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

8 July 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 8th July 2019 - 6:48 am

Davey: Underfunding of Children’s Services is costing police time

Responding to research by the Howard League for Penal Reform, which shows that some children’s homes call the police 200 times a year, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

The Conservative Government is underfunding Children’s Services, and that’s a false economy. When they don’t have the staff to deal with these issues, it falls to the police at much greater cost.

We also need different services to work together to address the factors that cause children to run away or engage in criminal behaviour in the first place.

…

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

6-7 July 2019 – the weekend’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Sun 7th July 2019 - 10:00 pm

McDonnell guilty of incredible hypocrisy

Commenting on John McDonnell’s appearance on the Andrew Marr show, Liberal Democrat Treasury and Business spokesperson Chuka Umunna said:

John McDonnell has displayed incredible hypocrisy pretending to be pro-Remain. Not only has he campaigned for decades to leave the EU, as recently as last year he argued that Remain should not be on the ballot in a People’s Vote.

The Labour leadership have let down Remainers again and again and can’t be trusted to campaign unequivocally to stay in the EU. Labour policy is still to facilitate Brexit and prioritise their alternative Brexit deal.

People can

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 28 Comments
Mark Valladares

5 July 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Fri 5th July 2019 - 11:15 pm

Lib Dems: Govt must listen to police chiefs’ warning

Responding to a warning from five former Met Police Commissioners that the police service “has had its resources drained to dangerously low levels”, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

When even former police chiefs are talking about a ‘feeling of lawlessness’ it’s clear that urgent action is needed. Will the Government listen now?

Unnecessary Conservative cuts have taken 5,000 police officers off our streets since 2015, contributing to the rise in violent crime and making our communities less safe. Far too many crimes go unsolved and too many young people

…

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

4 July 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 4th July 2019 - 11:30 pm
  • Lib Dems: Govt must tackle obesity crisis to save lives
  • Lib Dems: Increase in SEND pupils will squeeze school budgets further
  • Welsh Liberal Democrats – Wales now a remain nation
  • Lib Dems: Overstretched school budgets are putting our children’s health at risk

Lib Dems: Govt must tackle obesity crisis to save lives

Responding to Cancer Research UK reporting that obesity now causes more cases of four common cancers in the UK than smoking, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Judith Jolly said:

The reports that many cancers are more likely being caused by being overweight than smoking shows the need for Government to step up plans to tackle

…

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

4 July 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Thu 4th July 2019 - 7:05 am

Lib Dems: More join calls for Tories to end social care funding crisis

Responding to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee report which describes social care funding as “a national scandal”, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Judith Jolly said:

As people continue to suffer because they are not getting the care they need, it becomes clearer and clearer the abdication of responsibility from the Tories on social care.

This Conservative Government has continued to under-fund social care to the point of crisis. This report is yet another voice saying loud and clear that enough is enough.

The Liberal Democrats would put a

…

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

3 July 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 3rd July 2019 - 11:30 pm
  • Lib Dems demand new committee to assess no-deal damage
  • Lamb criticises whistleblower protections as “fundamentally inadequate”
  • Lib Dems produce bill to stop Govt’s publicity stunt approach to plastics
  • Lib Dems: Govt must tackle obesity crisis to save lives

Lib Dems demand new committee to assess no-deal damage

Today, the Liberal Democrats with a cross-party group in the House of Lords will attempt to create a a joint parliamentary committee of MPs and Peers to consider the impact of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement on 31 October 2019.

The motion not only calls for the creation of the joint committee, but that they …

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

2 July 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 2nd July 2019 - 11:50 pm

Umunna: Johnson Brexit policy will result in £90bn hit to the public purse

The Chancellor has today confirmed that the Government is already having to hold back £26-27 billion of fiscal headroom to deal with the disastrous impact of a No Deal exit from the European Union, and that even more than that will be needed. Furthermore, the Government’s own analysis shows that a disruptive No Deal Brexit will hit the public purse by £90 billion as a minimum.

Commenting on the Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s remarks, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Treasury and Business, Chuka Umunna MP, said:

Boris Johnson plans to give

…

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

1 July 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 1st July 2019 - 11:40 pm

‘No-deal war chest’ shows Hunt lost all sense of reality

Responding to Jeremy Hunt’s proposed ‘£6 billion war chest’ to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:

Jeremy Hunt’s ‘no-deal war chest’ is no more based in fact than the mythical promises that were made during the referendum. £6 billion is nowhere near enough to protect the people of Britain from a no-deal Brexit.

Jeremy Hunt keeps promising that he will mitigate the effects of no-deal on British business, but what he could do is just not throw our economy under the bus in the first place.

It is

…

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

29 June – 1 July 2019 – the weekend and overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 1st July 2019 - 9:30 am

Labour leadership tone deaf to a People’s Vote

Responding to Len McCluskey’s comments on the Andrew Marr show this morning, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokespeson Tom Brake said:

No matter how loudly some in the Labour party demand that the leadership change its position on Brexit, it is clear it is still falling on deaf ears.

It is insincere to only offer a People’s Vote if it’s a Labour deal on the table. Any Brexit plan must go back to the British public.

Any Brexit deal, whether negotiated by Theresa May, Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn will be bad for our country. It will damage

…

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

28 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 28th June 2019 - 11:50 pm

Lib Dems: Conservatives are not doing enough to make our country safe

Commenting on the National Audit Office’s report into serious and organised crime, which reveals ‘significant and avoidable shortcomings’ by the government, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

From County Lines drug trafficking to child sexual exploitation and modern slavery, organised crime gangs are ruining lives and damaging our country. This report reveals that the Conservatives are not doing nearly enough to prevent these appalling crimes and keep our country safe.

Police forces and the National Crime Agency need urgent additional resources to deal with the growing scale

…

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

27 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 27th June 2019 - 11:58 pm

Johnson pandering to Farage over immigration

Responding to Boris Johnson’s promises to investigate an ‘Australian-style’ policy for immigration, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:

Immigration has been a great thing for our country. But politicians like Johnson have vilified those coming to help build and contribute to our great country for their own political gain in the Brexit debate.

Yet businesses across the country are already having to deal with acute shortages of staff thanks to the Brexit uncertainty, and this proposal from our potential next PM does nothing to solve that. If implemented, an Australian-style visa cap would

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 8 Comments
Mark Valladares

26 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 26th June 2019 - 11:57 pm

Lib Dems: Giving revenge porn victims anonymity is long overdue

Responding to reports that the Government is considering granting anonymity to victims of revenge porn in prosecutions as part of a review of image-based sexual abuse laws, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said:

Revenge porn is a despicable form of abuse. Guaranteeing anonymity for victims is a change that is long overdue.

The Liberal Democrats led the fight to outlaw revenge porn in 2015, but prosecutions are still far too low.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats tabled legislation to extend anonymity to victims back in 2016, but the Conservatives

…

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

24 June 2019 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th June 2019 - 11:45 pm

Liberal Democrats score victory for access to justice

The House of Lords has today passed a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill that will protect access to justice for people at risk of being digitally excluded.

The Government Bill brings a number of court procedures online. Liberal Democrat peers, led by Justice Spokesperson Jonathan Marks, have raised concerns that moving certain proceedings online may put those who struggle to easily access digital systems at risk of being excluded from access to justice.

Lord Marks therefore tabled an amendment to the Bill to put a statutory duty on …

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

Lord (Geoff) Tordoff (1928-2019)

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th June 2019 - 3:21 pm

Sad news has reached the Liberal Democrat Voice team that Geoff Tordoff, a former President of the Liberal Party, and a retired member of the House of Lords, passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning after a short illness.

Geoff was elevated to the Lords in 1981, having played a significant part in the rebuilding of the Liberal Party through the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in four years as Chairman of the Party, as well as a term as President during the Alliance years.

He was highly respected in the Lords, and rose to become Chairman of Committees for a time not long after the Millennium. A patient, kindly man, he tended to avoid hyperbole and could be relied upon to manage the business of the House with tact and courtesy.

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

Chris Davies reselected in Brecon and Radnorshire: Welsh Lib Dems respond

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th June 2019 - 8:32 am

Responding to the the news that the Brecon and Radnorshire Conservative Association have reselected Chris Davies as their candidate, a Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson said:

Over 10,000 people signed the recall petition and decisively rejected Chris Davies because they had enough of an MP putting Brecon and Radnorshire on the map for all the wrong reasons.

By adopting Chris Davies again the Conservatives have demonstrated they can offer nothing more than an MP embroiled in controversy. People deserve better.

This by-election is a clear choice between the same old broken politics from the Conservatives, or a chance to demand better for our communities

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 25 Comments
Mark Valladares

22 June 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Sat 22nd June 2019 - 10:45 am

Tory leadership contenders must reverse school cuts

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran will today use a speech at the ‘Together for Education Rally’ in Westminster to call on the Conservative Party leadership contenders to reverse cuts to schools.

According to the campaign, 91% of schools have suffered per-pupil funding cuts in real terms since 2015. It would cost £2.2 billion to bring funding back up to 2015 levels.

In a bid to reverse these cuts, parents, MPs, councillors and trade unionists will meet in London this Saturday for the Together for Education rally.

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran …

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

19 June 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 19th June 2019 - 8:30 am

Vagrancy report shows why we need to scrap the Act

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran will today urge the Government to repeal the Vagrancy Act at the launch of Crisis’ report into the case for repealing.

The MP for Oxford West and Abingdon held a debate in the House of Commons in January on her campaign to repeal the Vagrancy Act, which criminalises rough sleeping in England and Wales. Ms Moran also introduced a Bill to repeal it in February 2018.

The report says that the Act “does not tackle the problems people have, and there is evidence that it can also push …

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

18 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 18th June 2019 - 11:45 pm

Cable: Looks like Boris will lie down and let Heathrow expansion happen

Responding to the publication of Heathrow’s plan for a third runway which will include diverting rivers, moving roads and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel under the new runway, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Twickenham MP Vince Cable said:

Expanding Heathrow is the wrong decision for the country and for South West London, where air pollution, air traffic noise, and congestion are already a blight. Heathrow’s plan all but confirms this.

The economics of Heathrow expansion also look questionable at best while it will do nothing for regional economies. Above

…

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

13 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 13th June 2019 - 11:45 pm

For obvious reasons, I’m leaving out today’s big story, but otherwise…

Failed Tory policies lead to nine-year knife crime high

Responding to the Ministry of Justice’s latest knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics, published today, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:

The UK is facing an epidemic of knife crime, but the Conservative’s cack-handed response is to repeat policies that have completely failed in the past.

Branding young people as criminals – whether by locking them up on destructive short prison sentences or giving them one of Sajid Javid’s gimmicky new knife ASBOs – traps them in a cycle

…

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

12 June 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 12th June 2019 - 11:54 pm
  • Leaked memo confirms no-deal Brexit medicine fears
  • Farron calls for new deal to fix broken social care system at PMQs
  • Lords pass Lib Dem law to raise age of criminal responsibility
  • Lib Dems: We must ensure next PM cannot shutdown Parliament

Leaked memo confirms no-deal Brexit medicine fears

Responding to a leaked Cabinet note revealing the UK will not be ready for a no-deal Brexit by October 31st because is will take “six to eight months” to build up supplies of medicines, Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine said:

This Government document will be extremely concerning to people who rely on medicines like insulin to stay

…

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

12 June 2019 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 12th June 2019 - 7:00 am

Missed waiting time targets put lives at risk

Responding to a report conducted by the Public Accounts Committee which concludes that the failure to meet waiting time targets is putting lives at risk, PAC member and Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:

This report provides a vital contribution at a time when the Government is reviewing waiting time standards. The delays we are seeing not only put lives in danger, but extend the time patients and families are struggling with worry, stress and pain.

With waiting times being missed on this scale, the Conservative Government must not scrap waiting times, but ensure

…

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

11 June 2019 – today’s press releases

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

Regular readers may wonder where this feature disappeared to over the past week or so. The answer, North Macedonia and Georgia, and fascinating both countries were too. But there’s always a point where you have to come home…

Davey: MI5 revelations “a shocking breach of civil liberties”

Responding to today’s High Court hearing over MI5’s collection and storage of bulk data, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

These revelations represent a shocking breach of civil liberties by one of the agencies tasked with safeguarding them.

The Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed giving MI5 powers to collect bulk communications data,

…

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

30 May 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 30th May 2019 - 11:48 pm

Lib Dems urge ‘No to No-Deal’ coalition

The Liberal Democrats have today reached out to MPs from across the political spectrum in a bid to form a ‘No to No-Deal’ coalition ahead of the Conservative Party leadership contest.

The move comes as a host of Conservative Party leadership hopefuls, including Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, have said they would be willing to leave the EU without a deal if they become Prime Minister.

Tom Brake MP, the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson, has written to MPs representing the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, Change UK, Plaid Cymru and the Greens in order to form a …

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

30 May 2019 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 30th May 2019 - 7:30 am

Davey: Stopping Brexit only solution on citizens’ rights

Responding to the Home Affairs Select Committee’s report on the EU Settled Status scheme, published today , Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

The Liberal Democrats have long been warning that Brexit will create a new Windrush Scandal.

No one really believes that the Home Office will successfully grant Settled Status to all 3.6 million EU citizens before the arbitrary 2021 deadline. And no one should be reliant on a Home Office IT system to prove their right to live and work in the UK.

We support any efforts to improve the scheme, but

…

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

28 May 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 28th May 2019 - 11:00 pm

Winning is, it has to be admitted, so much better than losing, but the ramifications of the European Parliamentary elections keep coming. A block of sixteen MEPs are a significant factor in choosing who leads Europe for the next five years, and Liberal Democrats have an opportunity to be heard at the top table, with seven Liberal members of the European Council.

And today’s press releases give you a flavour of the possibilities…

  • Corbyn remains a block to Labour support for a People’s Vote
  • Catherine Bearder elected to lead Lib Dem MEPs
  • Prime Ministers meet to discuss election result

Corbyn remains a block to Labour …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , and | 7 Comments
Mark Valladares

European Elections 2019: results from across the sea… (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Mon 27th May 2019 - 8:53 pm

For earlier results, check out part 1…

First, an update. The BBC have got the Latvian result wrong, and our sister Party, Attistibai, have retained their seat. Unexpected that, the BBC getting it wrong…

Time to look at some of the bigger stories, and we start with Romania, where the USR have gained eight seats as the main element of the Coalition Alliance 2020. The collapse of the ruling Social Democrats has been followed almost immediately by the news that the Prime Minister, Liviu Dragnea, has lost his appeal against a prison sentence for corruption. He’s already been transferred into captivity…

In France, …

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

European Elections 2019: results from across the sea… (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Mon 27th May 2019 - 3:29 pm

Overnight, we’ve had some of the results come in, and we’ll start with the bad news first, with none of our ALDE sister parties gaining seats in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta or Portugal. We had only held seats in Portugal (two), but the combined vote of the three liberal parties totalled just 2.41%.

Little change in the Baltics thus far, although in Estonia, the opposition Reform Party gained voting share and won overall, retaining their two seats, whilst the Centre Party lost significant voting share having gone into coalition with the far-right and nationalists. They retained their solitary seat in …

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

European Elections 2019: Scotland and Northern Ireland declare, and the inquests begin…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 27th May 2019 - 12:28 pm

19.39 And it’s really all over, with Naomi Long successfully elected…

It’s a truly historic day in Northern Irish politics, and congratulations to everyone in the Alliance Party for a quite astonishing advance.

Thanks to everyone who has commented here, and that brings our coverage of the European Parliamentary elections to a close…

18.44 STV can be quite dramatic sometimes, with candidates seemingly dead and buried, coming back to snatch victory. It hasn’t been like that here, as Naomi Long has gradually pulled away to make it certain victory. Here’s the result at the end of the fourth count…

What this means is that, …

Continue reading »
Posted in Europe / International and News | 15 Comments
Mark Valladares

European Elections 2019: the results…

By Mark Valladares | Sun 26th May 2019 - 10:26 pm

Exciting, isn’t it? The anticipation of election results where we’re almost bound to improve on last time. And with the wind in our sails. Now, I’ve been around long enough to expect disappointment, but let’s see, shall we?

00.51 So, with only Scotland and Northern Ireland to report, here’s the current picture;

  • Brexit Party – 28 seats (up 28)
  • Liberal Democrats – 15 seats (up 14)
  • Labour – 10 seats (down 8)
  • Greens – 7 seats (up 4)
  • Conservatives – 3 seats (down 15)
  • Plaid Cymru – 1 seat (no change)
  • UKIP – no seats (down 23)

The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party is pretty much gender balanced, seven men, …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 36 Comments
Mark Valladares

European Elections 2019: meanwhile, on a continent far away…

By Mark Valladares | Sun 26th May 2019 - 8:27 pm

Welcome to Liberal Democrat Voice’s coverage of the results from the other 678 seats in the European Parliament. I’m your host, Mark Valladares, a member of the Party’s Federal International Relations Committee, and I’ll be highlighting some of the interesting results from across Europe. Stay tuned for the drama to come… I’ll be adding to the piece at the top, i.e. read upwards from the bottom…

01.00 We’re still awaiting final results from across most of Europe, given that they mostly voted today. But we can summarise thus. It’s been a good night for liberals, Greens and, unfortunately, the disruptive right. …

Continue reading »
Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged and | 3 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Mary ReidMary Reid
    David Raw - yes, it would trigger a Parliamentary by-election if she won as Mayor. Selection itself would not require it....
  • Adrian Moss
    Outstanding article. Lib Dems need to lead the way on reasoned arguements in support....
  • John Kelly
    @jonathan brown “I regret to say that I believe our failure to take this message strongly out of parliament and to the people has contributed to us underperf...
  • David Raw
    Does that mean a parliamentary by-election ?...
  • Jonathan Brown
    @Jana - you're right that banning trade in services is much more important than goods, although the Government is seeking to do some of this. The LDFP emergency...