Readers may have noticed that the news of Phillip Lee’s defection was fast-tracked onto our front page earlier this afternoon, but his dramatic move to the Liberal Democrat benches shouldn’t overshadow the good news story that was Jane Dodds’s arrival on our benches, especially given how many Liberal Democrat Voice readers lent a hand in Brecon and Radnorshire…

HS2 Should not be funded with a ‘blank cheque’

In response to reports that HS2 could be delayed for up to seven years, with an additional estimated cost of over £20bn, former Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron said:

It is shameful that the Conservative Government have attempted to bury the bad news of a £20 billion overspend and a seven-year overrun on High Speed 2. Taxpayers have a right to know where their money is being spent and deserve better than having it brushed under the carpet.

HS2 is a vital project that will help unlock the economic potential of the North of England, however it is not one that should have a blank cheque. Liberal Democrats will continue to demand that the Tories seize control of the project and bring costs down.

Jane Dodds honoured to take seat in Parliament

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MP has described it as ‘a great honour’ to be sworn in as the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire today.

Commenting, Jane Dodds said:

It is a great honour to be sworn in today as the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, particularly at such a critical time in British politics.

I would like to thank everyone in Brecon and Radnorshire who put their faith in me, and I will waste no time in standing up for them in Westminster.

Local people want better broadband, better cross-border healthcare and better local services, and I will campaign tirelessly for these improvements.

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will continue to fight to prevent a catastrophic ‘No Deal’ Brexit which would be damaging for rural communities right across Brecon and Radnorshire.

MPs defeat Boris Johnson in crucial vote to stop no-deal

Following the vote this evening, in which Liberal Democrats and MPs across the house voted by a majority of 27 to take control of the parliamentary order paper from tomorrow, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said:

The attempt to shut down Parliament by Boris Johnson is authoritarian and anti-democratic. The fact that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom wants to silence the people and their representatives shows that Boris Johnson will pursue Brexit at any cost, even at the cost of our democracy.

That is why the Liberal Democrats, along with a majority of MPs in the House of Commons, have voted to take control of the order paper tomorrow.

We look forward to voting for cross-party legislation to stop Boris Johnson’s plans for a No Deal exit on October 31st in their tracks.