and the forced displacement of Palestinians in the unlawfully occupied West Bank.

A similarly stark tone was adopted in a joint statement issued this week by the UK and allies on Israel’s rapidly advancing E1 settlement project, which would sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, making the territorial continuity necessary for a future Palestinian state virtually impossible. The statement could hardly have been clearer on the illegality of the project. “The E1 settlement development would divide the West Bank in two and mark a serious breach of international law,” it warned, adding that businesses “should not bid for construction tenders for E1 or other settlement developments” and should be aware of the “legal and reputational consequences” of participating.

Unfortunately, this strong rhetoric which follows nearly two years of handwringing by Labour Ministers, does not appear to have been matched by any consequential action. Despite its repeated expressions of concern, the UK continues to permit trade with Israel’s illegal settlements, continues to provide military assistance and arms exports to Israel, and remains unwilling to take steps to force a change in Israeli policy.

The warning to businesses over E1 ultimately amounts to little more than handwringing unless now backed by actual consequences for companies that proceed regardless. What is required is a serious package of measures proportionate to the gravity of the situation. That should include sanctions, including fines, for any UK firms that bid for tenders relating to settlement construction in the E1 area or elsewhere in Palestine, as called for by Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Calum Miller in his recent letter to the Foreign Secretary. As Calum’s letter notes, the government response should also include implementing the Liberal Democrats’ longstanding policy of banning all trade in goods and services with Israel’s settlements.

It is encouraging to see the Liberal Democrats leading on this issue, not only because of the deteriorating situation on the ground, but because there is now a genuine political opening to push the Government to go further. 

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 31st May 2026 - 9:30 am

Cuba

A $100 million would go a long way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the US blockade of Cuba.

The island’s communist government has already made big concessions on the economic front in an attempt to appease the Trump Administration.

It has legalised small and medium-sized private businesses; abolished Cuba’s dual currency; opened more than 2,000 additional occupations to private initiative and allowed exiled Cubans to invest in the island’s economy.

On the political front they have been less forthcoming. Only a handful of political prisoners have been released and there is no sign of the regime introducing freedom of expression or a reform of its judicial system.

There is also the additional problem of who distributes the aid should it be released. Havana says it will handle the distribution through established government channels. Washington says those channels are corrupt and the money must be distributed by the Catholic church.

Finally, there is the question of whether the $100 million carrot is a mere ruse. That the Trump Administration will settle for nothing less than complete regime change; the dismantlement of Cuba’s socialist state and the return to pre-1959 style American domination of the Caribbean island.

To achieve that, Washington may just have to invade the island. They increasingly appear prepared to do just that. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been parked in the Caribbean. The Cuban president, 94-year-old Raul Castro, has been indicted for murder.

And finally, Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the military option is more likely than the diplomatic.

Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu has proven himself a tough man. Since the October 7 attacks he has launched wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, to say nothing of the continuing turmoil in the West Bank. Few Israeli leaders have confronted so many enemies on so many fronts.

But toughness alone will not win the forthcoming election. Opinion polls show his approval ratings at between 40 and 47 percent and Likud is trailing a coalition opposition. If Netanyahu is to survive politically, he must prove not only that he can start wars, but that he can end them—and win them.

In Gaza Hamas has been badly damaged but not destroyed. This week the government ordered the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to increase their occupation from 64 percent of the territory to 70 percent. Yet despite repeated declarations of imminent victory from both Jerusalem and Washington, there remains no clear political settlement and no obvious answer to the question of what happens to Gaza when the fighting finally ends.

The ceasefire in Lebanon is meant to be an integral element in the ceasefire in the Iran War. Yet Israel continues to fire missiles into Lebanon and has moved ground forces into the southern part of the country to create a security zone. Netanyahu says he sees no reason to “take his foot off the pedal.” For many Israelis, a security zone may look like a military necessity. For others, it looks suspiciously like another open-ended commitment.

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Peter Black

What should the Liberal Democrats stand for?

By Peter Black | Sun 31st May 2026 - 7:55 am

Listening to David Miliband at the Hay Literary Festival a few days ago, two things that he said struck me as interesting.

The first was that the Labour government had been elected to effect change, but they have not changed enough. The second related to the high number of young people who have left school with no education, employment or training opportunity. Where is the triple lock for that cohort, he asked.

Of course, both of these statements are easy soundbites, needing much more policy detail and commitment before any government can make a difference, but if, as is the case, people are disillusioned with Starmer’s administration, and are casting around for an alternative, then why have the Liberal Democrats not stepped into the breach?

Just over a week ago from the time of writing this, Harrogate MP, Tom Gordon, posed the question on Liberal Democrat Voice of what his, and my party, should stand for.

He pulled out three examples from the King’s Speech, where the Lib Dems could adopt a distinctive position. These were a full ban on conversion therapy, with no exceptions, Leasehold Reform and opposition to digital ID.

My purpose is writing this is not to disagree with Tom’s analysis but to seek to extend it to a fuller list of how the Liberal Democrats can promote a radical and bold programme for change that will make people sit up and listen, a broader canvass if you like.

My list is not comprehensive and there will be items that others will want to add or take away from it, but if we are to use the opportunities that present themselves to grow our party then we need a narrative that will capture people’s imagination.

Above all, we need an engaged leadership who are prepared to embrace an agenda for change in a serious and compelling way, without the stunts and gimmicks that have lost us support in the past. 

None of these suggestions are new, it’s just that the party has appeared too timid to fight for them in the past.

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Jack Meredith

Swansea relaunches – a small story about why young Liberals matter

By Jack Meredith | Sat 30th May 2026 - 11:48 am

After a short hiatus, the Swansea University Liberal Democrats are back. The Swansea and Gower local party, working alongside university staff and students, is reviving the society at a moment when both local and national politics need it most.

Student political organising in Wales is not new. The Bangor Debating and Political Society has been running since 1849, and generations of Welsh public life have passed through rooms like it. The Swansea society is a small addition to a long tradition, and a welcome one.

The standard line is that young people have walked away from politics. It is not true. On the issues that matter most to them, such as housing, climate change, and civil liberties, they are more engaged, more informed, and more morally clear than any generation before them. The problem is not apathy; it is our political culture, which locks out far too many young people and refuses to evolve.

This is where student societies matter. They are not a nice extra; they are the most reliable pipeline a political party has for engaging young people. Every councillor, organiser, activist, and candidate I have ever met found their politics in a room not much bigger than a seminar suite. Relaunching our society is not symbolic. It is infrastructure.

That same infrastructure is essential to rebuilding the Welsh Liberal Democrats after the 2026 Senedd election. In Swansea and Gower, we canvassed every day, throwing everything we had into getting Sam Bennett elected. There was not much more we could have done, but an active university society collaborating with us would have helped us secure and grow the youth vote. Re-establishing the society now and giving it the durability to last does two things at once. It gives young people a real voice in the party, and it ensures we never again fight a Senedd election without their organised support.

The proof of what that organising delivers came in May 2026, when Beth Rowe won the Fairwood by-election for the Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. The Welsh Liberal Democrats came from fourth place to take the seat from the Conservatives, the product not of luck but of people knocking doors, having conversations, and showing up week after week. That is what a serious local party looks like. A thriving student society would feed more energy straight into that effort, allowing us to replicate that result across Swansea and Gower, Wales, and beyond.

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: The Elephant Returns

By Tom Arms | Sat 30th May 2026 - 9:24 am

For several years the Brexit elephant sat quietly in a corner of Westminster, ignored by politicians who hoped it would eventually wander away. Instead, it has stood up, stretched its legs and begun stomping through the corridors of power once again.

“Rejoin,” Brexit was a “catastrophic mistake,” declared wannabe prime minister Wes Streeting.

Not so fast, said other main contender Andy Burnham, he hoped Britain would rejoin “in my lifetime” (Burnham is 56), but feared that any sudden rush to rejoin would further divide an already divided country.

Former PM Tony Blair then entered the fray with his 6,000-word essay. The former staunch Remainer opposed a quick application to return to the European fold. Instead, Britain should concentrate on rebuilding its economy and repairing relations with Brussels.

The Liberal Democrats remain the most pro-European party. But even they are focused more on a gradual progression—a return to the Customs Union by the end of this decade and practical moves towards deeper cooperation and integration.

The Conservatives, Reform and the new far-right party Restore, are simply against anything that smacks of improved relations with Brussels.

But what about the Europeans? They opposed Britain leaving, but they do they want Britain back?

In many respects, Britain is quite a catch for the EU, especially as the Ukraine War  and the rise of China has forced it to focus increasingly on security issues. Britain has Europe’s largest navy with 450,000 tons under the Union Jack. France is just behind but current UK defense plans will put it well ahead by 2040.

Then there is the fact that Britain is a nuclear power. President Emmanuel Macron has talked about extending the French nuclear umbrella to other European countries. Such pledges would be more effective if they included the British deterrent.

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Liam Yip

ALDC by-election report, 28th May

By Liam Yip | Fri 29th May 2026 - 4:55 pm

One principal authority by-election took place this week in Swansea. The Conservatives were attempting to defend this council seat.

Swansea Council, Fairwood

This week’s by-election was triggered by the death of long-serving Conservative councillor Paxton Hood-Williams, who represented this council ward for over 20 years. At the most recent council elections in 2022, the Conservatives topped the poll, albeit with a much smaller majority than in 2017, whilst we finished in last place.

Turnout fell by nearly 10% in this by-election compared to 2022. We were able to leapfrog into first place, whilst the defending Conservatives plummeted down to fifth place.

Congratulations are due to Cllr Beth Rowe and the Swansea Liberal Democrats for this excellent result, substantially increasing our vote share here.

Liberal Democrats (Beth Rowe): 240 (29.3%, +19.9)
Labour: 185 (22.6%, –9.3)
Reform UK: 139 (17.0%, new)
Independent: 94 (11.5%, new)
Conservative: 84 (10.3%, –30.3)
Independent: 77 (9.4%, new)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Conservative

Turnout: 37.7%

Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams. A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

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The Voice

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie’s maiden speech in the Scottish Parliamnt

By The Voice | Fri 29th May 2026 - 12:11 pm

Sanne spoke yesterday in the debate on Scotland’s energy.

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Jack Meredith

Swansea relaunches: a small story about why Young Liberals matter

By Jack Meredith | Fri 29th May 2026 - 10:08 am

Apologies – this post has been removed for further editing by the writer.

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Toby Mortimer

Britain deserves better than a two-party trap

By Toby Mortimer | Thu 28th May 2026 - 1:02 pm

Every election, millions of people in Britain vote knowing their ballot probably will not matter.

If you live in a “safe seat”, your vote can feel irrelevant before you even enter the polling station. If you support a smaller party, you are constantly told you are “wasting” your vote. And if you back the winning party nationally, there is a good chance they will gain enormous power without anything close to majority public support.

This is not healthy democracy. It is managed frustration.

Britain’s First Past the Post voting system was designed for a different era — an era before modern political diversity, before devolved government, and before millions of voters stopped identifying with the old two-party tribes. Yet we still force 21st-century politics through an electoral system that rewards tactical voting over honest voting.

The result is a political culture built around fear instead of representation.

People are told not to vote for what they believe in, but against the outcome they fear most. Labour supporters are told to hold their nose to stop the Conservatives. Conservatives warn voters about Labour chaos. Smaller parties are squeezed out of debates despite representing millions of people nationwide.

And then Westminster wonders why public trust continues to collapse.

Proportional representation would not magically solve every problem in British politics. But it would create something we desperately need: a Parliament that actually reflects the country.

Under proportional systems used across much of Europe, parties win seats roughly in line with the votes they receive. That means cooperation becomes necessary. Consensus matters more. Politicians must persuade rather than dominate.

Critics claim coalition politics creates instability. But what is truly unstable about parties being forced to work together? What is stable about Prime Ministers changing repeatedly without public votes, or landslide majorities won on barely a third of the national vote?

The truth is that First Past the Post does not deliver strong government. It delivers unchecked government.

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The Voice

New policy working groups – are you interested?

By The Voice | Thu 28th May 2026 - 10:25 am

Three new policy working groups have been set up by the Federal Policy Committee, and they are seeking members. The working groups will take evidence and prepare policy proposals to submit to Autumn Conference 2027. The deadline for applications to join one of the groups is 8th June.

Click here for more information about how policy is developed in the Liberal Democrats.

The new groups are:

Victims of Crime

Victims of crime have been let down for too long. Many wait hours for a police response; many never see their crime investigated or the perpetrator charged; many wait years for the trial, prolonging the trauma.

A new working group will develop policies that cut across traditional policy silos to look at policing, the justice system and other public services from a victims’ perspective.

Apply here

Rural Issues

Rural communities face distinctive challenges and are being let down on everything from transport to health services to crime. They have been failed by a Conservative Government that took rural communities for granted and a Labour Government that clearly doesn’t understand them.

A new working group will develop distinctive Liberal Democrat policies that would protect rural communities’ public services and ensure they have access to decent public transport, affordable housing, adequate broadband connectivity, or protection from crime.

Apply here

Empowering Local Communities

For a hundred years, Liberals and Liberal Democrats have been fighting for fair votes, to give everyone equal power in our democracy and hold all Members of Parliament properly to account. We want to shift more power out of the centre in Whitehall, so local decisions are made by and for the people and communities they affect.

A new policy working group will develop our vision of a society where residents and community groups have far more control over the decisions that affect their communities. This will be a cross-cutting, thematic working, embracing voluntary community activity as well as elected local government.

Apply here

 

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Caron Lindsay

Yi-Pei Chou Turvey highlights importance of properly funded childcare tailored to rural communities in first speech

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 27th May 2026 - 8:05 pm

So, another day, another episode of dissolving into tears as a Lib Dem MSP makes their first speech in Holyrood. Yi-Pei Chou Turvey is my friend and I cannot describe how thrilled I am to have her at Holyrood.

Her first speech today, on childcare, is one she currently lives. She has three children and so completely understands the complexities of finding good childcare. She was well placed to pull the SNP down to earth a bit from its self congratulatory parliamentary motion, pointing out that someone who was a baby when they came to power could have their own children now.

She called them out for expecting Councils to do lots of service delivery but not providing sufficient funding, of the impossibility of providing breakfast clubs over a large rural area, of the costs of childcare which often mean that parents – and let’s be real here, that’s most often mothers – cut back work or even leave their jobs completely. Yi-Pei talked about how our plans would help the parents who needed it most to enable them to stay in work which in turn would benefit the economy.

Watch her speech here:

 

The text is below:

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Caron Lindsay

Duncan Dunlop MSP’s first speech: a compelling commitment to improving things for children in care.

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 27th May 2026 - 3:39 pm

Yesterday, our new MSP for the South of Scotland, Duncan Dunlop, made his first speech in the Holyrood Parliament and it had me simultaneously in bits, furious and relieved that vulnerable children in our care system now have a champion they can look to in Parliament to fight their corner.

He was withering in his criticism of the Scottish Government’s flailing reform of the care system. He described a horrible incident experienced by a young man who had just been rejected by his mum.  He read out the first names and children of care-experienced children he had known who had died, and saying he estimated that over 2 million days of life will not be lived by them and other care experienced young people who have died.

His critique includes the failed Promise, which was intended as the benchmark for the care system in Scotland.

Duncan, who is a former youth worker and Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland. He told the stories of young people who the state has failed.

Watch here.

The text is below:

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Lord William Wallace

National Conversations we need to have

By Lord William Wallace | Wed 27th May 2026 - 11:57 am

Nearly a year ago the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) set out its understanding of the transformed international environment this country now faces, and called for the government to lead ‘a national conversation’ on how we should respond.  Yet since then there has been silence from the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, and only muffled warnings about Russian activities from the Defence Secretary – to the intense frustration of Lord Robertson and General Barrons, two of its authors.  Robertson has accused the government of ‘corrosive complacency’ in its passive response.

We desperately need a number of intense national …

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Tom Reeve

Meet the Overtons

By Tom Reeve | Wed 27th May 2026 - 10:25 am

Two-thirds of the British public believe that ordinary working people do not get their fair share of the nation’s wealth. That figure has risen ten percentage points since 2019. Trust in government is at record lows. Dissatisfaction with the NHS, with social care, with housing, with the basic functioning of the state, is at or near levels never previously recorded in four decades of the British Social Attitudes survey.

And yet support for more welfare spending has fallen to its lowest point since the survey began. Read those two facts together. The public is not saying the system is fine. It is saying the fixes on offer do not work. People have lost faith not in the idea of fairness but in the instruments that are supposed to deliver it. They are ready for a different argument. They are waiting for someone to say: the economy is a human-made system, and we can remake it.

So where are the Liberal Democrats?

I would like to introduce you to the Overtons. You will know them. They are in every policy working group, every conference fringe, every strategy call. They are the people who hear a proposal for genuine economic reform and say “that’s outside the Overton window” as if they have ended the argument rather than ducked it. They treat the boundaries of current political acceptability as load-bearing walls, when in fact they are furniture, and we are allowed to move them.

The Overtons are not bad people. They think they are being strategic. They think they are protecting the party from looking extreme. But they are reading the room they were in ten years ago. The public has moved. The Overtons have not noticed.

You can see where the energy is going. Reform UK is growing because it tells people the system is broken and someone is to blame. The Greens are growing because they tell people the system is broken and it can be rebuilt. Both of these parties, from opposite directions, are saying something the Liberal Democrats will not say: that the current economic settlement is a choice, not a fact of nature, and different choices are available.

The Overtons will tell you this is dangerous territory. They have three favourite objections. The first is that the economy is too complex to redesign, which is another way of saying we should leave it to the people who designed the current version. The second is that any serious challenge to market orthodoxy is socialism, and socialism does not work, as if the only two options are the status quo and the Soviet Union. 

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Michal Siewniak

From selling donuts to being “chained”, and why this is not about the “Mayoral jewellery” 

By Michal Siewniak | Wed 27th May 2026 - 8:55 am

Michal Siewnak as mayor of Welyn HatfieldIt was 21 years ago next month, when I landed at Stansted. I remember, as it almost happened yesterday. I didn’t think too much about it. My wife and I had a plan, stay a few months and go back to Croatia, where I had a job waiting for me. We came not for any employment reasons, but initially to visit our friend, who is a Catholic Priest. 

21 years later, we are still here! We packed 26 years of our lives in a rucksack and we tried, like many, to build our lives in the UK. We have never lived anywhere else, always here in a fantastic Welwyn Garden City. We made it our home. We’ve had ups and downs, moments when we doubted whether it was a good decision to stay in the UK. We struggled to enjoy mince pies at the beginning and I am still struggling to accept that many Brits drink tea with milk. Yes, it is drunk with lemon! However, we always tried to do our best; to integrate, but most importantly to contribute in a number of different ways. This hasn’t changed. 

Although I am politically minded, my decision to stand in the Local Elections wasn’t necessarily driven by politics as much. As a keen activist, I was keen to demonstrate that we all have a unique set of skills, often different, but we all have a lot to give. Throughout my years in the UK, but also previously in Poland, Croatia and Italy, I felt a sense of service and desire to, collectively, build bridges not walls, always seek opportunities to make a difference, empower, inspire and motivate others to do the same. We have achieved so much. I also wanted to challenge stereotypes and assumptions. Guess what? I might be Polish but I have no manual skills. 

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Christian de Vartavan

Macron combines industrial ambition with strategic state action

By Christian de Vartavan | Tue 26th May 2026 - 12:45 pm

Embed from Getty Images

President Macron delivered a landmark speech at France’s Atomic Energy Centre, CEA, in Bruyères-le-Châtel last Friday, building on the technological and commercial objectives France is seeking to achieve, as discussed in my article published last Wednesday, “Time for the UK to Engage with Europe on AI Sovereignty.” In his speech, Mr Macron set out France’s determination to secure sovereignty in computing power, quantum technologies and semiconductors, while also building the capacity to lead the market in these strategic sectors.

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John Armah

Do Black Lives Matter to the Liberal Democrats?

By John Armah | Tue 26th May 2026 - 11:15 am

May 25th marked the sixth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His death sparked a global conversation on race that I, like many, hoped would result in serious, systemic change. After the platitudes around black squares, the meaning of taking the knee and the rather depressing debate that followed, it is time for a different debate. What change has actually occurred and how do we as Liberal Democrats play an effective part in delivering systemic and lasting progress?

Rob Blackie and Roderick Lynch powerfully outlined how poor our performance was in inner London in the recent elections and, if we’re honest, in wider metropolitan areas across England, Wales and Scotland. Our cities are the youngest, most diverse and liberal parts of our country. The multicultural, multiracial team in Brent scored our greatest success in London and are now the official opposition. Frankly as a Liberal Democrat Party, we’ve seen years of hard work by urban local parties be submerged by a Green wave powered by a strong national message and an active social media presence.

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Ed Fordham

Cllr, Alderman Flick Rea – inspiration, leader, mentor and a very good friend

By Ed Fordham | Tue 26th May 2026 - 9:45 am


From the outset of my role in Camden Liberal Democrats Flick Rea has always been there. She (and Roger Billens) led the arrival of the Liberal Democrats as a political force in this crucial flagship London Council.

Always having her own way, or recipe, or theory, or system, it was no Focus newsletter for Flick. Oh no, for Fortune Green and for the team that worked with Flick it was Spotlight. The Spotlight header was even still the original hand drawn cartoon if helpful gophers and the word Spotlight designed by Flick’s late husband Charles.

To know and to spend time with Flick was to imbibe some kind of political magic – a tonic that led many many of us to do far more than we intended, to a standard beyond we thought possible, but only just on time. Good food, washed down with wine and other alcoholic beverages and in her own instance, curated with a cigarette or three.

Indeed, Flick’s kitchen table, a tiny thing always topped with wine and glasses ready, was a source and venue for much great and trivial political machinations. It was there that we counted the by-election selection that saw Nancy Jirira elected to join Flick as a councillor for Fortune Green. It was there that Flick let it be known that she had decided that Russell Eagling should indeed be one of the councillors for Fortune Green (this was coronation of candidates, Flick style). And it was there that she took me to one side to say that she thought that we should make overtures to Tory Andrew Marshall and seek to recruit him. (He subsequently joined the Liberal Democrats of his own volition in the Brexit debacle).

In 2001 at Federal Party Conference, I was knobbled by Flick and Keith Moffitt and was truly given a thorough hand bagging. The Lib Dem candidate for Hampstead and Highgate was likely to step down and Flick and Keith had decided I should stand. A discussion could take place, but in short they had decided that this should happen. At one point during the selection there was a mutter that I might not the first choice of the significant membership of Hampstead Town. Leave it to me, said Flick and off she went for lunch with Cllr Margaret Little. Flick returned pleased and bearing news.

Whilst being an effective local campaigner worked in West Hampstead, in Hampstead Town I needed to be styled more formally and so I agreed to stress my intellectual, literary and academic interests. I re-wrote my stump speech qnd over breakfast in Hampstead High Street with the branch committee and Flick in attendance, it was announced that any doubts could be laid aside, and that Flick’s judgement that I was a candidate of substance was valid and it wasn’t just about leaflets and more leaflets. In due course I was selected to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Hampstead and Highgate and Flick was always one of my staunchest cheerleaders.

Flick herself was quite the erudite speaker: she had been introduced as a young woman as a debutante at Court. She was of a significant old political family stock and carried the surname Peel as her middle name with considerable pride.

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The Voice

Tanvir Ahmad selected to fight Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election

By The Voice | Mon 25th May 2026 - 3:35 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced that Tanvir Ahmad has been selected as candidate for the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election which was caused by the election of Stephen Gethins to Holyrood earlier this month.

Tanvir brings over 20 years of experience leading major projects in the technology and telecoms sectors. He has a proven record of building partnerships with global organisations, bringing new innovations to market, and creating opportunities for growth both at home and abroad. Alongside his professional career, he is a Royal Navy Reservist, a grassroots community campaigner who has managed a youth centre for minority communities, and holds both Honours and Masters degrees in International Relations.

At the 2026 Holyrood election, he almost doubled the Scottish Liberal Democrat vote share in the constituency of Dundee City East, campaigning on issues including tackling vandalism and anti-social behaviour, improving housing and supporting households affected by the RAAC scandal.

Tanvir  said:

I am delighted to have been selected to contest the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election.

Too many families in our area are living in poverty, and child hunger is a daily reality. Young people have seen services cut and opportunities dry up, while households are struggling with rising bills and insecure jobs. That has to change.

People have been let down by the SNP, the Conservatives and the Labour party.

Last week, Labour voted against Liberal Democrat proposals for a customs union with the European Union and relaxed sanctions on Russia. That’s not good enough.

Scottish Liberal Democrats believe in fairness for everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from.

I want to fight child poverty and give families the support they deserve. I want to create opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, skills, and safe spaces. And I want to back local businesses to grow, creating secure, well-paid jobs.

People across the constituency feel like things aren’t working. People deserve a change with fairness at its heart and that is what I will be campaigning to deliver.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

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The Voice

Jake Austin is our candidate in Makerfield

By The Voice | Mon 25th May 2026 - 2:30 pm

Portrait of Jake AustinJake Austin has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Makerfield in the upcoming by-election, pledging to champion local issues that matter most to residents. Jake is passionate about revitalising our high streets, ⁠improving public transport across the North West, and providing affordable homes for the next generation.

Jake was born and raised in Hindley, and has lived in Greater Manchester his whole life. Hei is a Liberal Democrat Councillor and works in fundraising.

In 2024, Jake was the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Greater Manchester Mayoralty election, increasing the Liberal Democrat vote share against Andy Burnham from the 2021 election.

Jake said:

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