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.
US trade tariffs: Trump doesn’t listen to “please”
A&E deaths: “Sickening” new analysis reveals deadly consequences of broken NHS as Lib Dems call for inquiry
Wendy Chamberlain MP’s Bill bids to remove charity lottery fundraising cap
US trade tariffs: Trump doesn’t listen to “please”
Responding to the the Business Secretary’s comments about Trump trade tariffs this morning, Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:
Government ministers going cap in hand to Trump, pleading with him not to tax our goods, simply won’t work.
Trump doesn’t listen to “please”. He’s an unpredictable trading partner who’s shown he’ll slap massive tariffs on the UK at the drop of a hat.
Instead, we’ve got to negotiate with him from a position of strength – from within a new and bespoke customs partnership with the EU, that will unleash the potential of many British businesses to drive up trade with our biggest and closest trading partner.
A&E deaths: “Sickening” new analysis reveals deadly consequences of broken NHS as Lib Dems call for inquiry
Responding to new analysis of ONS data which suggests that more than 50,000 people died last year after long A&E waits, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:
This new analysis is sickening. It lays bare the deadly consequences of a health service that has been run into the ground with patients and their loved ones often paying the ultimate price.
The Conservative Party should never be forgiven for what it did to our NHS and the tragedy their neglect has left it in its wake, but it is simply not good enough for this new government to sit on its hands any longer.
We need to see immediate action to get to the bottom of these deadly delays.
The government must urgently launch a CQC inquiry into the chaos in our A&Es and ensure patients never have to suffer through something like this ever again.
Wendy Chamberlain MP’s Bill bids to remove charity lottery fundraising cap
Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, will have the second reading of her Bill to remove the outdated caps on charity lottery fundraising on Friday .
Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”
NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases
Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps
Scot Lib Dems push for prison suicide and fatal accident inquiry reform
Cole-Hamilton comments on scrapping of doomed social care centralisation
Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”
Responding to the Government appearing to rule out the EU’s proposal of the UK joining a European customs area this morning, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:
It is alarming that the Government is happy to negotiate with China but won’t even look at a better trading arrangement with our closest neighbours in Europe. This is an act of economic negligence.
If the Government thinks it will get growth back in the economy by borrowing Boris Johnson’s playbook on European negotiations it is going to end up being sorely disappointed.
It is time for a proper UK-EU customs arrangement so we can strengthen our negotiations with Donald Trump, cut the red tape on our businesses and grow the economy.
NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases
Responding to the latest NHS stats showing norovirus levels in hospitals to be 80% higher than last year with bed occupancy standing at 96%, well above the 85% that is considered safe, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:
The situation for patients and our NHS could not be more stark. People are dying on trolleys in corridors and staff are at breaking point. It cannot be overstated just how grim things are in A&Es across the country.
This is one of the most brutal winters on record following years of shameful Conservative neglect and the current government is now at risk of losing control of this crisis. Any more delay in action has the potential to be deadly for patients.
COBRA must be convened immediately with an emergency plan brought forward to protect patients from this ongoing disaster.
It is time for the government to step up and grip this crisis in a way that they have so far failed to do.
Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that more than 500 sewage overspills took place at sites managed by private firms in just twelve months, including more than 100 at the Edinburgh Waste Water treatment work at Seafield, run by Veolia.
Borrowing figures: Another sign the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked
OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers for practically no benefit
Cole-Hamilton: SNP must scrap social care power grab now
OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise Welsh farmers for practically no benefit
OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers and crofters for little benefit to Exchequer
Cross-border healthcare difficulties letting patients down
Borrowing figures: Another sign the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked
Responding to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing UK borrowing has hit its highest December level for four years, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:
This is yet another sign that the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked. It’s now putting people’s mortgages at risk and will make it even harder for the Chancellor to meet her borrowing rules.
The answer to this is to turbo-charge growth by scrapping the jobs tax, and raising the necessary revenue for our NHS from the big banks and tech companies instead.
After the Conservative Party’s disastrous legacy of economic vandalism, the Chancellor needs to go for growth through fairer tax measures that can unleash growth through small businesses, not undermine it.
OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers for practically no benefit
Commenting on the latest OBR report on the impact of agricultural and business property relief, Liberal Democrat Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:
This report confirms that the Government’s misguided family farm tax is mired in problems and will penalise British farmers for practically no benefit.
It is deeply concerning that older farmers will be hit hardest from this tax, with the rug pulled from under them before they can change their plans. And with tax revenue expected to be highly uncertain and unstable for two decades, the Chancellor’s excuses simply don’t stack up.
Farmers are absolutely vital for Britain, putting food on our tables and protecting the British countryside. And they are already battling botched trade deals, declining incomes and high energy prices. The Government must do the right thing and scrap the family farm tax before it’s too late.
Cole-Hamilton: SNP must scrap social care power grab now
Speaking ahead of the ministerial statement on the future of the National Care Service, proposals which would centralise social care services and wrench away control from local communities, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:
Southport Inquiry: Must get us answers to avoid future failures
WASPI: More than 300,000 women in Scotland “betrayed” by Labour decision
Welsh unemployment rise: Labour must scrap their Jobs Tax
Cole-Hamilton: SNP have left A&E in state of perma-crisis
McArthur: Community orders should be credible solutions to prison overcrowding
Unemployment: Reeves must scrap jobs tax
Responding to the latest figures showing unemployment at 4.4%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:
These latest figures are concerning. The government’s misguided jobs tax is already scaring off small businesses from hiring new people and being able to better serve our communities.
The Chancellor talks about growth but her Budget measures are acting as an anchor against just that.
After years of the Conservative Party’s economic vandalism we cannot see this new government repeat their mistakes. That is why Rachel Reeves needs to scrap her jobs tax to get our economy growing again.
Southport Inquiry: Must get us answers to avoid future failures
Commenting after Starmer’s press conference following the government’s announcement of an inquiry into the Southport murders, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:
The Liberal Democrats welcome this inquiry, which must not shy away from asking tough questions about what went wrong.
This was an utterly horrific tragedy. My thoughts go out to the bereaved families, who lost three young daughters to such brutal violence. We need to ensure that such a senseless attack cannot happen again.
We must learn from these events, and the inquiry must urgently get us the answers we need to avoid future failures.
WASPI: More than 300,000 women in Scotland “betrayed” by Labour decision
Speaking ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on compensation for WASPI women, Beatrice Wishart MSP has said her party will “fight for WASPI women” as data from the House of Commons library estimated that an estimated 331,780 women in Scotland could be affected.
40 new hospitals: Shoddy attempt to bury bad news on day of Trump’s inauguration
Farm incomes in Wales fall by 34% – Liberal Democrats call for Government reset
Trump inauguration shows importance of close ties with Europe
40 new hospitals: Shoddy attempt to bury bad news on day of Trump’s inauguration
Responding to the Health Secretary’s announcement that there will be significant delays to the completion of the New Hospital Programme, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:
This is a double betrayal. The Conservatives shamelessly made promises they never intended to keep to countless communities served by crumbling hospitals.
Now this government uses the day of Trump’s inauguration in a shoddy attempt to bury bad news, showing an outrageous disregard for patients.
Instead of ducking scrutiny, the Health Secretary needs to publish the full impact assessment of these delays.
Patients have a right to know just how at risk they are, and how many more delays they will have to suffer as a result of the government’s decision.
Farm incomes in Wales fall by 34% – Liberal Democrats call for Government reset
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Labour to reset their relationship with farming and the countryside following the release of statistics showing farming incomes in Wales have fallen by 34% for the period April 2023 to March 2024.
David Chadwick MP, the Liberal Democrats Wales spokesperson in Westminster has said that recent policy failures by both the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay and the UK Government are damaging agriculture and the wider rural economy in Wales and risk making the situation even worse.
Before I move onto this week’s report, I should take this opportunity to congratulate the new intake of Liberal Democrat peers, Shaffaq Mohammed and our former editorial team colleague here at Liberal Democrat Voice, Mark Pack. Mark will be introduced to the Lords on 13 February, although the Parliamentary calendar doesn’t indicate a date for Shaffaq yet. Oh, and, Mark, do you fancy taking on this column?
I should also say a few words about Jenny Randerson, who is sadly missed. I had the pleasure of working alongside her in the Party’s international work, and she was an astute observer of the politics of the ALDE Party but, most of all, such good company. In the Lords, her grasp of the transport brief, one of the less glamorous but busy frontbench responsibilities, was a firm one. I’ll personally miss her, and I know that I’m not alone in that regard.
And with that, on with the show.
There are two Government Bills this week to occupy Peers this week:
the Mental Health Bill – day 2 of the Committee Stage is on Monday, with day 3 to follow on Wednesday
The past week has seen a series of Liberal Democrat interventions, boldly calling for stronger links between the United Kingdom and Europe. Ed Davey reads every word I write, apparently…
But seriously, it’s nice to see our Party making the weather on Europe, and interesting to see the media response. And it’s not that there’s any sense of desperation – we are, after all, the largest third party in Parliament for a century or so – but the approach is consistent with our core beliefs over decades. In the absence of a credible centre-right political force in this country (and I’m really not suggesting that we fill that vacancy), offering positive reasons to support us has to be a good thing.
The suggestion that we need to rebuild our relationship with the European Union is obviously linked to the rather menacing threat of tariffs on imports from whatever countries offend Donald Trump on any given day, but I am surprised to hear British politicians who say that we should prioritise seeking a trade deal with the United States. And yes, a decent trade agreement with the world’s largest economy would undoubtedly be helpful but is any such deal viable with an “emotionally erratic billionaire with the temperament of one of those kids in Willy Wonka”?
Patel on Trump: “naive and dangerous”, say Lib Dems
Davey: Trump presidency “deeply worrying for millions”
Pressure rises on Govt as two in three Labour voters back closer ties with Europe given Trump presidency
More than 11,000 malicious calls to ambulance service in past decade
2024 the worst year on record at A&E
Patel on Trump: “naive and dangerous”, say Lib Dems
Responding to Priti Patel’s comments about the Trump presidency on Laura Kuenssberg’s programme this morning, Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, said:
Priti Patel’s comments on her ‘trust’ in Trump are naive and dangerous. The incoming US administration will be one to watch carefully, to deal with critically – not one in which we should put blind faith.
Her desire to rush into a free trade deal between the UK and US – one that could sell British farmers and food standards down the river – reminds us of where her and her party’s true alliances lie: with the Mar-a-Lago clan, not with constituents here in Britain.
The Conservatives are competing with Reform to be most submissive toward Trump, but we should be approaching the new President from a position of strength.
The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for a fair deal for British people – beginning with a new UK-EU customs union that boosts UK growth.
Davey: Trump presidency “deeply worrying for millions”
Commenting as Trump’s inauguration takes place today , Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:
Donald Trump returning to the White House will be deeply worrying for millions of people in the UK and around the world. With a President who promises trade wars, undermines NATO and praises Vladimir Putin, the threats to our national security and our economy are clear.
The UK must lead on the world stage again, standing up for our interests by working closely with other countries – above all our European neighbours.
While Nigel Farage toadies up to Donald Trump and Elon Musk in Washington, Liberal Democrats are working hard for our communities here in the UK. We will press the Government to be far more ambitious and positive in fixing our relationship with Europe, to strengthen Britain’s hand when it comes to dealing with Trump.
Pressure rises on Govt as two in three Labour voters back closer ties with Europe given Trump presidency
A two-thirds majority (64%) of 2024 Labour voters agree that the UK should build closer “economic and security ties with Europe” given Trump’s incoming presidency, polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed – piling pressure on the Government to accelerate talks on UK-EU relations as the new presidency gets under way.
Triple lock: Lib Dems launching new attack ad following Badenoch’s plans to cut the state pension
Badenoch’s triple lock comments: Lib Dems launch new poster van attack ad outside CCHQ
ONS health data: “sickening” research damning for government’s lack of action
McArthur responds to Polmont FAI determination
Lib Dems call on new Welsh Conservative Leader to disown Badenoch’s plans to cut state pension
Triple lock: Lib Dems launching new attack ad following Badenoch’s plans to cut the state pension
The Liberal Democrats will be launching a new attack ad following Kemi Badenoch’s comments yesterday that she will consider means testing the triple lock.
The ad will highlight Kemi Badenoch’s three major announcements so far, cutting maternity pay which she described as ‘excessive’, slashing the state pension and putting UK interests at risk by sucking up to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
A Liberal Democrat source said:
First Kemi Badenoch came for the mothers and now she has set her sights on the grandmothers.
Millions of pensioners felt betrayed by Labour’s cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, now it’s clear their pensions wouldn’t be safe with the Conservatives.
We will be reminding pensioners at every opportunity that Kemi Badenoch wants to take an axe to the triple lock.
Badenoch’s triple lock comments: Lib Dems launch new poster van attack ad outside CCHQ
The Liberal Democrats have today launched a new attack ad with a poster van outside CCHQ after Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch said that she would look at means testing the triple lock.
The Liberal Democrats have said Badenoch’s comments will “send a shiver down the spine of pensioners” and that the Conservatives “want to come after their state pension”.
The poster pictures Kemi Badenoch and an elderly woman with the warning: “don’t let the Conservatives wreck your pension”.
Liberal Democrat Care and Carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP, who launched the poster van outside CCHQ today, said:
Kemi Badenoch’s comments will have sent a shiver down the spine of millions of pensioners across the country.
Older people have already seen Winter Fuel Payments ripped away by the Labour government and now the Conservatives want to come after their state pension.
The Liberal Democrats are proud we introduced the triple lock to protect people’s pensions. We will fight to protect pensioners from Conservative attempts to scrap it every step of the way.
GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax
Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war
Badenoch speech: half-hearted apology does not absolve her from toxic legacy
Triple lock: “bungling Badenoch’s” first policy is to slash the state pension
Carmichael welcomes RFA vertical launch licence
McArthur calls for clarity over BP job losses
GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax
Responding to GDP growing by 0.1% in November, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:
The Chancellor has put the handbrake on the economy with her misguided jobs tax and the consequence is this pitiful rate of growth.
Every month this persists means less money in struggling families pockets and public services without the funding they need.
After years of the Conservatives’ economic vandalism, the public was crying out for change but this new government is falling well short of fixing this mess.
Rachel Reeves needs to see sense and scrap her foolish jobs tax and pursue a real strategy for growth like fixing our broken trade relationship with our European partners and replacing the broken business rates system.
Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war
The Liberal Democrats are tabling a ‘Humble Address’ motion which would force the Government to release its analysis of the potential impact of Trump tariffs on the UK economy.
It follows reports that the Government has conducted internal assessments of how a potential trade war with the US may hit the UK economy, but is refusing to publish them.
The Liberal Democrat motion will call urgently for the publication of all impact assessments conducted by the Government regarding the impact of Trump’s tariffs ahead of his inauguration on 20 January.
Humble Address motions have been successfully used in the past, including in 2017 when the Government was forced to publish an impact assessment of Brexit on the economy.
The new US administration’s purported plans may involve tariffs of up to 20 percent on UK exports, which could hit the UK economy by £22bn according to the research conducted at the University of Sussex.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today call on the Government to negotiate a new UK-EU Customs Union, to boost Britain’s economy and ability to deal with the incoming Trump Presidency from a position of strength.
In his first major speech of the year, Ed Davey will criticise the Labour Government for ruling out a Customs Union with the EU, saying it would be the best way to tear down trade barriers and “turbocharge our economy in the medium and long term.”
He will call on ministers to negotiate a new deal with the EU this year, with the goal of forming a Customs Union by 2030 at the latest, arguing this will allow the UK to “deal with President Trump from a position of strength, not weakness.”
He will then criticise Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for wanting to go “cap in hand” to Donald Trump and “beg for whatever trade deal he’ll give us.” And he will criticise Nigel Farage for “fawning over Trump and licking his boots”, being “more interested in advancing Trump’s agenda over here than the UK’s interests over there.”
RCN survey: “Harrowing” corridor care testimony reveals a government leaving staff with “hands tied behind their backs”
Cole-Hamilton comments on embargoed RCN report on overcrowding
RCN survey: “Harrowing” corridor care testimony reveals a government leaving staff with “hands tied behind their backs”
Responding to a Royal College of Nursing survey which shows that two-thirds of NHS nursing staff are saying they are delivering care in over-crowded or unsuitable places such as corridors, converted cupboards and even car parks on a daily basis, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:
This report is harrowing. To think that patients are receiving desperately
Public Accounts Committee SEND Report: Urgent reform needed
Inflation: economy is “stuck in the mud”
PMQs: Davey urges PM to create visa route to attract high-skilled Americans fleeing Trump
Davey: Israel-Gaza ceasefire must lead to a lasting peace and two-state solution
Public Accounts Committee SEND Report: Urgent reform needed
Responding to the PAC report on SEND provision, Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, said:
This report lays bare what we already knew to be the dire truth: that a wrecked system of SEND provision in this country is failing children and families every single day.
Wales rail runding letter – more than warm words needed
David Chadwick challenges UK Government over proposals to extend waiting times for Powys patients
Wales rail runding letter – more than warm words needed
Responding to a letter sent by Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and Transport Minster Heidi Alexander to First Minister Eluned Morgan regarding Welsh rail funding, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:
More than warm words are needed to fix Welsh railways.
This statement doesn’t commit to any specific extra funding and doesn’t commit to the full devolution of our railways, which is what is needed to stop scandals like that around HS2 consequential funding from happening again.
The letter also doesn’t mention Mid or West Wales at all. Rural areas are too often neglected by Labour. While billions of pounds are being spent on the South Wales Metro, rail services in rural parts of Wales like the Heart of Wales Line and Cambrian Line are being cut.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for Wales to receive the funding it deserves for rail, including HS2 consequentials in full.
David Chadwick challenges UK Government over proposals to extend waiting times for Powys patients
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, has strongly condemned proposals that would extend waiting times for patients in Powys receiving treatment in English hospitals under the Powys Teaching Health Board.
Chadwick described the proposals as “utterly unacceptable,” arguing that they undermine both the Welsh and UK Government’s commitments to reducing NHS waiting times. He warned that they may also violate the Statement of Values governing cross-border healthcare between Wales and England.
McArthur comments on assisted dying evidence session
Carmichael welcomes protection of coastguard helicopter readiness
Tulip Siddiq resignation: People expected better from this government
Following Tulip Siddiq’s resignation as Treasury Minister, Sarah Olney MP, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson, said:
It’s right Tulip Siddiq resigned, you can’t have an anti-corruption minister mired in a corruption scandal.
After years of Conservative sleaze and scandal, people rightly expected better from this government.
Worst 8 hour A&E wait times in 2 years
Responding to new figures showing only 58.7% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 5th January, while 18.3% of people waited over 8 hours (the worst since January 2023) and 9.1% waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:
These figures show almost 1 in 5 waited more than 8 hours at A&E, the worst for nearly 2 years. It is now clear that the SNP’s NHS Recovery Plan has completely failed.
These waits are intolerable for staff and patients alike. The Scottish Government needs to start taking urgent action to address these conditions.
Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan, get you fast access to GPs and help people leave hospital on time through a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.
More than 2,000 people stuck in hospital
Responding to new Public Health Scotland figures showing 2,020 people were stuck in hospital at the November census due to their discharge being delayed, amongst the worst on record, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:
SNP mismanagement has led to eye-watering numbers of people stuck in hospital unnecessarily because they can’t get the care they need at home or in the community.
This creates a backlog right across our NHS, contributing to agonising waits in A&E and ambulances stacking up outside the front door. It goes to show that you can’t save our NHS unless you fix the care crisis.
The Health Secretary needs to re-write the failed NHS Recovery Plan. It’s also essential to drop the doomed takeover of social care that has already seen millions wasted on bureaucracy instead of being spent on services and staff to enable people to leave hospital on time.
Social Care: Ministers need to “get their act together” and complete review by end of the year
Responding to social sector leaders saying that social care can “ill afford” to wait three years for final decisions on reform, Liberal Democrat Care and Carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP said:
It is blindingly obvious that social care has been in crisis for years and is now on the brink of collapse.
It is having unbearable consequences for patients, unpaid family carers and for the NHS as a whole as without a functioning social care sector the health service cannot function.
Market turmoil: Reeves should hold emergency summit with banks to reassure mortgage holders
Scottish Government forced to climb down on ministerial power grab of legal profession
Market turmoil: Reeves should hold emergency summit with banks to reassure mortgage holders
Following the cost of government borrowing continuing to rise, exceeding the near 30-year high it hit last week, the Liberal Democrats have called on the Chancellor to hold an emergency summit with the banks to reassure mortgage holders that they won’t see a major spike in their mortgage costs.
It comes as experts warn that mortgage rates may rise in the coming weeks as lenders …
Record 518,000 trolley waits of 12 hours or more last year – up 400-fold in less than a decade
Rennie comments ahead of Glen Sannox first crossing
Record 518,000 trolley waits of 12 hours or more last year – up 400-fold in less than a decade
Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP has urged Wes Streeting to produce an emergency plan to tackle “shocking and dangerous” A&E wait times as the government “looks to be asleep at the wheel”.
Last year there were a record 518,000 waits of 12 hours or longer in A&E from a decision to admit, research by the Liberal Democrat has revealed. Staggeringly, that is nearly 400-times more 12 hour waits than 2015’s figure of 1,306.
The figures also revealed a sharp rise of more than 100,000 12 hour trolley waits on 2023’s figure of 415,000, a jump of 25%. Prior to the pandemic in 2019 there were just 8,272 trolley waits of 12 hours or longer. Last year that figure rose 63-fold to 518,000.
In December alone, 54,000 patients waited 12 hours or longer in A&E from a decision to admit, up 23-fold on the December 2019’s figure of just 2,356.
Long waits at A&E are extremely dangerous and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that in 2023 14,000 deaths were associated with long waits in A&E.
Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP called the figures “shocking” and said the new government “looks to be asleep at the wheel”. The Party is calling on the Health Secretary to come forward with an emergency plan to tackle this crisis to protect patients from this ongoing crisis.
I took in a movie at the weekend and, somewhat unusually, I was given reason to ponder about my liberalism and what I do to aid its cause. “Conclave” is a film based on a fictional selection of a new Pope and, whilst not wanting to give anything away, from the perspective of a Catholic Liberal Democrat Returning Officer, I was reminded of many of the dilemmas that I face in that role and in my wider “liberal bureaucracy”.
I am by no means an active Catholic. I feel vaguely guilty about that, but not so guilty as to do anything about it, although I am usually moved to light a candle when visiting a Cathedral and thinking about my rather more devout grandmother. One of my qualms about the Catholic Church as an institution is its bureaucracy (ironic, really) and a sense that it has rather lost sight of its calling. But I acknowledge that it has a potentially significant role in the world and that its influence on how its followers are supposed to lead their lives cannot be easily disregarded.
And a papal conclave is, from the perspective of a seasoned Returning Officer like myself, utterly fascinating and in many ways little different from the election of a Party Leader, with conservatives against radicals, regional power blocs, all against a backdrop of external commentary and conjecture. Being in charge of the process can sometimes feel a bit lonely, especially in some of the more challenging selections. You may see behaviour that troubles you but, as an independent arbiter of the rules, what responsibility do you have for addressing that? Sometimes, candidates behave towards you, or their competitors, in ways that can be very testing. I have from time to time felt under great stress but, I think, it goes with the territory. With power comes responsibility, and if that doesn’t worry you, you’re almost certainly not a good person to be given either.
But for me, the concept of certainty was the aspect that challenges me most. I am, it must be admitted, not a “retail politician”, and find the idea of saying ” this is something, and if we do it, it will make your life better” slightly absurd. I trained, in part, as a statistician, and my day job requires me to make judgements based on what can often be limited data. There is often little certainty to be had there.
Modern politics leaves little room for the doubtful or unsure, with its increasing “fifteen second soundbite” mentality which encourages bold statements regardless of whether they’re actually based on anything credible. The idea that a politician might be interviewed and say “we think that this will work” rather than “this will make things better” is for the birds. And that leaves me as a slightly uncomfortable participant in the political process.
That’s why I’m a strong believer in the ‘political guardrails’ that have managed our politics for so long and campaigns to make them more robust, such as spending and donation limits, press freedom (and responsibility), independent regulators. Just as our rights protect us from the power of an overmighty state, rules that diffuse political power and prevent super-wealthy individuals from distorting our political debate are a critical part of a participatory, inclusive democracy. It’s also why my roles in the Party have traditionally been those that free up others to do the campaigning and policy stuff, because few people enter politics to manage the minutiae of organisational bureaucracy.
It is, indeed, one of the reasons why I continue as a member of the Liberal Democrat Voice editorial team, enabling the existence of a platform where Liberal Democrat members and supporters can discuss ideas and debate the issues of the day in a courteous and mutually respectful manner. Call me old-fashioned and or rather naïve, if you like.
So, today, we offer, apart from the usual coverage of press releases, pieces on transport policy and on joining the Liberal Democrats, and a response from a member of the party’s Federal Board to the General Election Review published yesterday. There may be other stuff too, but I’ll let that be a surprise.
And finally, it is apparently National Rubber Ducky Day and so, to mark that, here is Little Richard, singing his own tribute…
Reeves in China: Chancellor must come back now with serious plan for growth
Cole-Hamilton: Scottish Water must ensure no gaps in sewage monitoring
Reeves in China: Chancellor must come back now with serious plan for growth
Responding to the Chancellor’s announcements in China amidst the ongoing market turmoil at home, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:
The Chancellor must come back now to urgently address the ongoing crisis in the markets and announce a serious plan for growth.
She should reverse the misguided and self-defeating jobs tax, scrap the broken business rates system and start rebuilding our trade relationship with Europe, to fix
Citizens Advice: pensioners had “legs cut out from underneath them” after Winter Fuel Payment scrapped
Local election delays: Lib Dems accuse Conservative councils of “running scared” and “silencing democracy”
Reeves in China: Chancellor needs to return and announce “plan B” for growth
Cole-Hamilton calls for network of drug consumption rooms ahead of Glasgow facility opening
Citizens Advice: pensioners had “legs cut out from underneath them” after Winter Fuel Payment scrapped
Responding to Citizens Advice saying that they have seen a surge in households seeking help with energy bills in 2024, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:
People are being hammered by energy bill rises with millions of vulnerable pensioners especially struggling after the government scrapped the Winter Fuel Payment for the vast majority.
Older people, many already choosing between heating and eating, had their legs cut out from underneath them by the government’s cruel decision to slash this vital support.
The government needs to recognise their disastrous error and get these vulnerable pensioners the support they deserve or risk millions suffering.
Local election delays: Lib Dems accuse Conservative councils of “running scared” and “silencing democracy”
The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative councils of “running scared” and “silencing democracy” as the deadline for councils to apply for election postponement expires.
The Government gave councils until today to say if they would prefer to cancel May’s local elections while devolution plans for changes to local authorities, with many set to become unitary, are discussed.
Almost all councils that have called for elections to be cancelled are Conservative-run, including several in areas like Devon and Surrey where the Liberal Democrats won swathes of seats from the Conservatives at the General Election.
Food prices set to rise: news will be hammer blow for millions already choosing between heating and eating
NHS stats: winter “one of the most brutal on record” as Lib Dems call on Streeting to bring forward emergency plan to protect patients
‘Bed blocking’ has already cost NHS £165 million this winter as Davey calls on govt to finish social care review this year
Market turmoil: Chancellor should cancel China trip for emergency growth statement
Oxford Farming Conference: Reed’s “regret” not good enough – Starmer must reverse family farm tax
More than 440,000 police officer and staff days lost to mental health since 2019
Food prices set to rise: news will be hammer blow for millions already choosing between heating and eating
Responding to the British Retail Consortium saying that food prices will rise by 4.2% in the latter half of this year as “retailers battle the £7 billion of increased costs in 2025 from the Budget”, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:
This news will come as a hammer blow to families across the country. Millions of people are already having to choose between heating and eating and the prospect of even more pressure on stretched budgets will be incredibly worrying.
The new government is faced with the enormous challenge of cleaning up the Conservative Party’s economic vandalism, but their approach so far risks repeating more mistakes.
It’s now clear as day that the Chancellor’s misguided national insurance hike is only going to hammer household budgets further by forcing up prices. Ministers must recognise their error and scrap this tax hike immediately.
NHS stats: winter “one of the most brutal on record” as Lib Dems call on Streeting to bring forward emergency plan to protect patients
Responding to NHS England saying that this is the busiest year on record for emergency services, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:
This winter threatens to be one of the most brutal on record. Patients are suffering through deadly delays and staff are already at breaking point.
There can be no overstating just dangerous this situation is after years of the previous Conservative government’s shameful neglect of our NHS.
It is of paramount importance that the new government grips this crisis urgently. That must start with the Health Secretary producing an emergency plan in the coming days to protect patients from this ongoing disaster.
‘Bed blocking’ has already cost NHS £165 million this winter as Davey calls on govt to finish social care review this year
This winter has already seen 417,220 bed days taken up by patients that were well enough to be discharged – costing the NHS £165 million or £4.8 million a day
12,271 of England’s 103,277 hospital beds have been taken up by people who are fit to be discharged everyday this winter – the equivalent of just under one in eight
Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey has called on the government to complete its social care review by the end of the year to take pressure off hospitals
This winter has already seen 417,220 bed days taken up by patients that were fit enough to be discharged, the equivalent of 1 in 8, costing the NHS £165 million in just over a month research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.
Children’s Wellbeing Bill: Conservatives using victims as “political football”
Davey: Adult Social Care Commission must be completed within one year
MP Calls for Greater Support for Off-Grid Homes
Children’s Wellbeing Bill: Conservatives using victims as “political football”
Commenting on the Conservative amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:
The Conservatives are using the victims of this scandal as a political football.
The Conservatives alongside Reform, goaded along by Elon Musk will be voting for a motion which will not secure a national inquiry for victims of child sexual abuse, but instead it would kill these crucial child protection measures completely.
The Liberal Democrats will be putting forward our own amendment to take real action to tackle the child sex abuse scandal, by implementing the recommendations from the national independent inquiry in full.
Davey: Adult Social Care Commission must be completed within one year
Responding to the Health and Social Care Committee’s evidence session on Adult Social Care Reform with Sir Andrew Dilnot CBE, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:
Andrew Dilnot is absolutely right that this review could be completed within one year.
The social care crisis is forcing patients to be treated in hospital corridors while elderly people sell their homes to pay for care. After years of being let down so badly by the Conservatives, they cannot afford to wait while the government drags its heels for another three years.
MP Calls for Greater Support for Off-Grid Homes
Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has called for greater Government support to help those in off-grid homes deal with high energy prices.
During a debate on the decarbonisation of homes in Westminster today, David Chadwick highlighted that Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe has an extremely high number of homes not connected to the national gas grid, with most being reliant on heating oil to keep their homes warm.
Starmer NHS speech: Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” as 12-hour A&E waits soar
Just 38 upskirting cases a year being passed to Crown Office
4 in 10 Scots go without recent dentist check-up
Starmer NHS speech: Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” as 12-hour A&E waits soar
Lib Dems warn that Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” by neglecting the crisis in emergency care and ‘bed blocking’ caused by the social care crisis.
Figures reveal almost 200,000 12-hour “trolley waits” in A&E since Labour took office last July.
Average of 1,330 patients a day are facing waits of 12 hours or more before being admitted to hospital from A&E.
Lib Dems have urged the Government to complete social care review by end of year rather than 2028.
The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Government’s plan for NHS waiting lists due to be announced today risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” unless it also tackles the crises in both emergency care and social care that are backing up A&E.
It comes as analysis by the party of NHS estimates has revealed there have been almost 200,000 12-hour “trolley waits” in A&E since the start of July, when the Labour government took office. That means that an average of 1,330 people a day had to wait more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital from A&E between July and November.
So, for this Day Editor at least, another year starts and, in my case, in a country ill at ease with itself, the United States. It’s an insular and curiously transactional politics here, where the impact of its leadership is seen mostly in terms of what America does to others rather than in terms of how it is perceived by allies and enemies alike. There is no room for doubt or uncertainty in the minds of the radicals soon to be running this country.
Which inevitably brings me to the recent antics of Elon Musk, whose astonishing firehose of untruths and bombast on X, aimed at the politicians he feels he has bought and paid for, and those in other countries by whom he feels threatened, have done so much to alienate his “customers” internationally. There is clearly something wrong with him, or perhaps there always was and we just hadn’t appreciated it. But his apparent desire to overturn democratically elected governments that displease him isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
Labour seem determined to humour him, which is evidently going to fail. When someone is as astonishingly wealthy as Musk is, and so unused to being refused, he has no need to play by any of the usual rules of debate. And with a media platform under his control which is increasingly a meeting place for some of the most unpleasant elements of our society, the risks that individuals or groups act to advance his beliefs and wishes are genuine. As he has seemingly become more and more radicalised, so has his ability to radicalise others.
Shocking research reveals almost 4 in 5 car thefts go unsolved
Davey: Social care commission “long overdue”
Davey: social care review should be “done and dusted within a year”
Flu admissions: alarming consequences from lack of winterpoofing
SNP have starved local communities of funding for public toilets
Shocking research reveals almost 4 in 5 car thefts go unsolved
Shock data reveals that on average 78.5% of all car thefts go unsolved, a grand total of 24,837 in the quarter ending June 2024.
Liberal Democrats are urging the government to restore proper community policing, where officers have the time and resources to properly respond to neighbourhood crimes like car theft.
Data from the Home Office reveals the extent of the car theft epidemic in England and Wales, with almost 25,000 car thefts going unsolved in just three months.
The Metropolitan Police force reported the worst figures, with a staggering 90% of all reported car thefts going unsolved. South Yorkshire followed closely behind with 85% of theft going unsolved, Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire also all reported that at least 80% of car thefts were unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024.
By contrast, only 2.8% or just under 900 cases on average end with the criminal being charged or summonsed across the whole of England and Wales.
It follows previous Liberal Democrat research that revealed last year, police did not even attend the scene in over 70% of car theft cases.
The Liberal Democrats have blamed the previous Conservative government for these figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing has left frontline policing decimated. This includes the decision to take over 4,500 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015.
The party is calling on the government to urgently restore proper community policing, where officers have the time and resources to properly respond to neighbourhood crimes like car theft.
Commenting on the data, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:
Tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales are being left without the justice they deserve, with a staggeringly high number of car thefts going unsolved, and thieves getting away scot free.
This cannot continue. Every victim of a crime deserves to feel safe and protected by the police, but unfortunately after brutal cuts to community police officers that is far from the truth.
We urge the new government to change the course by getting tough on crime, investing properly in local neighbourhood policing and keeping communities safe.
Davey: Social care commission “long overdue”
Commenting on the Government’s annoucement of an independent commission into adult social care, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:
One in two Brits not confident police would turn up if their home was burgled
Poll reveals almost one in two adults would not be confident the police would turn up if their home was burgled or they were the victim of a car theft
Some Brits are putting off calling the police because they worried it will take too long for them to arrive or they won’t take the incident seriously
Lib Dems warn of “crisis in confidence” in police and call on government to restore public trust in policing
Nearly half of people say they are not confident that the police would turn up and properly investigate if they were the victim of crimes such as burglaries or car thefts, shocking new polling by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.
46% of adults reported that they were not confident that the police would turn up and properly investigate if their home was burgled. This was even higher among those who were 65 or older, with 54% saying they were not confident.
Over 1 million people were unable to contact their GP in the past month
1.1 million people who attempted to contact their GP in the past month could not get through, accounting for one in 20 of all people who tried, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.
Analysis of the latest ONS survey on health care by the Liberal Democrats found that in just one month, 4.8 million people who tried to reach their GP could not make contact on the same day. This accounts for close to a quarter (23%) of all people who tried.
Of these, 2.2 million patients had to wait several days to make contact, while over 1.1 million were completely unable to access their NHS GP in the month.
More than 2 million people said that they found it difficult to contact their GP in the past month, equating to 10.8% of all people who tried. The percentage of people who said they had a difficult experience rose when looking at those who tried making contact by telephone to 13.3%, or 1.2 million people.
Mark Hofman’s interesting critique of the recent English Devolution White Paper is, effectively, a plea to retain decision making closer to communities. And, of course, devolving powers to a body further removed from the people it serves is in danger of resembling an oxymoron – larger councils, covering relatively vast geographic areas, are less likely to understand the needs of less homogeneous, less visible communities.
From the perspective of a Parish Council Chair though, what is most depressing about the White Paper is the way in which it completely disregards an entire tier of local government, the Town and Parish Councils of England. 10,000 councils and parish meetings, 100,000 councillors, all dismissed as an apparent irrelevance. And yet, the Government were so close to getting it.
The White Paper states:
“For hyper-local issues, communities should be empowered to make change happen – such as taking over ownership of treasured community assets, and working with civic society organisations to drive community improvements”
but in communities across the country, Town and Parish Councils are already doing just that. And, as principal authorities grapple with financial crises, our tier is increasingly taking on those facets of local provision which enhance our communities. From youth services in Yate, to community festivals in Hereford, and parks and public toilets in Taunton, local councils are stepping in where the Counties, Unitaries and Districts can’t or won’t. Even a council as small as my village of Creeting St Peter provides essential street lighting and a Speed Indicator Device. We develop Neighbourhood Plans which help to drive house building in our communities, something that this Government is particularly keen on. Does Angela Rayner recognise that? Like heck she does.
I’ll freely admit that I’ve been a bit sceptical about the campaign to rejoin the European Union. Not because I don’t believe that we should be within the fold rather than outside it but rather, I felt that we needed to be clear as a nation about what we really wanted of the relationship. Also, having put our neighbours through the psychodrama that was Brexit, they needed to be confident that we really meant it before attempting to negotiate a return.
The Party itself has struggled with determining a campaigning stance. Those who joined the Party as a campaigning vehicle to overturn the 2016 referendum have mostly sought an avowedly pro-Rejoin stance, whilst others, more cautious about losing potential voters, have soft-pedalled such a stance whilst indicating their support for an eventual return. The fairly disastrous campaigns of 2017 and 2019 reinforced the sense of caution.
But the news that polling by the European Council for Foreign Relations suggests that British voters are now willing to accept free movement as part of the conditions for rejoining the Single Market, perhaps changes the game.
Katharine Pindar @ David Raw. Thanks for your comments in this thread, David. And yes, it's good that we seem now to have a government which the Liberal Democrats can work with,...
Katharine Pindar No I can't, Peter, but hopefully the government under Andy Burnham can! Are you not persuaded yourself that now your Socialist party can finally be the 'real d...
Katharine Pindar Peter Martin: as to why we need the USA still to defend Europe, it is surely that we need President Trump to stand up to Putin for Ukraine and promote the end o...
Peter Martin @ Katharine,
" It’s difficult now to see how Keynesian full employment can be fulfilled these days, to generate production of goods and economic grow...
Meg Thomas Important move. Thanks very much. The sad thing is we know it will fall on stony ground, but it really needs saying...
Before I move onto this week’s report, I should take this opportunity to congratulate the new intake of Liberal Democrat peers, Shaffaq Mohammed and our former editorial team colleague here at Liberal Democrat Voice, Mark Pack. Mark will be introduced to the Lords on 13 February, although the Parliamentary calendar doesn’t indicate a date for Shaffaq yet. Oh, and, Mark, do you fancy taking on this column?
The Liberal Democrats will be launching a new attack ad following Kemi Badenoch’s comments yesterday that she will consider means testing the triple lock.
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David Alton, Andy Burnham and telescopic radicalism
Will Burnham abandon neoliberalism by adopting a radical agenda?
Conservative councillor joins Lib Dems in Cannock Chase
The AI world and some fallacies about it
Yet another government makes a mess of local government reform
Front Street looking great
Katharine Pindar 
Peter Martin 
Meg Thomas 