12 June 2024 – today’s press releases

  • GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised
  • Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released
  • Thames Triathletes sickness: Environment Agency investigation needed
  • Craig Williams bet on election date: Sunak must suspend him
  • Conservatives: Record of failure on defence
  • Sky Leaders’ Debate: Sunak “out of touch” on NHS waiting lists

GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised

Commenting on the latest GDP estimates, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

As Rishi Sunak’s time as Prime Minister peters out, so does the UK’s economic growth.

The Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth they repeatedly promised, instead presiding over stagnation and economic misery for hardworking families across the country.

The Conservatives’ manifesto shows they simply lack the ambition and vision to get the economy moving again. It’s clear for voters across the country that the only way to make it happen is to vote them out of office on 4 July.

Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released

  • Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey speaks to carers in latest TV broadcast airing later tonight
  • Liberal Democrats propose Young Carers Pupil Premium, ensuring carers keep up with their learning
  • Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child, says the plans will help young carers fulfil their potential
  • Up to three in 10 (27%) of young carers are missing school

The Liberal Democrats will announce plans for young carers in England to receive extra funding for their education as part of a major expansion of the pupil premium. The policy would support over 50,000 children with caring responsibilities to catch up on their learning.

The latest policy announcement comes as Ed Davey’s new Party Election Broadcast airs tonight on BBC and ITV, with the party leader hearing from carers.

In the film, Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child and now cares for his disabled son, hears from a young carer who struggles to balance their learning with caring responsibilities.

Close to three in 10 (27%) young carers miss school, with many dealing with increased pressure on their time due to their caring responsibilities. Research has also shown that a young carer is twice as likely to be unhappy compared with other children.

Introducing a Young Carers Pupil Premium would provide more money for schools to help the estimated 54,000 young people currently balancing their caring responsibilities with their education.The extra funding would be in line with the current pupil premium which provides £1,480 per primary school child and £1,050 per secondary school child.

The funding could be used to help identify young carers and provide them with additional support such as tutoring and booster classes.

This would form part of an “Education Guarantee” for young carers, including ensuring that all schools have a young carers lead and policy.

The funding forms part of an £365 million proposed boost to the pupil premium, which gives extra funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children. The Lib Dem plans would see the pupil premium extended to 17-18 year olds and the pupil premium plus extended to children in kinship care. It means an additional 450,000 children would benefit from the pupil premium, taking the total to over 1.3 million pupils in England.

The Liberal Democrats have put support for carers at the heart of the party’s offer to voters at this election, including increasing the carers allowance by £1,040 a year and giving an amnesty to carers being hounded for overpayments by DWP.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

When I speak to young carers and listen to their experiences, it’s clear they have so many skills and so much to offer. But many just aren’t getting the support they need to balance their education with caring for loved ones.

We need to support those who give so much of their time to caring. No young carer should fall behind the rest of their class.

Our plans for a Young Carers Pupil Premium would help these fantastic young people fulfil their potential. I am proud that the Liberal Democrats are putting a fair deal for young carers at the heart of our plans.

Thames Triathletes sickness: Environment Agency investigation needed

Responding to reports of triathletes becoming sick after swimming in the River Thames, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron said:

This is shocking and the Environment Agency must launch an immediate investigation to find the truth behind it.

Nobody can trust Thames Water to be truthful when it comes to water pollution. That is why we need an independent test to discover the cause of these illnesses.

The poor state of rivers is a national scandal after years of Conservative Ministers letting water firms get away with endless sewage discharges. The British public cannot trust the Conservative party with the environment.

Craig Williams bet on election date: Sunak must suspend him

Commenting on the allegations regarding Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary aide Craig Williams gambling on the date of the election, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said:

Not content with gambling with the country’s future, it now appears that a senior Conservative may have been trying to turn a quick buck on the election date. Given that Craig Williams is Rishi Sunak’s close personal aide, it is incumbent on the Prime Minister to immediately suspend him as a candidate and Conservative Party member while the inquiry takes place.

Voters are being taken for granted by Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.

Conservatives: Record of failure on defence

Commenting on the Conservative Party’s defence measures announcement, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Richard Foord said:

Rishi Sunak and this Conservative government have left our country less safe than they found it. They have prioritised soundbites and flashy announcements over taking the action that is needed. They have cut the size of the Army by 10,000 troops, failed to provide safe and clean housing for our service personnel, and neglected our veterans.

Voters know that the Conservatives have betrayed our armed forces and veterans. The Conservatives should be judged not on their empty manifesto pledges, but on what they have failed to do while in office.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a fair deal for our veterans and military personnel. We would reverse the Conservative government’s cut of 10,000 troops to the Army. We want to see improvements to military housing and a new commission to ensure that the men and women who serve in our armed forces – as well as our veterans – are no longer taken for granted.

Sky Leaders’ Debate: Sunak “out of touch” on NHS waiting lists

Responding to the Sky Leaders’ Debate, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

Rishi Sunak blaming others for soaring NHS waiting lists under his watch shows just how out of touch he is.

The legacy of his government is one of crumbling hospitals, people waiting hours for an ambulance and patients being treated in corridors.

The Liberal Democrats have a clear plan to fix the NHS and care, after years of Conservative neglect. In many parts of the country, it’s clear only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives and give communities the change they want.

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