Category Archives: News

19 August 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 19th August 2025 - 10:30 pm

Davey: commit British typhoon jets to strengthen Zelensky’s hand
Poorly thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off
Scottish Government must listen to Scot Lib Dem plans for cancer screening
Scotland’s LED road signs break down 1,419 times

Davey: commit British typhoon jets to strengthen Zelensky’s hand

Following the conclusion of yesterday’s talks between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Trump’s plan to hand Ukrainian territory to Putin would not bring peace. It would be the greatest reward for aggression in living memory, and only lead to more Russian aggression in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe.

Ahead of Zelensky’s trilateral with Putin, the UK and European leaders need to step up. For Starmer that means making a commitment to providing British typhoons to the Ukrainian air force, seizing the frozen Russian assets and showing Putin that we will continue to back Ukraine.

Poorly thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off

Responding to County Councils warning that Government proposals will place an unfair burden on rural taxpayers, Liberal Democrat Housing, Communities and Local Government Spokesperson Vikki Slade MP said:

Councils across the country are already teetering on the edge after years of Conservatives’ neglect of local funding and services – from bus services cuts in rural areas to the rising costs of social care. These ill thought out reforms only risk leaving parts of the country significantly worse off.

To truly help local authorities, the Government should urgently look at supporting councils who receive the least grant funding and those that face additional pressure on services in rural and coastal areas, to help them with spiralling costs.

Scottish Government must listen to Scot Lib Dem plans for cancer screening

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today urged the Scottish Government to adopt his party’s plans for a national lung cancer screening programme, as new figures showed that a rise in the number of deaths from cancer in Scotland.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, cancer care, ed davey, jamie greene, rural communities, traffic, ukraine and vikki slade | 4 Comments

“A price we cannot allow Ukraine to pay” – Ed Davey calls out the BS from last night’s White House talks

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 19th August 2025 - 8:23 am

Not going to lie, I don’t often punch the air and squeal during Ed Davey interviews, but he has just been fabulous on BBC Breakfast.

I watched the scenes from the White House last night with a growing sense of anxiety that Trump’s appeasement of Putin was being presented as a good thing and a positive step forward. While it was great to see Zelensky go mob-handed with his European supporters, this did not hide the unfairness and injustice in what was being asked of him and his country: that he should give up vast swathes of territory to an aggressor who had helped himself to it, committing atrocities along the way.

I wanted someone to call out the BS. And along comes Ed on BBC Breakfast and says almost exactly my thoughts.

He said that the idea of Ukraine giving up so much land was “À price we cannot allow Ukraine to pay,” adding “If you appease an aggressor we know from history that this ends in a bad way.”

On the proposed trilateral meeting with Trump and Zelensky, he said:

“it should worry us. They are essentially asking Zelensky to sit down with a war criminal who has invaded Ukraine and continues to kill innocent Ukrainians.”

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Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged ed davey, Palestine action and ukraine | 11 Comments

18 August 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 18th August 2025 - 11:00 pm

To quote Granny Weatherwax, I aten’t dead, merely returned from some family time. And so, to pick up where I left off…

Uber ambulance: 2.7 million did not take an ambulance to A&E last year – up 340,000 on 2019
Jardine welcomes children’s evacuation

Uber ambulance: 2.7 million did not take an ambulance to A&E last year – up 340,000 on 2019

There were at least 2.7 million attendances at A&E where someone did not use an ambulance to get there, with over a quarter-of-a-million in need of very urgent medical attention opting not to use one, Liberal Democrat Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) have revealed.

It has led to the party saying that there is an “Uber ambulance crisis” and that the Government should create a new £50 million-a-year emergency fund to allow ambulance trusts to reverse closures of community ambulance stations, as well as launching a campaign to retain, recruit and train paramedics and other ambulance staff.

The FOIs found that the number of A&E attendances from not arriving in an ambulance had risen by 14% since 2019, from 2.36 million to 2.7 million. Only 30 of the 144 NHS Trusts responded with full data so these figures are likely to be far higher in reality.

The data also revealed the severity of injury of those attending, which is broken down into five codes. Code 1 is those in need of immediate medical attention including those in need of immediate resuscitation. There were 10,600 Code 1 incidents last year, up by 1,600 on 2023’s figure of 9,000. Code 2 represents those in need of very urgent medical attention. Across 2024 there were 256,000 attendances of this type with a massive spike of 55% on 2019’s figure of 165,000.

The Trust that saw the largest rise in non-ambulance A&E attendances was Sandwell and West Birmingham, where there was a 320% rise since 2019 with the figures jumping from 3,900 to 16,500 last year. Mid and South Essex has the highest number of attendances through not arriving in an ambulance with 322,000 last year, up on 2019’s figure of 263,000.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged ambulance services, christine jardine, gaza, helen morgan and humanitarian aid | Leave a comment

Do not trade Hong Kongers’ safety for political expediency

By Christopher | Mon 18th August 2025 - 11:55 am

The Labour government is proposing a controversial amendment to the UK’s extradition law concerning Hong Kong. This development, in my view, poses a significant threat to human rights and democratic values for those who have sought sanctuary here.

To truly grasp the gravity of what is being proposed, allow me to briefly explain how the UK has historically categorised territories for extradition. We had three main classifications:

* Territory 1: This category encompassed European Union (EU) countries. The UK implicitly trusted these nations to uphold similar judicial standards and human rights, meaning extradition requests typically bypassed significant UK judicial scrutiny.

* Territory 2: This included non-EU countries that had signed European human rights conventions, and notably, former British Commonwealth territories, which previously included Hong Kong. In these cases, the UK government and its courts retained greater power to review extradition applications, particularly concerning human rights considerations.

* Case-by-case Category: This third and most scrutinised category applied to countries like North Korea and mainland China, which were not deemed to meet Western judicial standards or provide adequate human rights safeguards. Extradition to these nations was handled on an individual basis, undergoing rigorous scrutiny by UK courts.

The pivotal moment came in 2020. Following Beijing’s draconian imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong, the UK, alongside other allied nations such as Canada, Australia, and the United States, made a principled decision: it collectively suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong. This suspension effectively removed Hong Kong from “Territory 2”. As a result, the current status quo means that the UK rejects all extradition requests from Hong Kong, regardless of the alleged crime. This represents the greatest possible protection for Hong Kongers residing in the UK, safeguarding them from potential politically motivated cross-border suppression.

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Tagged extradition, home office and hong kong | 3 Comments

ALDC’s By-Election Report 14 August 2025

By Liam Yip | Fri 15th August 2025 - 5:11 pm

In Cardiff, a close-fought election between the Greens and Labour emerged, with the Green Party ultimately being victorious. Thank you to Irfan Latif and the local team for flying the Liberal Democrat flag.

Cardiff Council, Grangetown
Green Party: 818 (24.0%, +5.5)
Labour: 774 (22.7%, -24.8)
Plaid Cymru: 639 (18.7%, +0.2)
Reform UK: 495 (14.5%, new)
Propel: 327 (9.6%, +0.1)
Independent: 156 (4.6%, -2.1)
Conservative: 139 …

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Tagged aldc and local government by-elections | 24 Comments

Ed Davey: “perilous” Alaska summit could see two of “most unreliable Presidents imaginable” carve up Ukraine

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th August 2025 - 10:30 pm

I expect most of us will be holding our breath as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska tomorrow. Heavens above, Trump doesn’t even know his own territory, saying on Monday that he was “going to Russia”, so the thought that he could carve up anyone else’s is really scary.

Ed Davey has described the summit as a “perilous moment.”

This is a perilous moment for Europe as two of the most unreliable Presidents imaginable seem to think they can carve up Ukraine amongst themselves without any word from the Ukrainian people.

Even at this late hour I hope Trump reverses his position and invites Zelensky to Alaska.

Whatever happens the UK must stand with our European allies and continue to make sure that democratic Ukraine is in charge of its own destiny.

He also remembers the 20,000 children abducted by Russia during the war on Ukraine:

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Tagged ed davey and trump putin summit | 6 Comments

AI Chatbots should not play a role in our parliamentary democracy

By Samuel Jackson | Wed 13th August 2025 - 11:55 am

Last week, Mark Sewards, Leeds South West and Morley’s freshman MP, announced that he had created an AI chatbot version of himself, complete with a facsimile of his voice and an uncanny avatar. While Sewards has become the first MP to take such a step, this is not the first time that Neural Voice, the tech company behind the chatbot, has dabbled in politics; in 2024, they fielded an AI version of their chairman Steve Endacott as an Independent candidate in the Brighton Pavillion.

The West Yorkshire Labour MP said that his chatbot will “help strengthen the connection between an MP’s office and the constituents we serve” by allowing people to ask for help with local issues or policy queries and providing access to that support “24/7, 365 days a year”. However, this will likely have the opposite effect.

Prof Victoria Honeyman, a British politics lecturer at the University of Leeds, gave a nuanced verdict on Sewards’ chatbot. She said that if used to “answer simple messages, then most people would be relatively comfortable as we have in lots of different areas of our lives nowadays”, thus granting Sewards more time to focus on complicated casework. However, she conceded that it “might cause more upset” and “ people’s confidence in their MP” if mistakes are made when contending with more complicated, potentially emotionally challenging cases.

With Sewards admitting that his new chatbot is a “prototype”, he acknowledges that adjustments may be needed. It would be unfortunate if such adjustments were necessary as a result of of serious mistakes made by the AI that will negatively affect inquiring constituents. For a real-life example of AI failing under such circumstances, last year a bereaved Air Canada passenger (flying to attend his grandmother’s funeral) was misdirected by the chatbot to purchase a full price ticket rather than a bereavement discount ticket; having been told by the chatbot that he would be reimbursed the difference, Air Canada refused it. While this was an embarrassment for a private company, a community’s champion at Westminster making such mistakes would be a dereliction of duty.

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Tagged AI, mark sewards and MPs | 5 Comments

A blip in Trump and Putin’s relationship

By Natalie Andrusyschyn | Tue 12th August 2025 - 10:13 am

For decades Trump has been singing Putin’s praises, calling the 2014 annexation of Crimea “so smart” and his 2022 full scale invasion of Ukraine “genius”. Since the beginning of his second term in office, he has been very friendly towards Putin. However, the last few days have seen Trump be less accommodating to the Kremlin. Trump reduced Putin’s ceasefire deadline, threatened sanctions, and positioned US nuclear submarines closer to Russia. Trump is clearly growing impatient with Putin’s unwillingness to end the war. Do Trump’s recent actions signal a meaningful change in the dynamic between Trump and Putin or are Trump’s threats empty and unlikely to have an impact on his cosy relationship with Putin?

Looking to the start of Trump’s second presidency, we have seen him, time and time again make concession after concession to Russia whilst rolling back US support for Ukraine. Trump refused to reproach Putin for invading Ukraine, voted alongside Russia, Belarus and North Korea against a UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion, and his administration has held ‘peace’ talks with Putin without Zelenskyy. He has further acted in the Kremlin’s interests by stepping back from NATO, and undermining western consensus on the war.

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Tagged donald trump, putin, ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy | 3 Comments

ALDC by-election report, 7th August

By Liam Yip | Fri 8th August 2025 - 2:06 pm

In Llanelli, Reform UK were able to secure a decisive victory against Labour, who were attempting to defend the seat. Thank you to Justin Griffiths and the local team for flying the Liberal Democrat flag.

Carmarthenshire, Llangennech
Reform UK: 694 (43.1%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 489 (30.4%, -7.2)
Labour: 380 (23.6%, -38.8)
Liberal Democrats (Justin Griffiths): 26 (1.6%, new)
Conservative: 14 (0.9%, new)
Gwlad: 6 (0.4%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Turnout: 39.37%

In County Durham, Reform UK were able to secure a convincing victory against Labour and two independents, marking the first time that Reform UK have successfully defended a seat. Thank you to Chukwuka Okuchukwu and the local team for flying the Liberal Democrat flag.

Durham CC, Easington & Shotton
Reform UK: 1,208 (46.7%, -3.5)
Labour: 523 (20.2%, +0.8)
Independent: 520 (20.1%, -1.6)
Independent: 179 (6.9%, new)
Green: 60 (2.3%, new)
Conservative: 47 (1.8%, -2.6)
Liberal Democrats (Chukwuka Okuchukwu): 27 (1.0%, -3.2)
Independent: 23 (0.9%, new)

Reform UK HOLD

Turnout: 21.7%

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Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 7 Comments

Lib Link: Ed Davey – Brexit has been a resounding disaster. Starmer must find the courage to change course

By NewsHound | Wed 6th August 2025 - 10:25 am

Many party members will be very happy to see Ed Davey say out loud that Brexit is not working in a piece for the Guardian.

Our leader said:

Brexit isn’t working, and the British people know it. Poll after poll, including that unveiled this weekend by More In Common for the Sunday Times, shows that people are feeling the terrible damage caused by the deal forced upon us by Boris Johnson, Kemi Badenoch and the rest of the Conservative party, and want something different. The latest shows less than a third of Britons would vote to leave the EU if a referendum were repeated. There’s no doubt that fundamental change is needed. There’s no doubt the public will is there to make it happen. The question is: will Keir Starmer seize the moment and deliver it?

He urges Starmer to stop tinkering:

Of course, we know why Starmer has been reluctant to go further. He’s spooked by the combined threat of the Conservatives and Reform, both of whom are itching for the chance to plunge Britain back into the nasty Brexit wars of the past decade. Well, I say let them try. With so many serious problems in need of urgent solutions, the British people have absolutely no appetite for all that division and distraction, and they will have no truck with politicians who do.

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Tagged Customs Union, ed davey and eu | 31 Comments

Get ready for Autumn Conference – papers published

By The Voice | Mon 4th August 2025 - 7:33 pm

It’s just six weeks on Saturday until we all gather in Bournemouth for Autumn Conference.

Over the past few days, the party has published the final agenda, Conference reports and the outcome of the Policy Review. You can read them all here.

The four days of Conference will see debates on topics ranging from youth work to climate change to emergency care, transport, reducing harm from gambling, helping contaminated blood victims, giving Ukrainian children certainty in the UK and protecting women’s rights across the globe.

On Monday afternoon the Policy Review will be debated. This is the outcome of a year’s work by a group chaired by Ed Davey. It seeks to identify any areas where they think our policy needs to be updated in the run-up to the next election.

From the forward:

The Liberal Democrats’ purpose in British politics, however, is much
greater than just vanquishing what’s left of the Conservative Party and
being the careful scrutineers of Labour’s actions – crucial though those
jobs are. Our purpose is as it has always been, as it is spelt out in our
party’s constitution: to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society,
in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality
and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty,
ignorance or conformity.

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Tagged 2025 autumn conference | 1 Comment

ALDC by-election report, 31st July

By Liam Yip | Fri 1st August 2025 - 3:07 pm

In Barnstaple, we secured victory, successfully defending the seat. Well done to Josh Rutty and the local team for ensuring this seat remained in Liberal Democrats’ control.

North Devon DC, Barnstaple with Westacott
Liberal Democrats (Josh Rutty): 505 (40.5%, +0.5)
Reform UK: 383 (30.7%, new)
Conservative: 205 (16.4%, -6.1)
Green Party: 154 (12.3%, -2.4)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Turnout: 22.27%

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Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 6 Comments

30 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st July 2025 - 7:30 am

Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault
Greene responds to CalMac timetable updates during ‘storm’ of disruption
SNP are breaking another attainment gap promise

Davey: Govt must launch full investigation into ATC technical fault

Responding to reports that all outbound UK flights were hit by an air traffic control technical issue leading to delays, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. With thousands of families preparing to go on a well earned break, this just isn’t

…

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged air traffic control, ed davey, educational attainment, ferries, jamie greene and willie rennie | Leave a comment

What I really want from our MPs this Summer

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th July 2025 - 9:25 am

MPs are now in their parliamentary recess. I know that for Lib Dem MPs, recess does not equal rest. They spend the time they aren’t in Parliament knocking doors, visiting every community in their constituency and generally working incredibly hard, as usual. Yes, they might get home at a respectable hour more of the time and their inboxes get a bit more manageable – just a bit – but they are still on duty for well more than the average working week.

In the first year of the new Parliament, they have done wonders. Alistair, Jamie and Layla have all highlighted important issues as Select Committee chairs, Danny’s Bill has curtailed puppy smuggling, Roz has persuaded the Government to take climate and nature seriously, Max has been fighting for his sunshine bill, Christine has the promise of Government action to help bereaved children, David’s been standing up for coalfield communities,, Angus has been fighting for communities to reap the benefits of renewable energy. I could go on at length but you get the drift.

My hope for all of them this Summer is simple – please, please take a proper break.

A break where you go off-grid, mute everything and relax. Where you do whatever you need to do to switch off. I don’t care whether it’s hiking in the mountains, lying on a beach reading proper trash with no informational value whatsoever (see the Guardian’s advice for a perfect beach read), participating in the family beach tennis tournament, playing Mario Kart in your pants, cycling around France, sailing in the Med, going to Disneyland or simply sleeping. And do this for at the very least two weeks at once.

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Tagged MPs, Parliament and summer | 1 Comment

29 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 30th July 2025 - 7:30 am

Davey on Southport attacks one year on: We are a caring country not one of thuggery
Davey calls for Lord Hermer to publish legal advice on Gazan aid blockade
Anglian Water fine: Lib Dems urge “No More Sewage, No More Excuses”
Lib Dems: “If Trump really loves Scotland, why is he hammering Scotch whisky with tariffs?”
Cole-Hamilton accuses SNP of serial failures on A&E, care and drugs
Cole-Hamilton responds to decline in healthy life expectancy

Davey on Southport attacks one year on: We are a caring country not one of thuggery

Reflecting on the one year anniversary of the Southport attacks, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Today especially, we hold in our hearts Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Three little girls, horrifyingly murdered at their Taylor Swift dance class in Southport. Three young lives, so cruelly cut short by a heartbreaking tragedy.

Our thoughts are with their families and friends, who still grieve such a cruel loss.

The lawless riots that followed appalled us. Egged on by hate preachers and conspiracy theorists, thugs resorted to appalling racism and violence, targeting some of the most vulnerable in our society.

But last summer also saw the best of the British people. Everyone who came together with love and compassion to mourn the deaths of Bebe, Elsie and Alice. And all those who stood peacefully in solidarity against the riots. Who powerfully rejected racism and Islamophobia.

That is who we are: a caring country, not a country of thuggery. A nation of laws and decency, not hate and lawlessness.

As we grieve today – as we remember Bebe, Elsie and Alice – let us also remember that.

Davey calls for Lord Hermer to publish legal advice on Gazan aid blockade

Commenting ahead of a Cabinet recall on the conflict in the Middle East, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for the Attorney General Lord Hermer to publish his legal advice to the Government, saying:

There can be no denying that Israel has egregiously breached international law through its devastating blockade of Gaza.

The Australian Prime Minister said this two days ago. And yet the UK Government continues to drag its feet on describing these acts as anything more than merely “risking” a breach.

Actions speak louder than words. It’s time for the Attorney General to publish the legal advice he has given to the Government on the Netanyahu cabinet’s grotesque restriction of aid to Gazans.

Anglian Water fine: Lib Dems urge “No More Sewage, No More Excuses”

Liberal Democrat MP Pippa Heylings has condemned Anglian Water’s repeated failings, following Ofwat’s damning £62.8 million fine for the company’s illegal dumping of raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, anglian water, ed davey, gaza, life expectancy, NHS, pippa heylings, southport murders, susan murray, tariffs and whisky | 1 Comment

Water companies with hosepipe bans leaking over one billion litres of water a day

By Mark Valladares | Tue 29th July 2025 - 7:30 am

The four water companies with hosepipe bans in place are leaking an average of 1.068 billion litres of water a day

Equivalent to 400 Olympic sized swimming pools a day being lost to leakages at firms with hosepipe bans

Lib Dems demand water bosses at companies with hosepipe bans give up their bonuses and eye-watering salary increases

The four water companies with hosepipe bans in place are leaking over one billion litres of water per day, analysis of the latest figures by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The party’s Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said it was a “scandal” and called for water company bosses to forgo their bonuses and big salary increases while hosepipe bans are in place in light of these failures to invest in infrastructure

Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East Water have all issued widespread hosepipe bans due to water shortages, leaving millions of customers without water for their gardens this summer. Yet between them, the four water companies are leaking an average of 1.068 billion litres of water a day, enough to fill 400 Olympic sized swimming pools.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged tim farron and water companies | 1 Comment

28 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 29th July 2025 - 12:20 am

Lib Dems call for PM to confirm Honours for Lionesses
Starmer must not take Trump at his word on Ukraine and the Middle East
SNP must do more to help more than quarter of a million Scots on long term sick back to work

Lib Dems call for PM to confirm Honours for Lionesses

Following the Lionesses’ victory at the Euros last night, and ahead of the reception being hosted for the team at Downing Street this evening, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to commit to Honours for the whole squad, including confirmation of a rumoured honorary Damehood for coach Sarina Wiegman.

The party is also calling for a statue of team captain Leah Williamson to be displayed at Wembley Stadium.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Max Wilkinson MP, said:

The Lionesses have swept us all away with their record-breaking performance, accomplishing back-to-back Euro victories, while making us all proud every step of the way.

It is time for the Prime Minister to formally recognise this historic moment by confirming an honorary damehood for Sarina Wiegman, and appointing the whole squad an MBE for their momentous accomplishment. This formal recognition would be a fitting display of the pride and gratitude the Lionesses have given the nation.

It would also be more than fitting for a statue of Leah Williamson to be proudly displayed outside Wembley – the home of English football.

Starmer must not take Trump at his word on Ukraine and the Middle East

Commenting on Starmer’s meeting with President Trump this afternoon, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Warm words from Donald Trump on ending Putin’s war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are welcome, but the Prime Minister would be naive to take him at his word.

We know Trump’s unpredictability all too well by now. In both Ukraine and the Middle East the situation is utterly intolerable and the Prime Minister needs to work with our allies to put a proper plan in place, so that we can lead even if Donald Trump continues to refuse to act. That should start with us recognising the state of Palestine, and seizing frozen Russian funds in the UK.

SNP must do more to help more than quarter of a million Scots on long term sick back to work

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene has today called on the Scottish Government to do more to help the 269,000 people who are long-term sick or disabled to find work, including investing more in tackling mental health conditions, autism and ADHD.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged ed davey, health care, jamie greene, lionesses, max wilkinson, middle east and ukraine | 3 Comments

We have a duty of care to speak out against the Online Safety Act

By The Board Of Liberal Reform | Mon 28th July 2025 - 6:30 pm

We are the party of civil liberties – that is what, we would argue, should be an uncontested fact. From the Snoopers Charter to campaigning for equal rights for minority communities, it is the raison d’être of the Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Party before us to stand up for civil liberties, recognising that the role of the state is not to micromanage or infringe on people’s core rights.

This belief is why we at Liberal Reform are so opposed to the Online Safety Act (OSA). Fundamentally, legislation should seek to make a positive difference to the lives of people it effects.

So why is this legislation so flawed?

There are a range of reasons why the OSA is so flawed.

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Tagged Online Safety Act | 40 Comments

26-27 July 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 27th July 2025 - 10:30 pm

Davey: PM must show Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising Palestine
Jardine challenges Government over long waits for driving tests
Cole-Hamilton presses Health Secretary over long waits for cataract surgery

Davey: PM must show Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising Palestine

Commenting ahead of Keir Starmer’s meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow, where the PM is expected to raise the situation in Gaza, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

Starmer must urge Trump to use his influence with Netanyahu to end the unconscionable suffering in Gaza through securing a ceasefire and getting much needed aid in. But it’s clear that only proper recognition the of Palestinian state by the international community will finally make way to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.

The Prime Minister should make clear to Trump that the UK will lead the way in recognising the state of Palestine.

Jardine challenges Government over long waits for driving tests

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has today challenged the UK Government to cut long waits for driving tests and do more to block the reselling of block-booked driving tests as she revealed that three quarters of Scotland’s test centres have longer waits than the national average.

Media reports and constituents have raised concerns over long waits for practical driving tests and unscrupulous booking practices where individuals or companies buy up available driving test appointments and then resell them to learners, often at inflated prices.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, cataract surgery, christine jardine, driving tests, ed davey, nhs waiting times and palestine | 1 Comment

What were you doing 30 years ago today?

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 27th July 2025 - 11:55 am

30 years ago today, I woke up before the crack of dawn to go and deliver Good Morning leaflets for the Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election. I spent the rest of the day knocking up – and getting chased and shouted at by Labour people in the process.

I also remember spending some time telling and chatting to some lovely people from other parties, including a young Conservative who had a huge cut on his neck from what I understand was a shaving incident.

It was a great experience.

Bob and I had been there several times during the campaign. We had nipped in for a couple of days at the start of our Summer holiday which we had planned to spend touring around the North West and we actually spend the whole week there under the watchful eye of the wonderful and inimitable Pat Wainwright. Before we left, we went and bought some plates and cutlery for the HQ because they had none.

We made several return trips during the campaign and I took the last few days off work.

That campaign was when I really got to know the much loved and missed Erlend Watson. The day before polling day, I walked into HQ and, after they checked I could drive, I was handed the keys of a transit van and sent out with Erlend to repair and replace our posters which had been vandalised by nefarious forces. Now, a transit van was way beyond my comfort zone. At that time I had a mini metro and I was such a nervous driver that I’d often do whatever I could to avoid turning right.

But with Erlend beside me, we set off in this massive transit van and, miraculously, after much hilarity, returned in one piece.

I also met Pam Tilson, who then worked as an organiser for the party. We had a particularly fun afternoon off from campaigning in the pub. We recently caught up when she was over in Edinburgh and had a good reminisce about those golden times.

Colin Rosenstiel and his family were there, too and I think he persuaded me on to Cix.

Gina Ford, who then worked for Malcolm Bruce, and I drove round one of the most rural delivery rounds during the Wimbledon final, catching snippets of the tennis on the radio when signal allowed.

That was a by-election with no minivan, no internet, no smartphones, no Google maps. We had paper canvass cards – although I’m fairly sure they were generated by EARS, the predecessor to Connect rather than pasted on bits of the electoral roll as we had to use in my first campaign.

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Tagged littleborough and saddleworth by-election | 10 Comments

25 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 25th July 2025 - 10:30 pm

Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans
Davey urges PM to pressure Trump on ending the humanitarian disaster in Gaza
Doctors strike: Lib Dems call for patients to be sent to private hospitals to ease impact
Lib Dems call on RAF to ‘lead the way’ on Gaza airdrops
Lib Dems call for Family Farms Tax U-turn as record number of farms close

Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on Keir Starmer to launch a UK airdrop operation over Gaza, in response to the reports of mass starvation and the mounting number of deaths related to malnutrition.

The operation would involve RAF planes supplying aid into Gaza from the air. Similar operations were undertaken by British pilots in Spring 2024, delivering hundreds of tonnes of aid to support humanitarian relief efforts in the Strip.

The call comes as over a hundred humanitarian organisations have warned that the population of Gaza is at risk of mass starvation as a result of the Israeli Government’s failure to comprehensively reopen aid supply routes across the occupied territory.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is simply inhumane that the entire population of Gaza is at risk of starvation as a direct result of Israel’s aid blockade. The time for words is over – now we must act. That should include the UK Government conducting a fresh set of aid airdrops over Gaza.

Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land. But the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe we are now witnessing requires us to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get aid to Gazans.

The Prime Minister should secure agreement from other international partners that they will follow the UK’s example and conduct their own airdrops. This must be alongside a redoubling of our collective effort to secure the total reopening of aid supply routes on the ground – the most effective and sustainable way to alleviate the suffering of Gazans.

Davey urges PM to pressure Trump on ending the humanitarian disaster in Gaza

Ed Davey has written to the Prime Minister urging him to work with President Trump to bring an end to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza ahead of the US President’s visit to the UK this weekend.

In his letter, Davey emphasised that Starmer has a “crucial window” to persuade President Trump to take decisive action to end the conflict in Gaza. Davey condemned Trump’s grotesque previous comments on Gaza, while acknowledging the US President’s significant sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu.

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Also posted in Press releases and Wales | Tagged david chadwick, ed davey, family farm tax, food aid, gaza, jess brown-fuller, monica harding and nhs strike | 1 Comment

ALDC by-election report, 24th July

By Liam Yip | Fri 25th July 2025 - 5:39 pm

In Berkhamsted, we secured an overwhelming victory, successfully defending this seat. Well done to Cllr Will Jankowski and the local team for ensuring this seat remained in Liberal Democrats’ control.

Dacorum BC, Berkhamsted West
Liberal Democrats (Will Jankowski): 643 (56.4%, -2.0)
Conservative: 357 (31.3%, +8.5)
Green Party: 99 (8.7%, -0.4)
Labour: 41 (3.6%, -6.1)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Turnout: 24.47%

In Rutland, the Conservatives were able to secure victory, gaining this seat off the Green Party. Well done to Jonathan Nichols and the local team for ensuring that we finished in second place.

Rutland Council, Barleythorpe
Conservative: 209 (35.9%)
Liberal Democrat (Jonathan Nichols): 136 (23.4%)
Reform UK: 123 (21.1%)
Independent: 114 (19.6%)

Conservative GAIN from Green Party

Turnout: 29.3%

In Swanage, the Conservatives secured yet another victory, with an exceedingly high by-election turnout of over 45%. Well done to Poppy Maltby and the local team for increasing our vote share by over 10%.

Dorset Council, Swanage
Conservative: 1254 (35.3%, -0.4)
Reform UK: 748 (21.0%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Poppy Maltby): 737 (20.7%, +12.8)
Independents for Dorset: 415 (11.7%, -7.7)
Labour: 400 (11.3%, -19.4)

Conservative HOLD

Turnout: 45.4%

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Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 3 Comments

24 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 24th July 2025 - 10:30 pm

Unsolved crime epidemic continues as shoplifting cases soar by 20%
UK/India Trade Deal: Only a fraction of what we could get from the EU
Ed Davey calls for UK airdrops to get aid to Gazans
Welsh Lib Dems comment as waiting lists rise again

Unsolved crime epidemic continues as shoplifting cases soar by 20%

Following the release of new crime statistics, the Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour Government of not doing enough to tackle the “unsolved crime epidemic” left behind by the previous Conservative government.

The statistics revealed that in the year ending March 2025, shoplifting offences soared by 20% to the highest figure on record since current police recording practices began in 2003. 530,643 shoplifting offences were recorded across England and Wales, compared to 444,022 in the previous year.

56% of these cases went unsolved, while just 20% resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.

The statistics also uncover the shocking extent of unsolved crime in England and Wales. 2,071,156 crimes went unsolved in the year ending March 2025. This is equivalent to 5,674 crimes going unsolved every single day.

Meanwhile, just 387,891 crimes resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed – accounting for less than 7.3% of cases.

In the wake of these new statistics, the party has renewed their call on the Government to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners and invest the savings in frontline policing, enabling a return to proper community policing with more bobbies on the beat.

The party would replace PCCs with local Police Boards made up of councillors and representatives from relevant local groups, which would be properly accountable to the communities they serve, at a fraction of the cost of PCCs.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:

Every day, thousands of innocent victims are being left without the justice they deserve after falling victim to heartless criminals. It is an absolute scandal.

The previous Conservative government left behind a legacy of failure, but the Labour government has not been quick enough to address the unsolved crime epidemic – particularly as shoplifting spirals out of control.

This neglect of victims cannot be allowed to continue. Our high streets and communities deserve better than this. If the Government wants to deliver safer streets, cracking down on the unsolved shoplifting epidemic must take priority.

Scrapping wasteful Police and Crime Commissioners is the first step towards returning to real community policing and getting more bobbies on the beat.

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Also posted in Press releases and Wales | Tagged calum miller, crime figures, ed davey, food aid, gaza, india trade deal, jane dodds, lisa smart, NHS waiting lists and shoplifting | 1 Comment

23 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 24th July 2025 - 7:30 am

Lib Dems slam Govt for forcing through foreign state news ownership in face of “historic” cross-party resistance
Cleverly on ECHR: Cracks in Badenoch’s reshuffle starting to show

Lib Dems slam Govt for forcing through foreign state news ownership in face of “historic” cross-party resistance

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Government’s move to disregard cross-party opposition in the Lords and force through legislation allowing foreign states to own a larger stake in British news outlets.

The Government has pushed through legislation that will allow foreign states to buy substantial stakes in UK newspapers in a “dark and dangerous” move for the country, the Liberal Democrats have said. Peers voted in favour of the legislation.

Despite the loss, a substantial 155 peers from Labour, Conservative, crossbench and non-aligned political backgrounds voted in favour of the Liberal Democrat motion.

Lib Dem peer Chris Fox, sponsor of the rare “fatal motion” that would have scrapped the legislation in its entirety, condemned the move. He described the legislation as endangering our “historic” freedom of the press and risking “playing into the hands” of potentially malicious states.

Under the approved legislation, the cap will now rise to 15% – meaning foreign states could be able to own substantial stakes in newspapers in the UK.

However, there’s still confusion around how the legislation will work in practice, with warning bells ringing regarding the ability of separate states to ‘stack’ their 15% stakes in order to take over much larger stakes in UK media assets.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged chris fox, conservative party, press regulation and sarah olney | Leave a comment

22 July 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 11:45 pm

Ed Davey: Tougher sanctions needed on Israeli Government now to “stop the carnage” in Gaza
Badenoch reshuffle: Titanic captain appoints iceberg apologist to key role
Laura Anne Jones’ defection – The Conservatives are clearly dead as a political force in Wales
Lib Dems attack “SNP’s dirty secret” as environmental targets look set to be missed
Greene comments as west coast ferry faces months out of action

Ed Davey: Tougher sanctions needed on Israeli Government now to “stop the carnage” in Gaza

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the government to urgently bring in tougher sanctions on the Israeli Government and officials amid a brutal new ground offensive in Gaza, including sanctioning Netanyahu and IDF generals.

Commenting in the wake of fresh Israeli Defence Force (IDF) ground operations in Gaza, Ed Davey called for the UK Government to sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to begin drawing up plans to sanction individual IDF generals leading the ground and aerial bombing campaigns across the Strip.

Ed Davey also said the UK should halt all arms sales to Israel, including component parts for F-35s. He has called on the Government to stop “ on its hands” while Gaza faces demolition, and commit to “stemming the flow of fighter jet parts to Israel”.

The party’s calls come following additional reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) that its facilities have come under attack during Israel’s fresh offensive in Deir al-Balah.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:

The Foreign Secretary must realise that we’re past the point of threatening sanctions. We need sanctions now, including against Netanyahu and the IDF generals leading the military campaigns in Gaza.

Every day the Government sits on its hands, more innocent civilians are being killed while over a million are at risk of starvation. Meanwhile, the hostages held by Hamas are no closer to being freed. This is utterly intolerable.

The Government needs to do everything it can to stop the carnage unfolding in the Strip. That must include stemming the flow of UK fighter jet parts to Israel.

Badenoch reshuffle: Titanic captain appoints iceberg apologist to key role

Commenting on Kemi Badenoch’s ongoing Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, including the appointment of James Cleverly as Shadow Housing Secretary, Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

Kemi Badenoch has appointed the very man who said that replacing Liz Truss as Prime Minister would be a terrible idea. It’s like appointing an iceberg apologist to a role steering the Titanic.

The public won’t forgive this group of failed former Conservative ministers for the damage they did to our economy and NHS.

It’s no wonder the Conservatives previously pledged to avoid any reshuffle until the election.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged conservative party, david chadwick, defection, ed davey, environment, ferries, gaza, israel hamas war, jamie greene, sanne dijkstra-downie and sarah olney | 2 Comments

21 July 2025 – Monday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 11:15 pm

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting these – an overrunning Parish Council meeting took precedence, I’m afraid…

Cunliffe report: “Wild West” of water companies must come to an end
ACOBA: Lib Dems say ministerial payouts for disgraced ministers should be scrapped altogether
Ofwat scrap: Persistent sewage dumpers must be held criminally responsible
The Welsh Liberal Democrats respond to concerns over SFS at the Royal Welsh Show
The Welsh Liberal Democrats respond to the Family Farm Tax at the Royal Welsh Show
SNP must stop pretending Scotland is immune from sewage scandal

Cunliffe report: “Wild West” of water companies must come to an end

Responding to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s report into the water industry including the call to scrap Ofwat, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said:

This is a big win for the Liberal Democrats who have led the campaign against the sewage scandal for years. Since 2022 we have called for Ofwat to be replaced with a tougher regulator, now finally the government appears to have listened.

There’s no doubt these major reforms would not be happening if it wasn’t for our record general election win and the millions who voted for us last year.

We will now be studying this report in detail and holding the government’s feet to the fire to ensure these promises are delivered on. The wild west of water companies paying out huge bonuses while ruining rivers with filthy sewage must finally be brought to an end.

ACOBA: Lib Dems say ministerial payouts for disgraced ministers should be scrapped altogether

Responding to reports that the Government is abolishing ACOBA, a Liberal Democrat Spokesperson said:

This is the right step after years of Conservative sleaze which did so much damage to standards in public life. Its lack of powers to enforce the rules it oversaw meant ACOBA was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

The Prime Minister must now go further – ban Ministerial severance payouts altogether for disgraced former ministers, as well as stripping Liz Truss of her access to the ex-PM allowance fund of up to £125,000 per annum.

It shouldn’t have taken a year to set up the Ethics and Integrity Commission – and there will be no excuse if the Government attempts to kick these vital issues into the long grass.

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Also posted in Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged ACOBA, Alex Cole-Hamilton, better regulation, ed davey, farming, jane dodds, sewage dumping, tim farron and water companies | Leave a comment

Lib Dems oppose London Police counter closures

By The Voice | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 3:46 pm

Lsst week, the BBC reported that the Met Police had radical plans to close half its public front desks due to budget cuts.

There were further revelations about entrenched misogyny and racism, leading to the force attempting to rebuild trust with Londoners with a two-year plan making fresh commitments on community policing, in its A New Met for London, external strategy.

A key commitment was to have at least one 24/7 front counter in each of London’s 32 boroughs to make it easier for people to report crime.

But the BBC has seen leaked plans for the Met Police that show only eight counters will remain open 24/7, and there will also be reduced hours at 11 front counters, closing at 10pm weekdays and 7pm weekends.

Lib Dems in West London understand that Twickenham and Merton will lose their front desks. The nearest 24 hour counters to Richmond will be Acton, Sutton & Lambeth.

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Tagged gareth roberts, london and metropolitan police | 1 Comment

LibLink: Vince Cable The Tax Conundrum

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 1:55 pm

Vince Cable has been writing on matters of tax for Comment Central.

Before we get into his piece, it’s worth mentioning that he will be at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 20th August. I bought my tickets the other day (alongside tickets to see Bella Mackie and Maggie O’Farrell) and you can too, here. Here’s the blurb for the event:

Former Secretary of State for Business and leader of the Liberal Democrats, the astute economist Vince Cable has settled into life after frontline politics as a prolific author on global affairs and the world economy. Today, he talks to us about Eclipsing the West: China, India and the Forging of a New World, in which he turns his formidable expertise on the superstates mapping out a new economic order. Chaired by Douglas Fraser.

Anyway, enough for the shameless plugging and back to the article.

He starts off with a very pessimistic view of our fiscal situation:

Britain increasingly resembles Italy: an economically stagnant, ageing, highly indebted, crumbling relic with a great history.

He says that Rachel Reeves is going to have to raise tens of billions in taxes, but he doesn’t much like the idea of taxing the rich:

Labour activists have their eyes on taxing ‘the rich’: a tiny group of undesirables who, supposedly, can’t fight back through the ballot box. But, as we have seen, even small numbers of country landowners threatened by IHT can make a lot of political noise. And, as with the non-doms, rich people are not idiots: they will move to minimise their tax liabilities. Withdrawal of tax reliefs on large pension contributions sounds like an easy hit, but will have unintended consequences for national savings. There are no easy options.

So if that’s not the answer what is?

The answer would start from the proposition that Britain wants, ideally, to be a bigger version of Scandinavia: well-funded services and welfare provision; a generous and civilised approach to poverty and distress at home and abroad; an innovative pro-business, open economic environment; and high standards of living measured not just in GDP but wider indicators of wellbeing and ‘happiness’.

And how?

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Tagged comment central, tax and vince cable | 11 Comments

Liberator 430 is out!

By The Liberator Collective | Wed 23rd July 2025 - 10:25 am

Liberator 430 is out and you can download it for free here:

and sign up to be emailed when each issue comes out here:

In addition to Radical Bulletin, Commentary, Letters and Lord Bonkers’ Diary, this issue contains:

WE’RE IN THE SERVICE SECTOR.

Politics has changed, with transactional voters looking at what parties can provide, and with little traditional loyalty. How should the Lib Dems respond asks Julian Ingram

SQUEEZING REFORM OUT OF OXFORDSHIRE

Reform won just one seat in Oxfordshire as battles between other parties denied them any space. Neil Fawcett explains how it was done

WE CAN BEAT REFORM

Reform’s bunch of bizarre obsessives surprised by taking control of Kent County Council, but they can be defeated by community politics, says Antony Hook

TAKING GOOD CARE

Sophie Layton looks at Ed Davey’s book on his life beyond politics as a carer

IS IT TOO LATE FOR AMERICA?

Trump’s cruel and dubiously legal acts are even splitting the MAGA base; could the Democrats retake Congress in time to stop him asks Martha Elliott

LABOUR’S WAR ON LOCAL DEMOCRACY

Under the guise of devolution, Labour is centralising power into huge councils and banning the committee system despite its strengths, says Sabah Hamed

FATAL WAITING…

Mathew Hulbert calls for a plan to sort out social care so the NHS is not leaving those like his late mother to suffer

NO CARE TO TAKE

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Tagged liberator magazine | 1 Comment

Make your nominations for ALDC’s Campaigner Awards

By The Voice | Tue 22nd July 2025 - 10:26 am

The highlight of any Saturday night at Federal Conference is the ALDC’s Campaigner Awards which highlight the wonderful things our councillors and campaigners have been doing over the past year and the brilliant ways we have won elections.

In preparation for this year’s event in Bournemouth on 20th August, they are now looking for nominations in each category.

You don’t have to be an ALDC member to enter.

The Categories

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Tagged 2025 aldc campaigner awards | Leave a comment