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

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 …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 13 Comments
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 …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , and | 4 Comments
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

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , and | Leave a comment
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 …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 5 Comments
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

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

Party Presidential election update – Prue Bray and Richard Kemp withdraw

By Mark Valladares | Fri 27th September 2019 - 12:45 pm

Liberal Democrat Voice has been advised by Prue Bray and Richard Kemp that they are withdrawing from the contest to succeed Sal Brinton as Party President. Prue writes;

This is confirmation that, with regret, I am withdrawing from the election for Party President, despite having been successfully nominated. Unfortunately, the amount of work I am having to do as English Candidates Chair to prepare for the coming General Election simply does not allow enough time for me to simultaneously commit to campaign to become Party President.

Richard has sent us a statement as well;

I have announced that I am no

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 6 Comments
Mark Valladares

27 September 2019 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 27th September 2019 - 8:00 am
  • No-deal prep for health supplies shows Brexit must stop
  • Boris Johnson is the champion of the well-off, not the people – Davey

No-deal prep for health supplies shows Brexit must stop

Responding to the National Audit Office’s report on the Government’s preparations on health and social care supplies under a no deal Brexit, Liberal Democrats Health and Social Care Secretary, Sir Vince Cable MP, said:

This report reinforces what we already knew from the Yellowhammer documents. We know that a no-deal Brexit would have a devastating impact on the UK’s health and social care supplies.

The risk is very real that traders may not

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 14 Comments
Mark Valladares

26 September 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 26th September 2019 - 11:40 pm

I’d like to start by thanking TonyH for his comment. I’ve generally provided a list at the beginning of these pieces when there are three or more press releases, but he’s right to note that, given how pieces are prevented on our “front page”, it’s better if I do it if there’s more than one. So, I will going forward. We’ve only got one today though…

Lib Dems welcome NHS England’s Cross-Party Plans for Reform

The Liberal Democrats have today welcomed NHS England’s plans to reform the NHS and significantly curb the privatisation of NHS care.

The plans, agreed on a consensus …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

25 September 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Lib Dems: Johnson rides roughshod with the law again

Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture Secretary Layla Moran today questioned Ministers on payments made by the Government to Hacker House, a company owned by Jennifer Arcuri.

The Sunday Times alleged that the company was incorrectly registered in the UK.

The paper also alleges that Ms Arcuri, a friend of Boris Johnson, benefitted from preferential treatment for public money and access to overseas trade missions when the Prime Minister was Mayor of London. These are now subject to an investigation by the London Assembly’s Oversight Committee.

Speaking after her Urgent Questionn in the House …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 18 Comments
Mark Valladares

24 September 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 24th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Chancellor must answer for black hole in the country’s finances

Responding to news that part of Corporation Tax revenue has been double-counted by HMRC, revising down the take for 2018-2019 by more than £4bn, Liberal Democrat shadow Chancellor Ed Davey said:

Today’s data from HMRC reveals a concerning black hole in the country’s public finances. Since this Conservative Government took office, an astounding £12.86 billion was mistakenly accounted for in the exchequer’s books – money that was never actually there. This is a potentially dangerous oversight for which the Conservative Chancellor is responsible.

Moreover, this highlights the Government’s irresponsibility in slashing corporation tax

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 23 Comments
Mark Valladares

23 September 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd September 2019 - 11:45 pm

Swinson: Corbyn is a Brexiteer at heart

Responding to the news from Labour Party conference that it would not back Remain in a People’s Vote, under the guidance of Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said:

Jeremy Corbyn has again shown a total lack of leadership on Brexit and settled on yet another fudge on the biggest issue facing our country. Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly had the opportunity to put the full force of the Labour behind a Remain position, but he has once again shown today that he is a Brexiteer at heart.

He is determined to negotiate a Brexit deal if Labour win an election, despite all the evidence that there is no Brexit deal that is good for our economy, our NHS and our security. By refusing to say how the Labour Party would campaign in a second referendum, Jeremy Corbyn is letting down the millions of people who want to see the UK remain in the EU.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 5 Comments
Mark Valladares

22 September 2019 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd September 2019 - 8:45 am

Well, I’m not sure what happened there, as I thought that I’d set this for 10.30 yesterday evening. Nevertheless, here are yesterday’s official press releases…

Scrapping Ofsted must be the beginning of the end of teaching to the test – Lib Dems

Responding to today’s announcement by the Labour Party that they will campaign to abolish Ofsted, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran MP said:

It is always good to see the Labour Party copying another key Lib Dem education promise, just as they followed us in calling for SATs to be scrapped, here they are trailing in behind again.

The

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

Riding the enthusiasm wave, some thoughts going forward and a Presidential race update…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd September 2019 - 7:30 am

Well, that was a pretty good Conference, wasn’t it? Passion, enthusiasm, and a whole bunch of people I’d never met before. I have to admit that I left Bournemouth rather more enthusiastic than I was when I arrived.

And so, what to do with all of that enthusiasm? Well, I’d like to try a few things.

Firstly, our new members are still feeling their way into the Party, and that offers an opportunity for the various groups withing the Party – Specified Associated Organisations, Associated Organisations, thinktanks, pressure groups and the like, to reach out to new people. So, if you are …

Continue reading »
Posted in Site news | 2 Comments
Mark Valladares

21 September 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Sat 21st September 2019 - 10:07 pm

Labour must come clean about their Brexit plan – Lib Dems

Responding to reports that Labour will only decide which way to vote in a People’s Vote after a general election, Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said:

It is totally unfair of Labour not to be clear about their plan in government.

Through choosing whether to support leave or remain after the election, millions of remain Labour supporters could help elect a leave government.

Instead remain supporters must back the Liberal Democrats in a general election. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit.

Posted in News | Tagged , and | 51 Comments
Mark Valladares

20 September 2019 – yesterday’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Sat 21st September 2019 - 2:15 pm

Umunna: Thornberry must withdraw Taliban remarks

Responding to the comments made by Emily Thornberry comparing the Liberal Democrats to the Taliban, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Chuka Umunna said:

Emily Thornberry should withdraw her inappropriate remarks. Language counts – comparing the Liberal Democrats to a murderous organisation is no laughing matter.

It is also grossly insulting to the 6 million people who signed the revoke Article 50 petition launched earlier this year, including many of the Shadow Cabinet’s constituents.

The Liberal Democrats are clear that every vote for us is a vote to stop Brexit.

Posted in News | Tagged , and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

19 September 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 19th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Further education funding squeeze set to continue

Responding to today’s report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, revealing that further education spending per student remains 7% lower than in 2010 in real terms, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran MP said:

Further education and sixth-form colleges have been left underfunded and unloved. Today’s report shows that the Conservatives’ one-off handout is far short of what is need to reverse historic cuts. Colleges teach more specialist subjects in smaller classes, so why do we pay them less per pupil than secondary schools?

Liberal Democrats demand better for our young people. That’s why,

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

Musings on the Cinderella part of “tax and spend”

By Mark Valladares | Mon 16th September 2019 - 12:36 pm

Unlike a lot of you, I was in the conference hall on Saturday morning for the debate on business tax. It was nice to see this issue being debated, but it is a reflection of political debate in general that the Hall was pretty quiet and that speakers cards were few in number. It seems that, for Liberal Democrats, as for politicians of other stripes, spending money is much more politically sexy than raising it.

The motion itself was relatively anodyne. Could anybody seriously contest the proposal that corporate taxation would benefit from simplification? Of course not. Would greater transparency of …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 24 Comments
Mark Valladares

10 September 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Tue 10th September 2019 - 9:32 am

Parliament shutdown will not silence Lib Dem campaign to stop Brexit

Responding to Boris Johnson shutting down parliament, Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson said:

The Liberal Democrats, along with other opposition parties, voted against the Prime Minister’s election this evening. We will not allow him to use an election to sneak through a dangerous No Deal Brexit, for which he has no mandate.

We relish the chance to take on Boris Johnson in an election, but only once Article 50 has been extended. And thanks to cross-party legislation, the Prime Minister must request an extension to Article 50 rather than crash us

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 5 Comments
Mark Valladares

9 September 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Tue 10th September 2019 - 12:13 am

Lib Dem Lords Leader boycotts Parliament shutdown

Today, Lib Dem Leader in the Lords, Dick Newby, and the Labour Lords Leader, Angela Smith, have refused to participate in the Royal Commission that will prorogue Parliament.

In addition to this, Liberal Democrat peers will boycott the House during the ceremony which shuts down Parliament.

Speaking ahead of the shutdown, Liberal Democrat Leader in the Lords, Dick Newby, 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

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 24 Comments
Mark Valladares

7-8 September 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 8th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Swinson: Rudd resignation another blow to Boris Johnson

Responding to the news that Amber Rudd has quit both the cabinet and the Conservative Party, Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson said:

Amber Rudd’s resignation is yet another blow to Boris Johnson and his reckless plans to crash the country out of Europe without a deal. His disregard for the country’s interest and those who are meant to be his colleagues is symbolic of how broken our politics has become.

As this Government continues to decay, the need and urgency to stop Brexit cannot be clearer – we need a people’s vote with the option

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 3 Comments
Mark Valladares

5-6 September 2019 – two days of press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 6th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Gosh, that’s embarrassing. Yesterday evening, I came home from a meeting of my County Association of Local Councils and felt the urge to both write it up for my blog and produce a report for my Parish Council and clean forgot about Liberal Democrat Voice. And so, you get a bumper(ish) edition at the end of what has been an utterly bewildering week…

  • Luciana Berger MP joins the Liberal Democrats (covered here)
  • Lib Dem membership rises to over 120,000
  • Bill to stop no-deal passes through the Lords

    • Lib Dem membership rises to over 120,000

    The Liberal Democrats have today announced that there are

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 3 Comments
Mark Valladares

4 September 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 4th September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Time to put Liberal Democrat Voice to bed for the night, unlike our Parliamentary Party in the Lords, who are preparing for a long night of voting to stop Conservatives filibustering.

It’s been a dramatic day in Westminster, although there seem to be no shortage of those these days. But the media operations continues regardless…

  • Kicking the can down the road will not prevent Windrush-style scandal for EU citizens
  • Lib Dems: We have a duty to stand with the people of Hong Kong
  • Davey slams Spending Review as “fantasy figures”
  • Jane Dodds delivers maiden speech in Parliament
  • PM cannot be allowed to use an election to

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

3 September 2019 – today’s (other) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 3rd September 2019 - 11:00 pm

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

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

2 September 2019 – today’s (other) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd September 2019 - 11:00 pm

Leaked doc shows Govt has no answer to the Irish border question

Responding to the leaked civil service document showing the Government’s failure to come up with a viable alternative to the backstop, Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit secretary Tom Brake said:

As we continue to get closer to October 31st, with Boris Johnson attempting to shutdown our democracy, this leaked document rings alarm bells. It proves the Government has no deliverable solution to the Irish border, let alone being able to find one within the next few weeks.

The fact that in this document there is not a single option that can be

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 6 Comments
Mark Valladares

Lib Dems sign cross-party Bill to stop no-deal

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd September 2019 - 6:28 pm

Today Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake has signed the cross-party Bill which, if passed, will force Boris Johnson to request a 3 month extension if Parliament has either not agreed a deal or agreed to no-deal by October 19th.

Following this, Tom Brake said:

This Bill provides the means to rule out a catastrophic no-deal Brexit. If passed, it will ensure that Boris Johnson has to seek an extension so that he cannot drag the country off the cliff edge.

The Liberal Democrats have been working with others to ensure that this Tory-created mess does not lead to us falling out

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 38 Comments
Mark Valladares

3-6 September 2019 – next week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd September 2019 - 11:47 am

Parliament resumes its Westminster based work this week after the Summer Recess, and whilst most people will be focusing on the drama at the Commons end of the building (and why wouldn’t they?), the Lords continues to exist on fairly slim pickings.

Tuesday sees one of those possibly unhelpful Oral Questions, from Conservative Peer, Lord Cormack, who will be asking about the powers available to recall Parliament during a prorogation in the event of a national or international crisis. It’s a good question, and it falls to either the Leader of the House, …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Mark Valladares

31 August – 1 September 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd September 2019 - 7:34 am

Good morning, readers, and welcome to the start of another week here at Liberal Democrat Voice! Some of you may have been wondering where this feature got to over August, and the simple answer is that I’ve been away visiting family and looking at glaciers (but not at the same time). And now I’m back…

Stop chasing unicorn Brexit deal

Responding to Michel Barnier rejecting Boris Johnson’s demands for the Irish backstop to be scrapped, Liberal Democrat Shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said;

Boris Johnson’s Brexit chaos is a national embarrassment. With just 60 days to go until we crash out of the

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 11 Comments
Mark Valladares

3-4 August 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th August 2019 - 6:45 am

Police should reduce fear, not create terror

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey has criticised Home Secretary Priti Patel as “out of touch” for her comments about the police making people “literally feel terror”.

Responding to Priti Patel’s interview with the Daily Mail, Ed Davey said:

The Liberal Democrats want many more police so they can catch criminals, prevent crime in the first place and work in our communities to help people feel safer – and it’s a shame Priti Patel didn’t back our campaign for more police these last four years.

Yet Priti Patel’s notion that making people terrified of the

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , and | 4 Comments
Mark Valladares

30 July 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 30th July 2019 - 11:45 pm

Boris’ no-deal spells disaster for farmers

Commenting on Boris Johnson’s visit to Wales today, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said:

It would appear that Conservative aides have finally dusted off a map, given Boris Johnson the nametag for their candidate and pointed him to Brecon and Radnorshire.

This last minute quickdash visit is symbolic of just how much the Conservatives have taken local people for granted.

People deserve better than the Tories’ half baked plan to crash the UK out of the EU without a deal and thereby lumping farmers with an eye watering 40% tariff on Welsh lamb.

By voting Liberal Democrat on

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , and | 13 Comments
Mark Valladares

29 July 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th July 2019 - 11:48 pm

Swinson: Sturgeon and Johnson have more in common than they realise

Commenting on Boris Johnson’s visit to Glasgow today, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson warned against the divisions profered by the new PM and SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Jo said:

The best way to strengthen the United Kingdom is to stop Brexit.

Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson have more in common than they realise. Both are failing to listen to Scotland with their respective ideological pursuits of independence and Brexit.

When it comes to working with our closest neighbours, we have been clear: our future is best served with a

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 2 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • David Allen
    Peter Martin, I agree that the lack of a real financial incentive for many people to take up low-paid jobs rather than living on benefits is a problem. But ...
  • Pawel Urbanski
    David, no apology needed, and less disagreement than you might think. I did not come to this party through its history, I came through its principles and a shop...
  • Jana
    @David Raw “…your message would have more impact if you actually produced some verified empirical evidence..” Perhaps this BBC news item from 15 years a...
  • Peter Davies
    "Labour and nature are the source of all value". The problem is that in the UK, much of that labour was by people long since dead. Unskilled labour these days i...
  • David Raw
    @ Jana "I do not blame people on benefits seeking to maximise their income by claiming PIP, particularly by getting their children diagnosed with ADHD and th...