• Liberal Democrats call for health spending in forthcoming budget
• Donelan legal payments: Lib Dems demand Cabinet Office inquiry
• Budget: ‘nothing for London’ says Lib Dem mayoral candidate
• Donelan must pay libel action costs herself

Liberal Democrats call for health spending in forthcoming budget

Speaking ahead of the budget, Liberal Democrat Scottish Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

All Rishi is doing is prolonging the agony for all of us.

Families are fed up picking up the tab for his economic mismanagement.

Conservatives have been bad for the economy and bad for the country’s health.

The Conservatives must put the NHS at the heart of the budget. It is no wonder the economy isn’t growing when millions of people are stuck on NHS waiting lists, unable to work.

More funding for the NHS in England means an increase in Barnett consequentials, which can then be spent on ensuring that patients can finally get access to their GP in Scotland.

Lifelong Conservative voters are rejecting Rishi Sunak’s Government just as long-term SNP voters are seeing that Humza Yousaf’s government has no plan for rescuing the NHS. They are out of touch and out of ideas about how to bring down waiting lists.

The only way out of this mess is a General Election to deliver the change this country desperately needs.

Donelan legal payments: Lib Dems demand Cabinet Office inquiry

The Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office inquiry into reports that Science Minister Michelle Donelan’s department paid her damages and legal costs relating to academic Prof Kate Sang’s libel action against her.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

The public will be shocked to read reports that Michelle Donelan’s department may have used taxpayer funds to cover her damages and legal costs in this case.

People deserve answers and not yet another Conservative cover up. A Cabinet Office inquiry is urgently needed to get to the bottom of exactly what happened, whether any rules were broken and how much public money was spent.

Budget: ‘nothing for London’ says Lib Dem mayoral candidate

Responding to the Spring Statement, Lib Dem London Mayoral Candidate, Rob Blackie, said:

There is nothing in here for London. Our housing crisis remains unaddressed, growth prospects gloomy and our public services remain under strain.

Talk of improving public sector productivity is meaningless without proper investment to make it happen.

There are over 3,000 police officers that are stuck in the back-office instead of serving on the frontline because the Government refuses to fund Met Police staff.

This was a yet another missed opportunity to fix London’s broken public services.

Donelan must pay libel action costs herself

The Liberal Democrats have called on Science Minister Michelle Donelan to pay the damages and legal costs relating to academic Prof Kate Sang’s libel action against her herself.

The party has also called for a Cabinet Office inquiry. It comes after reports the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said that taxpayer money was used to pay legal costs and damages.

Commenting Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

Having the taxpayer shell out for Michelle Donelan’s damages and legal costs is nothing short of a national scandal.

We need urgent answers from the Government but above all, Donelan must pay for this out of her own pocket. The actions she took were clearly outside and beyond her Ministerial brief.

Over the years we’ve seen a carousel of Conservative Ministers taking the taxpayer for a ride, from countless severance payments for disgraced sackings to this blatant misuse of taxpayer money. It’s time to kick this sleaze-ridden Conservative Government out of office for good.