Author Archives: Mark Valladares

I’m a veteran Party bureaucrat, having joined the old Liberal Party at university. And, perhaps not entirely surprisingly, I’ve held a range of positions since then - everything from Secretary-General of the Young Liberals to being a member of the ALDE Party‘s Financial Advisory Committee. Returning Officer, Presidential consort, committee secretary, you name it, I’ve probably done it. These days, I’m the Chair of the Parish Council for a (very) small rural village in Suffolk’s Gipping Valley, and a member of the East of England Regional Candidates Committee.
Mark Valladares

4 November 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 4th November 2019 - 11:52 pm
  • Trump and Johnson are two peas in a pod
  • Lib Dems: Tory Gower candidate should be removed
  • Blocking intelligence report undermines the democratic process

Trump and Johnson are two peas in a pod

Responding to President Trump’s comments that Boris Johnson was “the right man for the time” and he should “come together” with Nigel Farage, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Chuka Umana said:

Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are just two peas in a pod. They have the same old right wing, nationalist politics. No wonder the President is falling over himself to find an opportunity to endorse Johnson.

With his desperation to please

…

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Mark Valladares

2-3 November 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 3rd November 2019 - 11:40 pm
  • Lib Dems lodge election debate complaint with ITV
  • Lib Dems: Dithering Labour leadership shows they’re not fit for office
  • Lib Dems: Labour have no plan to tackle the climate emergency
  • Election debates should be set independently – Liberal Democrats

Lib Dems lodge election debate complaint with ITV

The Liberal Democrats have lodged a formal complaint to ITV for excluding Jo Swinson from their election debate and warned “failing to have Liberal Democrats in the debate is misrepresenting the current political reality.”

In a letter to ITV Chief Executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, the President of the Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton said “voters of this country deserve …

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Mark Valladares

1 November 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 1st November 2019 - 11:30 pm
  • Farage warns Tories of Lib Dem General Election threat
  • Trickett’s comments show Labour are a Brexit party
  • Swinson: Liberal Democrats can win in seats we have never won in before
  • Lib Dems: Johnson and Corbyn running scared of Swinson

Farage warns Tories of Lib Dem General Election threat

Commenting on the Brexit Party’s campaign launch, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Ed Davey said:

Nigel Farage is correct that the Conservative Party should be very worried about the Liberal Democrats in this election. We are the strongest national party of Remain and we are ready to take the fight to Boris Johnson as well as Jeremy Corbyn.

…

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Mark Valladares

31 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st October 2019 - 11:40 pm
  • Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future.
  • Brexit hinders growth in green, clean cars
  • Davey: Labour’s spending plans “can’t be squared with the cost of Brexit”
  • Self-harm and assaults in prisons preventing rehabilitation
  • Lib Dems: Donald Trump and Boris Johnson both unfit for office

Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future.

Today, Jo Swinson’s Liberal Democrats are launching their slogan for the General Election campaign: Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future, alongside a campaign poster launch.

This election is a once in a generation opportunity to reshape our politics, and give hope to the millions of people who want a fairer, brighter future.

The Liberal Democrats’ slogan reflects a positive …

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Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Congress – the Bureau election results

By Mark Valladares | Sat 26th October 2019 - 1:30 pm

The election results were announced as the final item of business for the Congress, and were as follows;

President

  • Hans van Baalen

Vice-Presidents

  • Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Bulgaria)
  • Annelou van Egmond (D’66, Netherlands)
  • Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (FDP, Germany)
  • Daniel Berg (Momentum, Hungary)
  • Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrats, UK)
  • Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fáil, Ireland)

Congratulations to them all.

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Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Congress – Margrethe Vestager on the opportunities and threats of the Digital Age

By Mark Valladares | Sat 26th October 2019 - 11:32 am

There was serious talk in some quarters of Margrethe Vestager as a credible compromise candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission, and whilst that didn’t come to pass, the former Commissioner for Competition, and scourge of monopolists everywhere, gained a key role in the new, incoming Commission, that of coordinating the whole agenda on a Europe fit for the digital age, whilst retaining her former responsibilities for competition.

Her speech here in Athens was an interesting one, and offers a flavour of how she sees her new portfolio…

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Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Congress – Boris Johnson’s best friend speaks…

By Mark Valladares | Sat 26th October 2019 - 8:33 am

Even for those whose interest in, and knowledge of, European politics is limited, the identity of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg recently became rather better known after a recent intervention in the Brexit debate.

Xavier Bettel is here in Athens, and was one of the speakers at the opening of the Congress. Here’s what he had to say…

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Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Congress – the battle for the Bureau

By Mark Valladares | Fri 25th October 2019 - 11:02 am

I noted, in passing, yesterday that there was a decent sized and quite varied field for the six vacancies as Vice Presidents of the ALDE Party.

And perhaps I need to go into more detail… so here is your guide to the “runners and riders”.

First, there is a notional election for the position of President, and I say notional because Hans van Baalen, from VVD (Netherlands), is unopposed in his quest for a third and final term in the role. He could lose, theoretically, but won’t.

Let’s start from the top of the picture, …

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Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Congress – it’s a Marathon, not a sprint…

By Mark Valladares | Thu 24th October 2019 - 11:02 am

Welcome to, as you might have suspected from the pun in the title, Athens, where liberals, friends and allies are gathering for the 40th Congress of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) Party. I’m here in a myriad of capacities, and I’ll be covering the event for Liberal Democrat Voice.

It’s an interesting time to be a European Liberal. Good results in the European Parliamentary election earlier this year led to a rather larger centrist group in the Parliament – I use the c-word advisedly, as ALDE MEPs have been subsumed into a larger Renew Europe group, including …

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Mark Valladares

17 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 17th October 2019 - 11:56 pm
  • Welsh Lib Dems: Brexit deal must be put to the people
  • Record high knife crime offences shows Tories failure to act
  • Lib Dems: Brexit deal must be put to the people

Welsh Lib Dems: Brexit deal must be put to the people

Commenting on reports that a deal has been agreed between the EU and the UK Government, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds, said:

It is remarkably clear that Boris Johnson’s deal would be bad for our economy, bad for our public services, and bad for our environment.

His deal will create a hard border down the Irish Sea, hurting Welsh farmers

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Mark Valladares

17 October 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Thu 17th October 2019 - 7:15 am

Lib Dems: Brexit will limit the horizons of college students

The Association of Colleges has today published a survey revealing that 94% of colleges would be unable to fund student and staff mobility programmes outside of the EU’s Erasmus+ programme.

Responding to the figures, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran MP said:

Brexit shuts the door on students and staff studying, training and working across Europe. This survey shows that colleges simply can’t afford their student exchange programmes without the funding that the EU provides through Erasmus+.

Colleges are wary about replacing Erasmus+ with a British-led alternative because they know

…

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Mark Valladares

16 October 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 16th October 2019 - 11:52 pm

MP launches “Save Our Rural Banks” Campaign

Jane Dodds MP has launched a new campaign aimed at protecting existing rural banking services and restoring banking services to communities across Brecon & Radnorshire.

Over the past few years, many communities across Brecon and Radnorshire have seen bank branches in their towns close. Recent announcements by Barclays also reveal plans to reduce banking services available through the Post Office.

At present towns like Knighton, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye both do not have any bank branches in the towns, while towns like Ystradgynlais are reliant upon a single branch.

Jane Dodds, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, …

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Mark Valladares

15 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 15th October 2019 - 11:53 pm
  • Car firm job losses show Johnson’s disregard for British business
  • Welsh Lib Dems: Poll shows we are now third party for Westminster
  • Lib Dems call for urgent action to tackle rising hate crimes
  • Lib Dems table People’s Vote amendment to Queen’s speech

Car firm job losses show Johnson’s disregard for British business

Responding to the reports that one in three car firms are cutting jobs, Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said:

It is time Boris Johnson woke up to the fact that the manufacturing sector, and the automotive industries in particular, are suffering badly from Brexit-related uncertainty. Jobs are being lost, investment is down

…

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Mark Valladares

15 October 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Tue 15th October 2019 - 7:15 am

Urgent action needed in mental health and learning disability services – Lib Dems

Today the publication of CQC’s ‘State of Care 2018/19’ report reveals a rise of inpatient services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism that were rated inadequate.

The report also shows a rise of child and adolescent mental health inpatient services rated inadequate.

Responding to the report, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Vince Cable said:

It is rare for a public body such as the Care Quality Commission to be so scathing of the effects of Government policy. Their honesty is to be

…

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Mark Valladares

14 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 14th October 2019 - 11:15 pm
  • Jane Dodds: TV License changes detrimental to dementia sufferers
  • Swinson: Queen’s speech is a charade
  • Fifa and UEFA must take action against racist abuse of players

Jane Dodds: TV License changes detrimental to dementia sufferers

Jane Dodds, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, is calling on the Government to restore BBC funding in order to protect free TV licenses.

The BBC recently announced that, due to budget cuts from the UK Government, they are moving to scrap the blanket free TV licenses for over-75s and instead only offering them to people claiming Pension Credit.

These licenses have been provided by the BBC since 2000 and approximately 4.5 …

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Mark Valladares

14 October 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 14th October 2019 - 7:15 am

Labour’s renationalisition plans set to cost billions

Responding to the analysis by the CBI that the cost of Labour’s renationalisation plans is estimated to be £196 billion, Liberal Democrat MP Chuka Umunna said:

The Tories are pursuing an ideological hard Brexit, depriving the Exchequer of much needed revenue, whilst Labour plans to do the same with a Labour Brexit in addition to spending billions of pounds with no idea how they will pay for it.

The only sensible alternative to these two broken parties is to stop Brexit and use the resulting Remain bonus to invest in people and public services – the

…

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Mark Valladares

12-13 October 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 13th October 2019 - 11:45 pm
  • Lib Dems: Compulsory voter ID is an attempt to rig our elections
  • Lib Dems: Govt must ban arms sales to Turkey

Lib Dems: Compulsory voter ID is an attempt to rig our elections

Responding to the reports that the Government are set to announce it will be compulsory for voters to show identification at the next election, Liberal Democrat shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, Tom Brake said:

The move by the Government to make voter ID compulsory is a thinly-veiled attempt to rig the results of future elections. We know from the pilot back in 2018 that voter fraud was inconsequential, whilst what

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Mark Valladares

11 October 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Fri 11th October 2019 - 11:32 pm

New figures show prison overcrowding crisis getting worse

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an end to short prison sentences, as new figures show the number of overcrowded prisons is rising.

The latest prison population statistics, published today by the Ministry of Justice, show that 73 of the 117 prisons in England and Wales were overcapacity at the end of September – up from 69 at the end of August. Nine prisons are overcapacity by more than 50%.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said:

Prisons are in crisis. They are stuffed full of people on short sentences, which we know don’t work

…

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Mark Valladares

10 October 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Thu 10th October 2019 - 9:48 pm

Govt threats to deport EU citizens are appalling – Jardine

Responding to comments by Branden Lewis that EU citizens living in the UK could face deportation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said:

I am absolutely appalled. I have just been at a school where a Hungarian-born pupil told me she was scared about Brexit, and now I learn that the Conservative Government is threatening to deport people like her.

Brandon Lewis has finally confirmed what we’ve known all along: Boris Johnson has no intention of keeping his promise to automatically guarantee the rights of EU citizens living

…

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Mark Valladares

9 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 9th October 2019 - 11:50 pm
  • New figures show 2.7 million EU citizens without Settled Status
  • Swinson: Millions in Britain value our place in the EU

New figures show 2.7 million EU citizens without Settled Status

The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Government is failing to guarantee the rights of all 3.6 million EU citizens in the UK, as new official figures show that fewer than 1 million people had been given Settled Status by the end of September.

The latest EU Settlement Scheme Statistics, published today by the Home Office, show that 929,600 people had been granted Settled Status by the end of September 2019 – meaning …

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Mark Valladares

8 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 8th October 2019 - 11:32 pm
  • Davey: Brexit would mortgage our children’s future
  • Jane Dodds Calls for Pledge to Maintain Last-in-Town Banks
  • Blame for the Brexit mess sits with the Tory Govt

Davey: Brexit would mortgage our children’s future

Following reports from the IFS that a no-deal Brexit will push UK debt to the highest levels since the 1960s, Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor Ed Davey said:

This new analysis is a body blow to Boris Johnson’s election spending plans – as it shows the cost of Brexit is much higher than thought.

Brexit would mortgage our children’s future, plunging Britain into the red and threatening years of new austerity.

There is simply no

…

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Mark Valladares

7 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 7th October 2019 - 11:59 pm
  • Lib Dems: Govt grovelling over food standards to try and secure US trade deal
  • Swinson: Corbyn could be the block to stopping a No Deal
  • Heidi Allen joins the Liberal Democrats (see here)

Lib Dems: Govt grovelling over food standards to try and secure US trade deal

Responding to the reports from a leaked document stating that the Department for International Trade will try to lower the UK’s food standards to secure a trade deal with the United States, Liberal Democrat shadow Foreign Secretary Chuka Umunna said:

The promises made by Boris Johnson and the Conservative Government that the UK would have a whole

…

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Mark Valladares

7 October 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 7th October 2019 - 7:52 am

Cable: Psychiatric vacancies demand annual workforce plan

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Vince Cable has called for the Secretary of State for Health to produce an annual workforce plan following a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists which reveals one in ten consultant psychiatric roles are unfilled.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Vince Cable said:

With children not accessing treatment and with psychiatrists under huge amounts of pressure due to staff shortages, the Conservative Government does not have a grip on the serious situation in mental health services.

Today’s survey is another example of how the Conservatives plans for the NHS are fundamentally

…

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Mark Valladares

4 October 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Fri 4th October 2019 - 11:40 pm

Commonwealth Games organisers fears over Brexit impact revealed by Lib Dems

For the first time the Commonwealth Games organisers deepest fears about the impact of Brexit have been laid bare as a result of a Liberal Democrat investigation.

The Games’ organisers state that there is a risk that the UK’s EU Exit will negatively affect Games deliverables, by changes to Government policy, economic impacts across markets and industries. This could result in potential workforce attrition and cost inflation. They count this risk as the highest possible, 20 out of 20.

In another document, marked ‘sensitive’ from February, the organisers in a meeting …

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Mark Valladares

3 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 3rd October 2019 - 11:40 pm
  • Jane Dodds: Politicians must right WASPI Injustice
  • Jane Dodds: Irish border plan designed to fail

Jane Dodds: Politicians must right WASPI Injustice

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has responded to the WASPI campaign’s defeat in the High Court, claiming it is the responsibility of politicians to right the injustice suffered by WASPI Women.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MP commented:

This ruling will undoubtedly be disappointing for all those women affected. Women who have campaigned tirelessly to reverse the unfair change to their pensions. My thoughts are with all these women today.

This ruling must remind us politicians that it is our responsibility to

…

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Mark Valladares

2 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd October 2019 - 11:35 pm
  • Jane Dodds: Mid Wales Growth Deal funding insulting
  • Swinson: ‘Getting Brexit done’ puts lives and jobs at risk
  • Lib Dems: Johnson’s plans to create two borders ‘ludicrous’

Jane Dodds: Mid Wales Growth Deal funding insulting

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Jane Dodds has called the UK Government’s £55m funding for the Mid Wales Growth Deal insulting.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns used his speech to Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to announce £55m of funding for the Mid Wales Growth Deal over 15 years.

The UK Government are contributing £500m to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal and £241m …

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Mark Valladares

1 October 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st October 2019 - 11:30 pm
  • Rise in homeless deaths demands end of Vagrancy Act
  • UK govt must not be silent on situation in Hong Kong
  • Tories cannot call themselves the law and order party
  • Cable: End ‘weaponising’ of social care

Rise in homeless deaths demands end of Vagrancy Act

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has renewed her call for the Vagrancy Act to be scrapped following the publication of new ONS statistics revealing a rise in the deaths of homeless people in 2018.

The ONS data shows that there were an estimated 726 deaths in 2018, an increase of over 20% on the previous year. The highest numbers of deaths were …

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Mark Valladares

30 September 2019 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st October 2019 - 11:07 pm

I allowed myself to be distracted yesterday… you know how it can be sometimes, so it’s time to catch up…

  • ‘Out of touch’ Tories plough money into roads despite people and planet crying out for public transport investment
  • Brexit renders spending promises impossible – Davey

‘Out of touch’ Tories plough money into roads despite people and planet crying out for public transport investment

Following Sajid Javids announcement of £25bn investment in roads, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Transport, said:

Just as people are starting to become aware of the damage we’re doing to our planet, the Conservatives have committed to spending £25

…

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Mark Valladares

Party President, internal elections update

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th September 2019 - 8:24 am

Today is the deadline for nominations for the Party Presidential contest, for the various Federal committees and for the ALDE Party Council delegation so, if you haven’t got your forms and artwork in, time is running out (the deadline is 5 p.m., just to save you looking it up).

As far as we know, there remain six candidates for the Party Presidency, and you can click on each name to see their initial statement.

And, for a view on what the Party Presidency entails, here are my thoughts from …

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Mark Valladares

30 September 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th September 2019 - 7:16 am

It’s been very quiet over the past few days, but I tend to put that down to the convention not to distract from other political conferences. However, our Press team are still working away…

Lib Dems: ‘School Cuts’ data shows funding still an emergency

Responding to the relaunch of the National Education Union’s ‘School Cuts’ website, which reveals that more than 15,000 schools will have less money per pupil in real terms in 2020 than they did in 2015, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran said:

The Conservatives continue to fail our children. This data removes the wool that Boris Johnson

…

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