Category Archives: News

The Voice

WATCH: Mike Ross’s speech to #ldconf

By The Voice | Tue 25th March 2025 - 11:30 am

Mike Ross is one of our best hopes of winning a mayoral election in May.

The Hull Council leader is our candidate for Hull and East Riding Mayor.

We run the Council in Hull and have a long track record of vigorous, incessant campaigning there.

Here is Mike’s keynote speech to Conference this weekend.

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Mary Reid

In the dog house

By Mary Reid | Fri 21st March 2025 - 8:25 am

So this happened:

Wendy Chamberlain, our Chief Whip, called Jennie in for a reprimand.

We now have an official statement from Jennie.

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Mary Reid

Conference Extra

By Mary Reid | Thu 20th March 2025 - 10:37 am

Tomorrow Lib Dems will be gathering in Harrogate ready for Spring Conference. Whilst the formal opening will be on Saturday at 9am, there are a couple of events on Friday. There will be a Consultative Session on the Policy Review at 4.45pm and the Conference Rally at 6.30pm.

Conference Extra is a vital document if you want to make sense of the debates, because it includes all the amendments to motions.  You can read or download Conference Extra here. It should be read in conjunction with the Agenda and Directory. Conference Extra also lists all the questions submitted on reports, plus proposed emergency motions.

Debates include:

F4: Science, Innovation and Technology. Note that part of the motion was omitted in the Agenda and Directory. The extra lines are in Conference Extra. There are three amendments.

F9: Free to be who you are. There is a drafting amendment, plus three amendments for debate.

F10: Implementing the Lessons of the General Election Review. This is a constitutional amendment which has generated a lot of discussion. It proposes changes to the processes for selecting Parliamentary Candidates. There are two amendments.

F14: The UK’s response to Trump. There is a drafting amendment, plus three amendments for debate.

F22: Emergency Motion. Members attending in person or online will be able to vote to select which motion will fill this slot. The choices are between:

  • Dropped Targets – A Threat to Care
  • Local Elections – Democracy Delayed is Democracy Denied
  • New Hospitals Programme – A Broken Promise
  • Restoring International Development Assistance
  • Securing a Path to Citizenship for Refugees

F23: Animal Welfare in the Food System. There are two amendments.

F25: Ending the Crisis; A Fair Deal for Children with SEND. There are two amendments.

The Leader’s speech will be on Sunday at 11.45am.

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Mark Valladares

19 March 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 20th March 2025 - 7:30 am
  • US-Russia call: Putin is “stringing Trump along”
  • NICs vote: Labour MPs vote for “health tax” on GPs, pharmacies and care homes
  • Conservative local election launch: “buck stops” with Badenoch
  • “Time for a fair deal for farmers” – Carmichael to introduce Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill
  • Scottish Government admits it failed to conduct safeguarding review
  • Minister visited Skye House just months before cruelty allegations surfaced
  • Severn Estuary Commission Report – Get on with Building the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon
  • Rennie responds to damning evidence session on funding crisis at Dundee University

US-Russia call: Putin is “stringing Trump along”

Responding to Putin’s phone call with Trump, Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, said:

Donald Trump’s fawning call with Putin couldn’t be more different to his and JD Vance’s shameful bullying of Zelensky in the Oval Office.

It’s clear Trump is being played by Putin – stringing him along and currying favour even as his savage war machine continues to push deeper into Ukraine.

Now is the time for the UK and our allies in Europe and the Commonwealth to redouble our efforts to support Ukraine’s defence and achieve a lasting peace.

NICs vote: Labour MPs vote for “health tax” on GPs, pharmacies and care homes

Responding to the Government voting to reject a Liberal Democrat amendment which would have exempted health and care providers from the national insurance rise, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Labour MPs today have voted for a health tax on GPs, dentists, pharmacies, hospices and care homes, and it is patients who will pay the price.

The Liberal Democrats are proud we have led the fight to exempt health and care providers from this misguided tax hike, and we will not give up now.

On April 6th worried social care providers and GP surgeries are going to be hit with bills they simply cannot afford. Rachel Reeves must finally see sense, U-turn on this disastrous policy and exempt health and care providers from this damaging jobs tax.

Conservative local election launch: “buck stops” with Badenoch

Commenting on the Conservatives’ local election launch tomorrow (20th March) a Liberal Democrat spokesperson said:

The buck stops with bungling Badenoch. If she fails to deliver in the local elections, the writing will truly be on the wall for her and for the Conservative Party.

Whilst they compete with Reform and tilt ever further to the right, the Liberal Democrats are focused on delivering for residents on issues including the cost of living, sewage in our rivers and the emergency in our NHS and care.

We’re hearing on the doorsteps that people haven’t forgiven the Conservatives for all the damage they’ve done. If Kemi speaks to voters tomorrow, she will doubtless hear the same. Voters have a clear choice in May, and across the country, including in Buckinghamshire, they are turning to the Liberal Democrats as community champions who will stand up for them.

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Mark Valladares

18 March 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 19th March 2025 - 11:30 pm
  • Badenoch speech: Scrapping net zero would ‘undermine national energy security’
  • Helen Maguire: Not enough has been done to address abuse against women in our Armed Forces
  • Children’s Bill: Labour vote against free school meals “deeply disappointing”
  • Scotland’s disease burden forecast to increase by more than half

Badenoch speech: Scrapping net zero would ‘undermine national energy security’

Responding to Kemi Badenoch’s speech today claiming that Net Zero by 2050 is ‘impossible’, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper said:

Kemi Badenoch is taking a leaf straight out of Nigel Farage’s playbook while turning her back on the millions of former Conservative voters who care about protecting our environment.

Scrapping net zero and renewable energy targets will simply increase our reliance on foreign fossil fuels, lining the pockets of the likes of Vladimir Putin and his cronies.

Whether it’s abandoning plans for clean energy, slashing maternity pay or undermining the UK’s national energy security, bungling Badenoch’s plans would leave our country worse off.

Helen Maguire: Not enough has been done to address abuse against women in our Armed Forces

Commenting on the Ministry of Defence’s announcement of a new Task Force to tackle violence against women in the military, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson and Iraq Veteran, Helen Maguire MP, said:

We welcome today’s announcement of a Task Force targeting violence against women and girls in the military. It’s shameful, though, that not enough has been done to address what appears to be widespread abuse in our Armed Forces.

It is shameful how previous policies have continued to fail these brave women. There have been abject failures in leadership in our Armed Forces and from government over many years on this.

The Liberal Democrats have argued consistently that much more must be done to safeguard women in the military. Labour needs to move urgently to fully implement the remaining recommendations in the 2021 Atherton Report. This is the least we owe to the women serving courageously across our services.

Children’s Bill: Labour vote against free school meals “deeply disappointing”

Responding to Labour voting against a Liberal Democrat amendment to automatically enrol eligible children for free school meals, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:

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Caron Lindsay

Statement from LGBT+ Lib Dems

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 19th March 2025 - 4:30 pm

LGBT+ Lib Dems co-chairs Charley Hasted and Luke Allan have issued a statement concerning distressing incidents that took place at Federal Conference in Brighton. 

At the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in Autumn 2024, a volunteer for Liberal Voice for Women harassed two members of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats on two separate occasions. The volunteer in question admitted waiting until our members, one of whom was an autistic woman less than half his age, were alone on our exhibition stall to target them. We are pleased that a disciplinary panel recognised his behaviour for what it was and upheld a complaint against him.

We are disappointed, though, that when his behaviour was raised with members of LVfW- including members of their committee, both at the time and after the fact, our concerns about this man’s behaviour towards a vulnerable woman were roundly dismissed by them.

For an organisation that claims to care about women’s safety, it is hypocritical in the extreme for them to dismiss concerns about a man’s behaviour towards a woman being harassing or intimidatory, when the basis for their dismissal seems only to be his age and/or that they agree with the opinions that led to him harassing our members.

LGBT+ Lib Dems stands firmly behind the principle that targeted harassment of the kind our members experienced is unacceptable, regardless of the age or views of the person doing it. Moreover, we have been consistently clear that we expect our volunteers to behave decently towards all attendees at Conference, and have worked productively with Party Leadership at various levels to ensure this is the case, and try and minimise conflict.

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Roderick Lynch

Spring conference fringe: Building a more diverse and representative party

By Roderick Lynch | Tue 18th March 2025 - 9:05 am

The Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality are taking active steps to ensure greater diversity within the party, both in its membership and among its candidates. This is about engaging with communities we haven’t spoken to before and breaking down barriers that have historically limited representation.

Why is this important?

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Mark Valladares

18 March 2025 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 18th March 2025 - 7:30 am
  • Lib Dems force crunch vote on free school meals as 200,000 children miss out
  • Pharmacies: Government has left a “question mark” over support and now consequences “painfully apparent”
  • 51,100 violent incidents directed at NHS staff since 2019
  • New Social Attitudes Survey shows overwhelming support for assisted dying

Lib Dems force crunch vote on free school meals as 200,000 children miss out

New Liberal Democrat analysis estimates that over 230,000 children eligible for free school meals are not receiving the food they’re entitled to, though the true figure could be much higher – as the party prepares to push a key vote in Parliament to bring free school meals to over a million children.

New analysis by the Liberal Democrats has suggested that at least 230,000 children eligible for school meals may not be enrolled to receive the benefit. Combined with the Child Poverty Action Group’s estimate that 900,000 children in poverty are not eligible for free school meals, this figure would bring the number of total vulnerable children in England not receiving free lunches to over 1 million.

On Tuesday, Liberal Democrats will force MPs to vote on auto-enrolling eligible children for free school meals. They will also table a vote on raising the income threshold for free school meal eligibility to £20,000.

The number of eligible children not claiming meals could be far higher than the 230,000 estimated figure. Shockingly, the last Government analysis of the issue took place in 2013. That study suggested 89% of those entitled to free lunches were claiming them, leaving 1 in 10 eligible children missing out. If those numbers hold true today, that would mean over 230,000 young people are going without the meals to which they’re entitled – with the Lib Dems slamming the Government for “flying blind” on this crucial issue.

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Mark Valladares

17 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 17th March 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • OECD: Chancellor cannot ignore “steady drumbeat of economic misery”
  • Thames Water appeal: Govt must put company into special administration
  • Scottish Lib Dems: We must end big city bias in creative spend
  • Rennie: Dundee University needs a ministerial taskforce
  • Ferguson missing out on ferries order “hangover” from SNP fiasco

OECD: Chancellor cannot ignore “steady drumbeat of economic misery”

Responding to the OECD revising down their 2025 growth forecast for the UK by 0.3 percentage points to 1.4%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor cannot ignore this steady drumbeat of economic misery any longer. Trump’s senseless tariffs and the Government’s own economic policies are acting as an anchor on any meaningful growth.

At the Spring Statement, Rachael Reeves cannot bury her head in the sand. She must admit that her Budget has failed to break from the years of Conservative economic vandalism.

The Chancellor must change course by first scrapping her growth-crushing jobs tax which is about to hammer small businesses, and second, by embracing the idea of a bespoke UK-EU Customs Union which would unleash growth.

Only then will we see the growth needed to rebuild our public services and properly protect family finances.

Thames Water appeal: Govt must put company into special administration

Responding to the news that the court has rejected his appeal to prevent Thames Water from an additional £3 billion bail out, MP for Witney Charlie Maynard said:

Thames Water remains a cash cow for its lenders, while its 16 million customers are left to foot the bill for the company’s ludicrously expensive interest charges and advisory fees.

It is in the Government’s power to end this now for the benefit of the British public and seek to put the company into special administration.

We must not stand back and allow Thames Water’s lenders to keep lining their pockets at the expense of customers and the environment while our regulators sit on their hands and the company pumps gallons of sewage into our rivers, neglects basic repairs and hikes up customers’ bills.

Scottish Lib Dems: We must end big city bias in creative spend

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today revealed the disparities in arts spending across Scotland and urged the SNP Government to ensure that creative talent can flourish in every corner of the country.

Creative Scotland is the public body responsible for funding the creative industries in Scotland and distributing funding from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery.

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Mark Valladares

15-16 March 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 16th March 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Davey on PM’s virtual summit: only way to achieve peace is to strengthen Ukraine’s hand by seizing frozen Russian assets
  • NHS England: Same urgency must now be shown for social care
  • SNP RAAC response non-existent compared to England
  • Rennie responds to Gilruth Dundee University comments

Davey on PM’s virtual summit: only way to achieve peace is to strengthen Ukraine’s hand by seizing frozen Russian assets

Responding to the Prime Minister’s virtual meeting with world leaders to discuss Ukraine, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Putin could end this war today if he wanted peace, but it’s clear he’s only interested in destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty and turning it into a vassal state of Russia.

The only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is to strengthen Ukraine. We must redouble our efforts to support their defence in the face of Putin’s barbarism. If Ukraine loses, all of Europe will be less secure.

The PM must now commit to seizing the frozen Russian assets in the UK, and forge an agreement to do the same across Europe, to help strengthen Ukraine’s hand and ensure we can achieve real peace.

NHS England: Same urgency must now be shown for social care

Responding to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, speaking this morning on scrapping NHS England, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Helen Morgan said:

The Health Secretary is right that the NHS is broken and in need of major reform after years of Conservative failure. The focus must now be on ensuring that scrapping NHS England, and any further cuts, do not have negative impacts on the quality of care for patients.

The Government must also take the same sense of urgency shown here to social care, and complete their review by the end of the year rather than continuing to kick the can down the road.

SNP RAAC response non-existent compared to England

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has criticised the SNP for doing nothing to support health boards in dealing with RAAC, after research by his party found that the dangerous building material has been removed in scores of NHS buildings across England.

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Caron Lindsay

Adam Harley selected for key Scottish Parliament target

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 16th March 2025 - 12:30 pm

Picture of Adam Harley, Scottish Lib Dem candidateScottish Liberal Democrat members in the key target of Strathkelvin and Bearsden have chosen former charity worker Adam Harley as their candidate in the Holyrood election in May 2026.

The seat significantly overlaps with the UK Parliament constituency of Mid Dunbartonshire,  won by our Susan Murray by almost 10,000 votes at the General election last July.

Adam grew up and went to school in Bishopbriggs where he now lives with his wife and son. He originally worked in Theatre and the Arts before moving over to the Charity sector, fighting for the rights of people with cystic fibrosis to access life-saving medicines. He has also volunteered for organisations educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds and has worked with community groups supporting young people in danger of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, helping them turn their lives around.

He now works for Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

The current MSP Rona Mackay has announced that she will be standing down at the forthcoming election.

Adam said:

So many people feel like nothing works anymore and that politicians aren’t on their side. I am committed to listening to the people and communities that make up Strathkelvin & Bearsden and giving my all to make sure they have the representation they deserve.

Under the SNP, our NHS has deteriorated, local schools are left in disrepair, and the cost of living has risen, making day-to-day life harder for everyone.

It’s time for change. I want to build on the success of Susan Murray in the recent UK parliament election and work to make life easier, fairer and more affordable for everyone who lives here.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

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Mark Valladares

14 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 14th March 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • GDP: Reeves’s plan for growth leaves “economy on life support”
  • Scottish Government refusing to say whether Gupta firms in breach of legal agreements
  • Adam Harley selected for Scot Lib Dem target seat of Strathkelvin & Bearsden
  • McArthur welcomes watershed moment in assisted dying debate as GPs vote to drop opposition
  • Jardine comments on SNP MPs approved for 2026 candidacy
  • Rennie responds to Glen Sannox pulled from service

GDP: Reeves’s plan for growth leaves “economy on life support”

Responding to GDP shrinking by 0.1% in January, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor’s wretched Budget has left our economy on life support so the Spring Statement must deliver a much needed shot in the arm.

Just as the Chancellor’s jobs tax is set to hammer small businesses and plunge high streets into despair, the Government’s refusal to negotiate a bespoke UK-EU Customs Union to unleash economic growth is baffling.

At the Statement, the Chancellor must admit that her Budget has failed to reverse the years of Conservative economic vandalism and put forward a new plan that unleashes the growth potential of small businesses up and down the land.

Scottish Government refusing to say whether Gupta firms in breach of legal agreements

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today piled pressure on the Scottish Government after a minister repeatedly refused to say whether recipients of millions of pounds of taxpayer-backed guarantees who have repeatedly failed to file accounts were in breach of their deals with the government.

It was revealed in October that the CEO of Liberty House Group, Sanjeev Gupta is currently facing prosecution over his alleged failure to file accounts for more than 70 companies. This follows years of media reporting that accounts for both the Dalzell steelworks – acquired by Mr Gupta from Tata Steel in a controversial back-to-back deal facilitated by the Scottish Government – and for the Lochaber aluminium plant – also owned by Mr Gupta and owing £7m in loans to Scottish taxpayers – have gone unfiled.

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Mark Valladares

13 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 13th March 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Davey on PM speech: “we’ll never fix the NHS unless we fix social care”
  • NHS England: welcome steps but won’t matter unless Streeting “stops ignoring the elephant in the room”
  • Findlay should say if he agrees with Badenoch on maternity pay

Davey on PM speech: “we’ll never fix the NHS unless we fix social care”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech this morning, Ed Davey, who is also in Hull and East Yorkshire today, said:

There’s no doubt we need big changes like this to fix the NHS after the Conservatives left it on its knees. Now we need to see the Government take the action patients desperately need: making sure everyone can see a GP when they need one, cutting waiting lists, and fixing our crumbling hospitals.

We’ll never fix the NHS unless we fix social care – and I’m afraid the Government still isn’t treating that seriously or urgently enough. Liberal Democrats will keep pushing for the cross-party talks to finish this year, so the Government can get on with it.

The Prime Minister badly needs to read the room. People don’t want more speeches about civil service reform and government machinery, they want bold action that will turn things around for them now.

NHS England: welcome steps but won’t matter unless Streeting “stops ignoring the elephant in the room”

Responding to Wes Streeting’s statement in the Commons on scrapping NHS England, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

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Mark Valladares

12 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 12th March 2025 - 11:55 pm
  • Steel tariffs: Business and Trade Secretary needs to toughen up against Trump
  • PM speech: Starmer “tinkering around the edges”
  • Bathing Water Monitoring Announcement: Ultimately, this is not enough
  • Rennie calls for statement to Parliament on future of University of Dundee
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to Sturgeon stepping down

Steel tariffs: Business and Trade Secretary needs to toughen up against Trump

Responding to Trump’s levelling of 25% tariffs on steel and comments by Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds this morning, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Being repeatedly kicked by the other side and doing nothing is not an effective negotiating position. The Business Secretary needs to toughen up.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives would roll over and beg Trump for a bad trade deal that sells out British farmers and our NHS.

Enough is enough. We must act from a position of strength, standing up for British steel and the UK economy through retaliatory measures.

PM speech: Starmer “tinkering around the edges”

Commenting ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech tomorrow, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Prime Minister is tinkering around the edges while our economy continues to stutter.

The last Conservative government left behind mountains of waste, but these measures are doomed to fail without far more ambition to get the economy growing.

Keir Starmer needs to act now by reversing his devastating National Insurance jobs tax and moving much faster to fix social care – the only way to save the NHS.

If the Prime Minister is committed to kickstarting growth he must urgently negotiate an ambitious new deal with the EU to boost trade, grow our economy and create jobs.

Bathing Water Monitoring Announcement: Ultimately, this is not enough

Commenting after the UK Government announced that monitoring for swimming sites in England and Wales will be updated for the first time since 2013, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:

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Mark Valladares

11 March 2025 – today’s Scottish press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 11th March 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay
  • Cole-Hamilton: We cannot fix A&E waits without fixing social care
  • Carmichael calls for government response following shipping collision
  • 1,065 drugs deaths last year
  • Vacancies in majority of care homes and care at home services
  • Rennie responds to Dundee University news

Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay

Liberal Democrat women and equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has called for the UK Government to do everything possible to tackle economic barriers for women, including by doubling statutory maternity pay and expanding parental leave.

As well as backing parental leave as a day-one right at work, Liberal Democrats are calling on the UK Government to:

  • Double Statutory Maternity Pay to £350 a week.
  • Increase paternity pay to 90% of earnings.
  • Create a new use-it-or-lose-it ‘dad month’, encouraging more fathers to take parental leave.

Currently, low rates of statutory maternity and paternity pay are not high enough to give parents a real choice, while the UK’s two weeks of statutory paternity leave lags far behind most advanced economies. Around a quarter of fathers are not eligible for paternity pay, either because they are self-employed or because they have not been with their employer continuously for six months.

The party argues that encouraging more fathers to take parental leave is critical to closing the gender pay gap. On average, women face a ‘pay penalty’ of 45% lower earnings in the six years after giving birth to their first child.

Ms Jardine said:

As we celebrate the achievements of women and girls across Scotland, we cannot forget about the barriers that stand in the way of progress.

That’s why my party is committed to doubling maternity pay and expanding parental leave.

Doubling maternity pay would help ease the pressure on women to return to work before they are ready.

Meanwhile, encouraging more fathers to take paternity leave will give women greater choice and help new dads to spend time with their child.

Liberal Democrats want to see women given the choice and flexibility they need, backed up by a proper package of support.

Cole-Hamilton: We cannot fix A&E waits without fixing social care

Responding to new figures showing only 63.5% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 2nd March, while 3,532 people waited over 8 hours and 1,510 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

For years under the SNP our A&E departments have been left mired in crisis and it’s leading to staff burning out.

The problem at A&E is that there isn’t enough capacity. Too many people are stuck unable to leave hospital because they can’t get the care package they need to leave safely.

We cannot fix these A&E waits without fixing the problems in social care to create the capacity needed to get people seen on time. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought for more money for social care in the budget and back a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

Carmichael calls for government response following shipping collision

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has said that a shipping collision off the coast of North-East England today must be “a spur for stronger regulation” against unsafe behaviour by tankers, including in the waters around the Northern Isles. Mr Carmichael noted local complaints about tankers sheltering in areas off the coast of Shetland in particular, despite these being marked as “areas to be avoided” for such vessels.

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Mark Valladares

11 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 11th March 2025 - 10:15 pm
  • Thames Water Appeal: Company must be put into Special Administration
  • Hull leader Mike Ross calls for emergency COBRA meeting in light of North Sea collision
  • DEFRA halting incentives another “outrageous” attack on farming communities

Thames Water Appeal: Company must be put into Special Administration

Today, Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard will be appealing the High Court’s judgment on plans that would see an additional £3bn debt added to Thames Water’s existing debt of more than £16bn. Commenting ahead of the appeal, Charlie Maynard said:

Today I am fighting for the 16 million customers who have been left to foot the bill of Thames Water’s mismanagement.

Both Ofwat and the government have buried their head in the sand, as firms such as Thames Water ramp up billions of pounds of extraordinarily expensive debt while continuing to pump tonnes of disgusting sewage into British rivers and seas.

This cannot continue, and the Liberal Democrats will lead from the front and fight to protect customers. The ultimate question is who should bear the costs of the disastrous way Thames Water has been run. The shareholders and creditors who were responsible for making those decisions, or the customers who have had to put up with poor service at extortionate prices.

The solution is obvious. Thames Water must be put into Special Administration, so much of the debt can be written off and the company put onto a stable financial footing.

Hull leader Mike Ross calls for emergency COBRA meeting in light of North Sea collision

Liberal Democrat leader of Hull City Council, Mike Ross, has called for COBRA to be convened in response to the North Sea collision and fuel spill.

It comes following the collision of two ships off the coast of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, with a risk of fuel leaking into the Humber estuary, and the Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister’s update to the Commons.

Ross said COBRA was needed to avoid potential “environmental catastrophe” adding, “It is only right and proper that all available resources are used to try to contain and limit the damage.”

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Mark Valladares

10 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 10th March 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Hull Council Leader Mike Ross calls on Government to set out “Rapid Response Plan” after North Sea Collision
  • Cole-Hamilton backs Scottish cheerleaders in exam battle

Hull Council Leader Mike Ross calls on Government to set out “Rapid Response Plan” after North Sea Collision

Liberal Democrat Hull Council Leader, Cllr Mike Ross, has called on the Government to hold an emergency meeting in East Yorkshire and to set out a “Rapid Response Plan” following the events unfolding in the North Sea.

The call comes as a major operation is underway off the east coast of England after an oil tanker and a cargo vessel collided …

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Mark Valladares

8-9 March 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 9th March 2025 - 11:59 pm
  • Davey: Starmer should visit new Canadian PM and stand in solidarity against Trump “turning the screws” on Canada
  • Chamberlain: Remove barriers for women by supporting unpaid carers
  • Cole-Hamilton: Long Covid still harming lives five years since pandemic
  • Rennie demands urgency as half of Scotland’s universities fall into deficit

Davey: Starmer should visit new Canadian PM and stand in solidarity against Trump “turning the screws” on Canada

As Mark Carney is announced the new leader of Canada, Ed Davey has called on Starmer to head to Ottawa to stand in solidarity with the country’s new Prime Minister in response to Trump’s threats against Canada.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has offered his “warmest congratulations” to the new Canadian PM, Mark Carney. He celebrated the joint Commonwealth history of the two nations, including their shared monarch.

He has also called on Keir Starmer to fly to Canada this week as a show of support, as Trump continues to threaten the imposition of tariffs on Canadian products – as well as on steel and aluminium imports, including from the UK, later this week. Trump has also continued to make alarming comments about wanting to turn Canada into America’s ‘51st State’.

It’s vital for both British and Canadian security that the Commonwealth allies “stand strong together”, Davey said – urging Starmer to show a “united front” against Donald Trump’s “senseless” threats against Canada’s sovereignty and economy.

Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

I would like to express my warmest congratulations to the new leader of Canada, Mark Carney. We treasure Canada’s historic relationship with the UK and I look forward to our two nations’ ties becoming ever stronger during your premiership.

It’s vital for both British and Canadian security that we stand strong together. With global instability rising, it’s never been more important to show a united front with our Commonwealth friends – and to stand together against Trump senselessly turning the screws on his allies, whether that’s Canada, the UK or Europe.

Responding to the trade war along the North American border, our Prime Minister must stand in solidarity against Trump’s bullying and visit Ottawa in a joint show of strength. Starmer must be clear that Trump’s threats against Commonwealth nations’ sovereignty are unacceptable.

Chamberlain: Remove barriers for women by supporting unpaid carers

Speaking on International Women’s Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain MP has pledged to improve support for unpaid carers in order to tackle gender inequality across society, as she highlighted that the majority of Scotland’s unpaid carers are female.

According to the Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Carers Census survey, 73% of all unpaid carers are female.

A 2023 survey from Care Scotland found that a third of female unpaid carers have given up employment to care. A further 55% said that their physical health has suffered as a result of their caring role, while 81% felt stressed or anxious because of it.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have brought forward a series of measures to help unpaid carers across the country, including through Ms Chamberlain’s Carer’s Leave Act.

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Caron Lindsay

Cole-Hamilton stands up for Long Covid sufferers on National Day of Reflection

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 9th March 2025 - 10:33 am

It’s almost 3 years since I first had Covid, an experience which has made my life a lot smaller. My road to recovery from Long Covid has been erratic and very, very slow. It’s only now that I’m properly starting to enjoy life as I used to – in small doses. I have to be very careful about planning, pacing and prioritising – which is exhausting in itself. I consider the effect on my life to have been profound, but I am also aware that I have got away relatively lightly. Those who got Long Covid in the earlier days particularly are much worse off.

Through this time, it’s been incredibly comforting to see Liberal Democrats push the case for more to be done for people for whom Covid has been a life-limiting experience. Layla Moran and Alex Cole-Hamilton particularly have been steadfast in their support having met so many people who are either affected or who are treating those who have been.

Today, on the National Day of Reflection, Alex highlights those struggling with Long Covid. He also paid tribute to NHS staff and communities

Five years on from the pandemic, thousands of Scots are still suffering from Long Covid. More than 80% of them say that the condition has adversely affected their ability to undertake day-to-day activities.

A 2024 Cambridge Econometrics report, The Economic Impact of Long Covid in the UK, estimated that Long Covid, ‘may have macroeconomic costs of some £1.5bn of GDP each year’. The report also indicates that, ‘lower employment of around 138,000 by 2030 follows as a consequence’.

Adjusted for Scotland’s share of the UK population, this suggested a yearly economic impact of £120m and 11,000 jobs by 2030.

In recent budget negotiations, Scottish Liberal Democrats secured millions more in funding for dedicated support for Long Covid sufferers.

Alex said:

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Caron Lindsay

Happy International Women’s Day!

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 8th March 2025 - 11:20 am

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the inspirational women we know and to recognise that we still have a long way to go to achieve equality for half the population in almost every aspect of our national and international life.

This year’s theme is For ALL women and girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment. With women’s rights under threat across the world from Afghanistan to the USA, that could not be more appropriate.

When I think of inspirational women, if I didn’t mention my sister, Honor, who celebrates her 50th birthday this week, she would kill me. You can read the soppy post I wrote about her on my own blog here.   She has always been one to demolish barriers, achieve the seemingly impossible and always make us laugh while she’s doing it.

My mother was the one who inspired all of us. I grew up in the 70s, when women often lost their jobs, even in the Civil Service, when they got married, and almost certainly when they got pregnant. My mum ran her own business in Inverness and was a great role model of achievement and independence.

In the Lib Dems, I am surrounded by brilliant women who inspire me every day. If I started to list then all, I’d still be here next International Women’s Day. This year, though, we can celebrate our largest ever contingent of women MPs, 44% of our parliamentary party.  We should also celebrate the huge contingent of women campaigners, agents and organisers who built their campaigns.

How many can you spot in this official Commons photograph?

Here’s Susan Murray, our MP for Mid Dunbartonshire:

Lib Dem Women,  the party’s official organisation representing women, say, on Instagram:

Ed Davey said on Twitter:

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Mark Valladares

7 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 7th March 2025 - 10:30 pm

Safer Phones Bill: Government making “ponderous progress” as measures watered down

Commenting on news that the Safer Phones Bill was watered down to gain government support, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology Victoria Collins MP said:

So far, the Government has made ponderous progress on children’s online safety. I’m disappointed that they’ve seemingly succeeded in pushing for the Safer Phones Bill to be watered down – a bill that had such promise when it was first proposed.

There’s a mounting crisis in children’s mental health, driven in large part by addictive algorithms. Parents and families across the country are crying out for change when it comes to support in the online world.

We’re picking up the baton where the Government have dropped it – starting with our amendments to the Data Bill on the digital age of consent. We’ll keep fighting to make sure young people are properly protected.

Lib Dems demand publication of legal advice on seizing frozen Russian assets

The Liberal Democrats have written to the UK Attorney General, calling on him to publish the legal advice provided to the Government regarding seizing the frozen Russian assets held in the UK.

The call comes as pressure mounts on the Government to seize the assets and use them to fund support for Ukraine – made all the more critical by President Trump’s reckless decision to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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NewsHound

WATCH: Ed on Pod Save the UK

By NewsHound | Wed 5th March 2025 - 3:45 pm

Ed Davey appeared on the most recent episode of Pod Dave the UK, talking to Coco Khan.

Watch his 13 minute interview here.

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The Voice

WATCH: Ed calls for Andrew and Tristan Tate to be extradited to UK

By The Voice | Wed 5th March 2025 - 2:14 pm

Today at PMQs, Ed Davey asked Keir Starmer to request the extradition of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan to face trial.  Watch here.

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Geoff Reid

What would being on a war footing look like?

By Geoff Reid | Tue 4th March 2025 - 11:00 am

How would Britons react if the country was placed on a war footing? My question is provoked by a letter from a certain Freya Hartley in this Sunday’s Observer. Her two short paragraphs are worth quoting in full:

“I feel strongly that our government should be bold and forward thinking and put itself and the country on the equivalent of a war footing. It needs to push through fast a raft of measures to improve our self-sufficiency, especially in food, energy, and defence. As we did in the Second World War.

They need to hold cross-party brainstormings, initiate a blitz of public information to get the whole country engaged and involved. Act fast. This could bring the country together. We left Europe and the US has left us, we are alone and we need to come together, work together. Good could come out of all this horror”.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed: This is thuggery from Trump and Vance

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 28th February 2025 - 9:58 pm

Well. There’s a danger to thinking that Donald Trump can’t get any worse. He will inevitably disappoint you by sinking even lower.

Tonight’s row with Zelensky in the Oval Office was a case in point. It was always going to be a set-up for the brave Ukrainian leader but I don’t think any of us had quite anticipated the appalling scenes we saw. How he managed to handle himself with such calmness and dignity in the face of that barrage is beyond me.

One of many lowlights from Trump was him saying that he couldn’t condemn Putin because he couldn’t slag him off and then bring him in to a deal. But it was fine for him to call Zelensky a dictator? A fact he seemed to have forgotten when pressed on it yesterday by the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason.

It seems very much like it’s Trump and Putin vs Europe now. Who would have thought that we would need to increase defence spending to defend ourselves FROM the US.

I grew up during the Cold War. I was born after those 13 days in 1962 when everyone was terrified that the Cuban Missile Crisis would bring about a nuclear war. While there was a sort of perpetual anxiety, it was at least relatively stable. There was nothing as unpredictable as a US President who can be nice as pie one minute and as nasty as you can get the next.

Donald Trump has been in office for 39 days and so far it’s been much, much worse than I had feared. I hadn’t had “Mar – a – Lago on Gaza” and while we knew he was going to throw Zelensky under the bus, I don’t think anyone expected tonight’s scenes.

While I know that Keir Starmer is doing his best, I felt like there weren’t enough vomit emojis in the world last night to describe the camaraderie in the White House. It was just really uncomfortable. And the contrast with tonight is still making my blood run a bit cold.

Ed Davey has been quick to show support for Zelensky. He said:

This is thuggery from Trump and Vance, plain and simple. They are bullying the brave true patriot Zelensky into accepting a deal which effectively hands victory to Russia. Unless the UK and Europe step up, we are facing a betrayal of Ukraine.

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Charles Quinn

ALDC By-election report, 27th February

By Charles Quinn | Fri 28th February 2025 - 7:35 pm

We celebrated 2 principal council by-election wins this week. Thank you to everyone who stood and campaigned for us. We enjoyed some fantastic results.

In East Suffolk DC we held Woodbridge ward with a spectacular 25% increase in our share of the vote. Congratulations to Cllr Ruth Leach and everyone who supported the campaign. It is our best vote share increase of the year so far.

East Suffolk DC, Woodbridge
Liberal Democrats (Ruth Leach): 1023 (53.6%, +25.4%)
Conservative: 391 (20.5%, +1%)
Reform: 274 (14.4%, new)
Labour: 219 (11.5%, -8.4%)

In Westmoreland and Furness Council we held Eamont and Shap ward – also increasing our vote share and securing a whopping 67% of the vote. Congratulations to Cllr Nicki Vecqueray and the local team on such a comprehensive victory.

Westmorland and Furness, Eamont and Shap
Liberal Democrats (Nicki Vecqueray): 789 (67.2%, +1.5%)
Conservative: 241 (20.5%, -13.8%)
PCF: 76 (6.5%, new)
Green Party: 68 (5.8%, new)

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Caron Lindsay

New book out today: When we speak of freedom – Radical liberalism in an age of crisis

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 26th February 2025 - 8:19 pm

When all we see before us is a dystopian hellscape with populists everywhere and everything we have ever valued (or taken for granted) about living in a liberal democracy where human rights are valued has suddenly turned on its head, we need a way of sorting things out.

A book published today, edited by our friend and regular contributor Paul Hindley and Ben Wood, seeks to provide some of the answers. When we speak of Freedom: Radical Liberalism in an age of crisis is published by Beecroft Publications in association with the …

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Mark Valladares

24 February 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th February 2025 - 10:45 pm
  • DIY heating: More than nine in ten Scots using alternatives to central heating this winter
  • Cole-Hamilton: UK must stand strong against Putin three years on from illegal invasion
  • Labour should ditch plans for health “superboards”
  • Crown Estate Bill – Labour treating Wales with contempt

DIY heating: More than nine in ten Scots using alternatives to central heating this winter

  • Scots who are worried about the cost of heating have changed how they heat their homes this winter to help cut bills.
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency home insulation programme to help those in fuel poverty.

A shocking new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that 66% of Scots say they are worried about the cost of heating their home this winter, as they reveal the alternative methods they are using to keep warm this winter.

The poll reveals that a staggering 96% of Scots who are worried about the cost of heating their home this winter have made changes to how they heat their homes.

Of those, 46% have lowered the thermostat temperature and almost a third (29%) have reduced the number of rooms being heated.

To keep warm this winter, 66% of Scots have worn additional clothing, 56% have used more blankets and throws and 38% have been drinking more hot beverages.

Worryingly, 5% of those who are worried about heating costs have revealed they have visited a warm bank this winter. Warm banks are free, safe spaces where people can go to warm up if they can’t afford to heat their homes.

Around 34% of all households in Scotland are estimated to be fuel poor. The energy price cap is set to rise by 5% in April, increasing average annual household bills to £1,823 from April this year.

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:

Both the Scottish and UK governments are failing to support Scots with heating their homes during the difficult winter months.

After the UK Labour Government axed universal winter fuel payments, vulnerable pensioners were left to choose between heating and eating. Meanwhile, on the SNP’s watch, fuel poverty has soared to record levels and it could take ministers 100 years to heat eligible homes.

My party has been working hard to try and unpick some of that damage, and after our talks with the Scottish Government, we’ve ensured that all pensioners in Scotland will receive help with their heating bills next winter.

Ministers still have a lot more to do, which is why we want to see the Scottish Government rolling out a nationwide insulation programme. That’s how we can meet the scale of the challenge and provide a win-win of cutting emissions and energy bills.

Cole-Hamilton: UK must stand strong against Putin three years on from illegal invasion

Speaking three years on from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has said that the UK must stand strong against Putin and boost support for Ukraine by seizing frozen Russian assets, working in close step with Europe and increasing defence spending.

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The Voice

Davey: Give Ukraine a critical boost using frozen Russian assets

By The Voice | Mon 24th February 2025 - 8:22 am

Commenting on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

For three years, the brave Ukrainian people have heroically defended their country against Putin’s war machine. Now we face an era-defining moment which will determine the future of our continent for generations to come.

Now, more than ever, we must stand firmly in support of our Ukrainian friends, resist Trump’s alarming attempts at a stitch up with Putin and work with our European neighbours to defend freedom and democracy.

That should start immediately, using the £40 billion of Russian assets frozen by the UK

…

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Caron Lindsay

Mark Cole returns to Cardigan Town Council

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 22nd February 2025 - 1:45 pm

When I first got involved in blogging, I came across the force of nature that is Mark Cole. At the time, back in 2009, he was Mayor of Cardigan at the age of just 26.

He left the Council in search of some work life balance back in 2017 – but he is now back, as the Tivyside Advertiser reports:

Speaking to the Tivyside moments after his comeback was confirmed, Mr Cole explained he felt he still had ‘unfinished business’.

“I’m a little older and hopefully a little wiser than the young one that was first elected in 2004 and with my previous experience of local government here in town, I’m keen to play my role again in community life,” he said.

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