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Category Archives: News

9 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 10th October 2024 - 7:31 am

Age UK report: WFP cut will be a “crushing blow” for most vulnerable
Over 3 in 10 less likely to vote for Conservatives over leadership candidate out of touch views
Conservative leadership election: If this were an interview process they would’ve put the job advert up again

Age UK report: WFP cut will be a “crushing blow” for most vulnerable

Responding to the Age UK report which shows that four in five pensioners living below or just above the poverty line will lose the Winter Fuel Payment as a result of the government’s cuts, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:

We have heard countless stories in recent weeks of pensioners terrified about just making it through the winter without having to choose between heating and eating. This reports lays bare just how frightening these cuts are for so many.

To push ahead with taking away this support would be a crushing blow for some of the most vulnerable in society and it cannot be allowed to go ahead.

The government must change course and get these people the support they need this winter.

Over 3 in 10 less likely to vote for Conservatives over leadership candidate out of touch views

New polling shows over 3 in 10 (35%) would be less likely to vote Conservative if their leader were someone who said they would vote for Trump

Over 3 in 10 (35%) people also say that they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their leader said that maternity pay was ‘excessive’

Over 3 in 10 (35%) also said they would be less likely to vote for the Party if their leader had made a comment that trivialised drink-spiking

3 in 10 (31%) Brits also said they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their new leader backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race

New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats and carried out by Savanta has shown that some comments made by Conservative Party Leadership candidates would make over 3 in 10 people less likely to vote Conservative.

When asked how likely they would be to vote for the Conservatives if the party leader had said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen, 35% of Brits said they would. This comes after Conservative Leadership candidate Robert Jennrick said “If I were an American citizen, I would be voting for Donald Trump.” A similar proportion was also put off by Kemi Badenoch’s maternity pay comments (35%) and James Cleverly’s comments that trivialised drink spiking (35%).

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged conservative leadership, sarah olney, steve darling and winter fuel payment | Leave a comment

8 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 9th October 2024 - 11:55 pm

Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament
Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies
Cole-Hamilton calls for support as thousands of NHS staff off on long term sick
Action needed on Welsh water quality
Cole-Hamilton: A&E in permacrisis under SNP
Drug deaths crisis brings untold suffering
Rennie responds to Swinney’s poverty comments
Chairman of scandal-hit water regulator quits

Water companies revealed to escape fines as Lib Dems force new sewage vote in Parliament

Liberal Democrats to force parliamentary vote on outright ban on water company bosses bonuses

New Freedom of Information Request reveals Ofwat has failed to levy any fines against disgraced firms and employs just 8 full time staff on sewage investigations

Ed Davey slams government decision to let Ofwat decide new water company bosses bonuses

The Liberal Democrats plan to table an amendment which outlaws water company bonuses as the government’s new Water Bill enters Parliament tomorrow (9 October).

It comes as a shocking new Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats found that Ofwat admitted “we have not issued any fines in connection with how water companies manage their sewage treatment” Since they launched their investigation into water companies’ sewage discharges in November 2021. Instead, Ofwat is still in “consultation” with the water companies it aims to fine.

The new findings revealed by the Liberal Democrats goes on to state that Ofwat’s investigation into sewage treatment works has a staffing of just 8.5 full-time employees, “many” of whom are working on the report “alongside other projects”.

This scant, part-time staffing raises serious questions over the regulator’s resources and powers to properly scrutinise water companies it oversees – particularly given that Ofwat’s CEO called the project “the largest and most complex investigation” the watchdog has ever undertaken.

Ofwat told the Lib Dems that “many of the people working on the investigation do so for a portion of their time alongside other projects”, and that the regulator is “in the process of recruiting further staff”.

Under the government’s new Water Bill, water company executive bonuses will be determined by key test indicators established by Ofwat. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey is calling for Ofwat to be scrapped as a failed regulator which should have no role in determining water company bonuses.

Analysis of Company House records by the Liberal Democrats has found water company executives have made £35 million in bonuses since 2021.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is time for Parliament to stand up and take action on the sewage crisis after years of failure under the Conservatives.

The new government’s attempt is sadly a job half done. A toothless and tired regulator will fail to end the scandal of multi-million pound bonuses for sewage dumpers.

We need water company executive bonuses banned until the sewage dumping stops. This disgraced industry has shown it is not worthy of any bonuses.

Conservative MPs spent years voting against a ban on sewage bonuses and propping up a failed regulator. It is time to rip up the industry, with companies which no longer put profit before the environment, and a proper regulator with real power.

Liberal Democrat MPs standby ready to work with the government to make sure the new Water Bill protects local communities from foul sewage.

Water Bills: Govt must enforce tougher restrictions on water companies

Commenting on the latest Ofwat reports, which revealed that water firms have been told to cut bills over poor performance, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

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Also posted in Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged a and e waiting times, Alex Cole-Hamilton, drug use, ed davey, jane dodds, NHS staffing, poverty, regulators, sewage dumping, tim farron, water companies and willie rennie | 1 Comment

PMQs 2 Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain take on Starmer

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 9th October 2024 - 5:25 pm

Keir Starmer not only had to face Ed Davey today, but two other Liberal Democrats, Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain.

Helen asked him about much needed work on the A483 in her North Shropshire constituency:

The Llynclys Crossroads on the A483 is the worst accident blackspot in the Midlands.

We’ve been calling for action for years, and National Highways agree.

I asked the Prime Minister to fix Treasury funding formulas which prioritise high speeds over the lives of rural residents. pic.twitter.com/q2O8WXlade

— Helen Morgan MP 🔶 (@HelenMorganMP) October 9, 2024

Here’s the exchange in full:

The A483 runs through my constituency from Llanymynech to Oswestry. It is one of the busiest and most dangerous roads in the constituency, and National Highways says the crossroads at Llynclys is the worst accident blackspot in the midlands. It has a proposal to improve the situation, but Treasury rules place a higher value on road speed than on the lives of North Shropshire’s residents. Will the Prime Minister look at flexing those rules to back National Highways and my residents, to give them the safe road they deserve? (900579)

The Prime Minister

I thank the hon. Member for raising this. It is obviously a big and important issue in her constituency. It is vital that as we invest we improve safety and deliver better journeys for drivers. National Highways continues to study the case for safety improvements to the A483 and will continue to do so. As she probably knows, decisions will be set out under the third road investment strategy. I know that the Roads Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood), will have heard her representations and will agree to a meeting, if that is what she would like.

Today is PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. PANS stands for Paediatric Acute-onset Neuro-psychiatric Syndrome and PANDAs stands for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. Wendy has been interested in this since the parents of a constituent told her of the trauma they had suffered with their own child. Last year Wendy led a debate on the issue which you can read here.

At that time she said:

We do not need to be parents ourselves, although many of us here may be, to understand how utterly distressing it must be to have a formerly healthy, happy child suddenly find themselves unable to leave their bedroom, dress, eat, wash, talk to others or attend school and to see them vanish as the illness takes over. Sadly, that distress is compounded and worsened many times over by the lack of available support for patients and their families, as PANS is often not even suggested, considered or acknowledged.

Wendy took the opportunity of PANS/PANDAS Awareness day to ask for a meeting with the Department for Health on getting more funding for investigations and research. She said:

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Tagged helen morgan, PMQs and wendy chamberlain | Leave a comment

PMQs: Ed quizzes Starmer on Europe

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 9th October 2024 - 3:47 pm

It’s great seeing Ed getting a guaranteed two cracks of the whip at PMQs every week.

And many people in the party will be thrilled that he pushed the PM on Europe and asked him to consider a youth mobility scheme to give people in their 20s the chance to live and work in Europe for 3 years.

I did wonder before the recess if he was maybe letting Starmer off the hook on his second questions and I think he could have pressed that point a bit further today – though he did say he would leave it for another time before moving on to improving the trade deal.

I look back with fondness on Willie Rennie’s legendary and dogged persistence of one issue at a time with the SNP, whether it be college cuts, ferries, conditions in prisons, free school meals or mental health at First Minister’s Questions. He would prosecute a line pretty forensically over several weeks and that got him noticed. And sometimes it resulted in concessions from the Government when he had destroyed all their rebuttals.

I get the argument that keeping Starmer guessing about the topic also has its merits, but I would like to see a bit more follow-through. When the Prime Minister fails to answer the question the first time, I’d like to see Ed find his inner terrier.

Watch the first question here.

A Youth Mobility Scheme would be great for young people, great for small businesses, and a big step towards repairing the relationship with our European neighbours.

But the Prime Minister’s ruled it out. So today at #PMQs Ed Davey challenged him to think again. pic.twitter.com/kQr1HD5INv

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) October 9, 2024

The text of the full exchange is below

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Also posted in Parliament | Tagged ed davey, europe, free movement and PMQs | 3 Comments

Maiden speeches: Susan Murray, MP for Mid Dunbartonshire

By The Voice | Wed 9th October 2024 - 10:25 am

Parliament is back and that, at the moment, means more Lib Dem maiden speeches. Susan Murray, our new MP for Mid Dunbartonshire, made her debut yesterday in a debate on the NHS, talking about her experience of caring for her husband – and also spoke up for fair votes.

The text is below:

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ALDC’s by-election report 3 October 2024

By Matthew Ma | Mon 7th October 2024 - 4:12 pm

Four principal council by-elections were held this week, with Labour defending three and SNP defending one. Most seats changed hands, with Labour losing all three seats they were defending and SNP holding the last. We stood in all four and our candidates have carried forth the momentum from past weeks to register gains in vote share on all seats.

The stand-out result this week came from Dundee Council in Strathmartine ward. The first place SNP lost more than 10% of first preference votes while the Lib Dems gained 8%. Counting continued to the fifth round, where Jenny Blain finished close second: just 32 votes behind SNP! Well done and thank you to Jenny and Dundee Lib Dems for putting up such a great fight, setting us up for a Lib Dem victory next election.

Dundee, Strathmartine (first preference results, SNP elected at stage 5)
SNP: 1188 (35%, -10.3%)
Liberal Democrats (Jenny Blain): 912 (26.9%, +8.2%)
Labour: 911 (26.9%, +4.0%)
Conservative: 143 (4.2%, -1.7%)
Green Party: 121 (3.6%, +0.2%)
TUSC: 116 (3.4%, +2.7%)

Another by-election in Dundee Council in Lochee sees an SNP gain from Labour after seven stages. Thank you to Outi Bourke for standing and growing our vote share here.

Dundee, Lochee (first preference results, SNP elected at stage 7)
SNP: 1203 (37.3%, -5.9%)
Labour: 1148 (35.6%, -0.2%)
Conservative: 219 (6.8%, -1.6%)
Alba Party: 178 (5.5%, +2.4%)
Green Party: 176 (5.5%, +1.3%)
Liberal Democrats (Outi Bourke): 156 (4.8%, +1.7%)
Workers Party of Britain: 143 (4.4%, new)

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Tagged aldc, featured and local government by-elections | 1 Comment

ALDE Congress in Estoril: Day of Decisions

By Robert Harrison | Mon 7th October 2024 - 10:32 am

The second day of the ALDE Congress started with the usual family photo before heading off to the plenary session for passage of the resolutions. Given that most of them had been previously extensively discussed and compromise texts established, then most of the resolution were passed without any substantive opposition.

Proposed by the LibDems were resolutions on Israel and Gaza as well as Hezbollah which was like the one passed by our own conference in Brighton. This was amended by the Dutch VVD and the German FDP to include a call for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Our resolution calling for the freedom of Russian political prisoners, with a massive contribution by one of our members of Russian origin, was unsurprisingly passed without any opposition. The governing Servants of the People party from Ukraine filed a resolution calling for toughening of the sanctions regime, strengthening military support, and for a return of the kidnapped children from Russia.

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Tagged ALDE congress and sal brinton | 3 Comments

Ed Davey on 7th October one year on: “We must stand with the Jewish community against hate and violence”

By The Voice | Mon 7th October 2024 - 8:45 am

Commenting on the one year anniversary of the 7th October terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

As we remember the terror and pain of October 7th, we must all come together and stand in solidarity against hate and violence. One year ago, we awoke to those horrifying scenes in Israel of Hamas’s brutal terrorist atrocities.

When I visited Israel and Palestine a few months ago, I saw for myself the destruction and devastation at the Kfar Aza kibbutz and the festival site in Re’im. I met Itzik, a father waiting for news of his

…

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Also posted in Europe / International and Press releases | Tagged ed davey, israel and palestine | 15 Comments

5-6 October 2024 – the weekend press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 6th October 2024 - 10:30 pm

Children with developmental concerns almost doubles
McArthur launches probe into proposed use of live facial recognition tech
New survey lays bare crisis in social care

Children with developmental concerns almost doubles

Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP has today urged the SNP government to do far more to support children from poorer backgrounds, as new figures revealed that the percentage of children with developmental concerns has almost doubled since 2019.

Child health reviews are offered to all children in Scotland. These reviews refer to assessments of a child’s development at 13-15 months, 27-30 months and 4-5 years.

The figures from Public Health Scotland published this week show:

Of those children who received a 4-5 year review, the percentage with developmental concerns increased from 11.87% in 2019 to 17.71% in 2024.
16.68% of children who received a 27-30 month review (1,915 children) had a concern noted about at least one area of their development;
There were high numbers of children who had a concern noted in the following areas: gross motor, speech, language and communication and emotional and behavioural;
11.53% of children who received a 27-30 month review had a new or previous concern recorded for speech, language and communication, while 8.1% of children who received a 13-15 month review had a new or previous concern recorded for gross motor.

Mr Rennie said:

Scotland’s children should be growing up in the best environment, but on the SNP’s watch far too many are showing developmental concerns.

The pandemic was incredibly challenging for parents and children. Rather than invest to support families, SNP ministers have fallen short.

The government must put in place extra support for all those children who have had a developmental concern noted. I want to see ministers doing everything in their power to ensure that issues are identified and addressed as early as possible so that every child can flourish, no matter their background or circumstance.

McArthur launches probe into proposed use of live facial recognition tech

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur has filed 40 parliamentary questions on Police Scotland’s proposed use of live facial recognition as he bids to force the Scottish Government to explain how the measures are compatible with equalities and civil liberties concerns.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, children's services, facial recognition cameras, liam mcarthur, social care and willie rennie | Leave a comment

3 October 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 3rd October 2024 - 11:58 pm

Record high numbers living in temporary accommodation as Lib Dems call on govt to end homelessness this Parliament
Ed Davey calls for boost for unpaid carers as figures show one in four not in work
Cole-Hamilton pens letter to former Conservative voters urging them to abandon party
1 in 9 Scots report mental health condition
627,700 unpaid carers in Scotland
Cole-Hamilton comments on further Creative Scotland funding delay

Record high numbers living in temporary accommodation as Lib Dems call on govt to end homelessness this Parliament

The number of families living in temporary accommodation has reached a record high, the latest homelessness statistics have revealed, while there has been a 14.2% rise in rough sleeping.

The number of households reported in temporary accommodation reached 117,450 in March 2024 – the highest figure since these records began in 1998. This includes a 14.7% rise in the number of households with children living in temporary accommodation taking the total to 74,530.

There were also large increases last year in the number of households owed homelessness support by their local authority. Local authorities made 94,280 main homelessness duty decisions in 2023-24 – up by 25.1% on 2022-23.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to publish a cross-Whitehall plan to end all forms of homelessness within this Parliament. The party said that the plans should include more support for councils to tackle the shocking rise in the number of people in temporary accommodation.

Responding to the latest figures, Liberal Democrat Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson, Vikki Slade MP said:

It is heartbreaking to think that so many families and children will be on the streets or without a place to call home this winter.

For years, the previous Conservative government chose to ignore the thousands that are rough sleeping and broke their promise to ban no fault evictions.

The new government must address this awful situation as a matter of urgency and that starts by publishing a cross-Whitehall plan to end all forms of homelessness within this Parliament.

This strategy must include more support for councils to tackle the shocking rise in families using temporary accommodation. No longer should we see people forced to sleep rough and unable to access the support they need.

Ed Davey calls for boost for unpaid carers as figures show one in four not in work

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will call on the government to boost support for unpaid carers, on a visit to a charity that supports children and young adults with Down syndrome and those who care for them.

It comes as House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed unpaid carers are a sixth less likely to be employed, with one in four classed as ‘economically inactive’.

The data reveals that just 50% of ‘adult informal carers’ were in employment compared to 60% of all adults, making them a sixth less likely to be employed. Disturbingly, the data also showed that informal carers were a third more likely to be ‘permanently sick/disabled’ than the rest of the population, with almost one in 10 unpaid carers classified to be so.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, conservative voters, creative industries, ed davey, homelessness, mental health, unpaid carers, vikki slade and wendy chamberlain | 2 Comments

2 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 3rd October 2024 - 7:30 am

Conservative leadership: To call this contest scraping the bottom of the barrel would be an insult to barrels
Davey: New Govt must make repairing our broken relationship with Europe a priority
Welsh Government urged to adopt successful family court model – Substance use among parents dropped by over a quarter
McArthur comments on prisoner early release figures

Conservative leadership: To call this contest scraping the bottom of the barrel would be an insult to barrels

Responding to the speeches made by the four Conservative leadership candidates at their party’s conference today, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

To call this contest scraping the bottom of the barrel would be an insult to barrels. Every day this leadership contest goes on reminds the public why they voted to kick the Conservatives out of office.

The leadership candidates are competing in an undignified race to the bottom, suggesting maternity pay should be slashed, civil servants should go to prison and insulting the armed forces. All four of them are failed former Conservative ministers, refusing to take responsibility for their appalling record in government.

Davey: New Govt must make repairing our broken relationship with Europe a priority

Responding to Keir Starmer’s meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:

After years of Conservative failure, this new Government must make repairing our broken relationship with Europe a priority. That starts with a common sense agreement on a Youth Mobility Scheme between the EU and the UK.

For years, Conservative Ministers not only ignored our closest neighbours but treated them with contempt.

The Conservatives’ shoddy deal with the EU has harmed farmers, fishers and small businesses across the country. It’s time to tear down the red tape erected by the former Conservative Government and give a boost to Britain’s economy, by working closely with our European allies once again.

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Also posted in Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged conservative leadership, daisy cooper, ed davey, europe, liam mcarthur and prison release | Leave a comment

1 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd October 2024 - 11:45 pm

Veterans facing homelessness reaches five-year high
Record high levels of people stuck in hospital
August A&E waiting times the worst on record for the month
Operations activity still well down on pre-pandemic levels
Cole-Hamilton comments on NHS dental deregistration in Dumfries & Galloway

Veterans facing homelessness reaches five-year high

Commenting on the news that in 2023/24 there were 935 homeless applications which included veterans, the highest figure since 2018/19, Scottish Liberal Democrat Veterans Spokesperson Bruce Wilson said:

Our veterans have dedicated their lives to public service and duty, putting themselves in harm’s way to do so. The fact that so many of them face homelessness is an utter disgrace.

No meaningful action has been taken to improve the transition to civilian life for veterans. Instead, service members have relied heavily on the charitable sector, struggling for funding.

The SNP have taken an axe to the housing budget and slashed funding for councils. They’ve completely failed to build the thousands of homes promised for social rent.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would support our veterans, treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve. That’s why we would drastically improve the standard of Ministry of Defence housing and waive application fees for indefinite leave for members of the armed forces on discharge. We would build more homes, bring thousands of empty homes back into use and re-establish social rent as a valid, long-term option.

Record high levels of people stuck in hospital

Responding to new Public Health Scotland figures which showed 2,009 people were stuck in hospital in August due to their discharge being delayed, the highest number of people delayed since the guidelines were updated in 2016, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, bruce wilson, homelessness, NHS dentistry, nhs operations, nhs waiting times, social care and veterans | 1 Comment

1 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd October 2024 - 10:15 pm

Energy price rise: “crushing blow” to pensioners worried about having to choose between heating and eating
New poll shows 1 in 4 Brits have avoided calling an ambulance over fears it would take too long to arrive
Rennie responds to Accounts Commission Report
McArthur responds to Scottish Government evidence submission on assisted dying

Energy price rise: “crushing blow” to pensioners worried about having to choose between heating and eating

Responding to the Ofgem energy price cap rise of 10% from £1,568 to £1,717 coming into effect today as Winter Fuel Payments worth between £200 and £300 are being cut for the vast majority of pensioners, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s price rise will be a crushing blow to all those pensioners who are wondering how they will get through the coming months without having to choose between heating and eating following the Winter Fuel Payment cuts.

The Conservative Party proved themselves utterly unfit to govern and we recognise that the new government must clear up their mess, but to cut Winter Fuel Payments for vulnerable pensioners in the midst of a cost of living crisis with energy bills rising sharply again, is the wrong thing to do.

That is why the Liberal Democrats have opposed these cuts every step of the way and will continue to do so until the government brings forward a fairer plan.

It is not too late for the government to think again and ensure vulnerable pensioners get the support they need.

New poll shows 1 in 4 Brits have avoided calling an ambulance over fears it would take too long to arrive

One in four (25%) Brits who needed to visit A&E but did not call for an ambulance called for a taxi, one in five (18%) walked to A&E and 17% chose to stay at home rather than get the treatment they needed

Half of Brits worried they will face a 12-hour wait in A&E if NHS hit by another winter crisis

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged assisted dying bill, daisy cooper, ed davey, liam mcarthur, local government funding, nhs waiting times, willie rennie and winter fuel payment | Leave a comment

Lib Dem MPs comment on Middle East escalation

By The Voice | Wed 2nd October 2024 - 9:22 am

If any of us aren’t pretty scared and worried by what is going on in the Middle East, we probably should be.

Lib Dem MPs have been reacting to events as Israel steps up its actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran attacks Israel.

And all of this, at the heart, are people facing a humanitarian disaster, living in the most appalling conditions without food or shelter.

On Twitter this morning, Layla Moran said:

All my life my grandparents warned that if we didn’t achieve peace in Palestine it would risk wider war. With Iran’s actions overnight it seems we are inching closer to chaos rather than closure. I am so scared for my family and the future of the region. I pray I’m wrong to be.

On Iran’s attacks, Ed Davey said:

Liberal Democrats totally condemn Iran’s attacks on Israel. My thoughts are with all innocent civilians – in Israel and across the region – who are sheltering tonight.

The UK Government must do all it can to bring the region back from the brink of all out war, working closely with our allies. Too many innocent civilians have already been killed.

We must keep our focus on securing a lasting peace and a two state solution. Only diplomacy can deliver the security across the region that people so desperately need with the hostages home to their families and an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

On Monday, Calum Miller, our new Foreign Affairs spokesperson wrote to Foreign Secretary David Lammy about the deepening crisis:

He said:

We must pursue the conditions for peace despite the bleak outlook. I’ll continue to urge the Government to adopt the proposals made by Liberal Democrats at our conference earlier this month.

I have written to For Sec @DavidLammy about the deepening conflict in the Middle East.

We must pursue the conditions for peace despite the bleak outlook. I'll continue to urge the Government to adopt the proposals made by Liberal Democrats at our conference earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/tkiNVHFDS1

— Calum Miller (@CalumMillerLD) September 30, 2024

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Tagged international, iran, israel, middle east and palestine | Leave a comment

Not all politicians are the same

By Mark Morris | Tue 1st October 2024 - 1:12 pm

Embed from Getty Images
Almost 44 years ago the 39th US President left the White House.

Quite incredibly that President is still alive and today he celebrates a very special birthday.

Yes, today is the 100th birthday of Jimmy Carter.

As a President it must be said he faced many formidable challenges, including an energy crisis, high levels of inflation and the Iran hostage crisis. Yet, just because he was a one term President it would be a mistake to overlook some important achievements.

In 1977, Carter brokered two US treaties with Panama. The next year he presided over a round of meetings between Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David. The outcome was the Camp David Accords which ended the state of war between the two nations that had existed since 1948.

Jimmy Carter was also ahead of his time in recognising the importance of renewable energy and as a practical example ensured solar panels were installed at the White House. And along with his wife Rosalynn he was a pioneer in advancing mental health.

Since 1981 Jimmy Carter could have made a personal fortune from corporate work and after dinner speeches. Instead, he and his wife chose a very different path.

After leaving the White House Jimmy Carter established a career as a diplomat, humanitarian and author, pursuing conflict resolution in countries around the globe. This article simply doesn’t have the space to provide the full list of countries that President Carter and the Carter Center have undertaken conflict mediation in – but do take a look at the Carter Center website to obtain just a glimpse of is incredible work. Its work has also extended to fighting disease, leading the international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, with the bold ambition that it becomes the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. That ambition is tantalising close to being reached.

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Tagged featured, jimmy carter and us | 4 Comments

Happy 100th birthday to Jimmy Carter

By Paul Walter | Tue 1st October 2024 - 9:30 am

Embed from Getty Images

Tagged president jimmy carter | 2 Comments

Former Scottish Lib Dem Press Officer Neil Mackinnon dies suddenly

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 30th September 2024 - 11:58 pm

I am so incredibly sad tonight.

I woke up from a nap this afternoon to see the dreadful news that Neil Mackinnon, our first Press Officer in the Scottish Parliament, had died suddenly and unexpectedly.

I know that many of our Scottish readers will share my shock and sadness.

When I first came back to Scotland 24 years ago, Neil was one of the first people I got to know. He had a really funny dry wit and he was one of the wisest liberals. He was very good at sitting me down and trying to talk me round to the establishment position and sometimes he even managed it. I’ll never forget the raising of his eyebrow when I did something he disapproved of – and the twinkle in his eye that gave away that he wasn’t really that mad.

He stopped working for the party about 15 years ago and went off to work for the Edinburgh Fringe and then the UK Government in various guises but he was still a supporter and constructively critical friend of the party. He could phone canvass like a demon, too.

There is something going on in my life at the moment that I know he would have liked and I had been meaning to message him to tell him. Lesson for today is when you have the thought to contact someone, just bloody do it there and then.

Alongside Neil in the Scottish Parliament worked a young Alex Cole-Hamilton. He paid tribute to Neil tonight. Here’s the press release in full:

The Scottish Liberal Democrats regret to report that our friend and former colleague Neil Mackinnon has died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Neil worked for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in the press office for the period from before the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until 2009. After leaving Holyrood he went on to enjoy a career with the Edinburgh Fringe, and then as a project manager first with HMRC and then the UK Government.

Neil was a familiar figure to those working in Scottish politics, especially at Holyrood and will be sorely missed.

He died last week suddenly and unexpectedly. Formal legal processes still need to be undertaken before any further news or announcements can be made.

The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Neil was a fierce defender of liberalism and he was our friend. An important voice in the early days of the Scottish Parliament, Neil was liked immensely across the political spectrum and throughout the press pack.

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Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, neil mackinnon and scottish liberal democrats | 2 Comments

30 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th September 2024 - 10:30 pm

Truss: Conservative Leadership contenders must pledge to strip her of £115,000 allowance
Scotland’s trains are ‘erratic and expensive’ under the SNP
Rennie responds to MUP rise
Scot Lib Dems respond to Truss leadership claims

Truss: Conservative Leadership contenders must pledge to strip her of £115,000 allowance

Responding to Liz Truss’s appearance at Conservative Party Conference, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

Liz Truss’s failure to recognise the economic vandalism that she oversaw is a kick in the teeth to all those who endured their mortgage rates spiralling and were worried about losing their homes as a result of her disastrous policies.

It’s outrageous that instead of calling out the damage that she did, the Conservative Party actually allowed her to stand as one of their candidates at the General Election.

Every Conservative Party Leadership candidate must condemn Truss’s terrible record and pledge that they would strip her of her ex-PM allowance of up to £115,000 a year.

Scotland’s trains are ‘erratic and expensive’ under the SNP

Scottish Liberal Democrats have highlighted their plans to make Scotland’s rail services cheap, reliable and frequent as the SNP bring back peak fares today (Monday 30th September), with passengers now being hit by higher ticket prices and a reduced timetable.

In August, the SNP government announced that it would reintroduce peak rail fares, meaning that the price of the top ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh has now risen by 8.6% to £31.40.

This hike comes as ScotRail continue to operate a temporary timetable with far fewer trains available. In total, about 600 services were slashed from the ScotRail timetable, with only around 50% of services running on Sundays.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged daisy cooper, daniel o'malley, liz truss, minimum alcohol pricing, railways and willie rennie | Leave a comment

28-29 September 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 29th September 2024 - 10:00 pm

Conservative Leadership Race: Candidates have spent years defending the indefensible
Badenoch’s maternity pay comment: Another example of Tory sleaze and scandal
Cole-Hamilton addresses King at 25 years of the Scottish Parliament event

Conservative Leadership Race: Candidates have spent years defending the indefensible

Commenting after the four Conservative leadership candidates spoke with Trevor Phillips, ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

As James Cleverly said himself, people wanted the Conservatives out of Government and this dire set of candidates has made it crystal clear why.

From the Conservative’s Partygate and PPE scandals to their disastrous mini budget, every one of the Conservative’s leadership candidates has spent years defending the indefensible.

The British people have had enough of Conservative sleaze and scandal. They’ve had enough of seeing their health services and economy trashed. And that’s why so many former life-long Conservative voters backed the Liberal Democrats at the last election.

People want urgent action to fix the health and care crisis not Conservative leadership candidates sniping from the sidelines. That’s why Liberal Democrats are calling for a Budget to Save the NHS and Care and working day in day out to be the constructive opposition the country needs and deserves.

Badenoch’s maternity pay comment: Another example of Tory sleaze and scandal

After Kemi Badenoch’s comments on maternity pay earlier today, Liberal Democrat Women and Equalities Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:

It is this kind of out touch comment that shows yet again why the Conservatives got trounced at the last election.

The Conservative Party should focus also on championing policies that support British families, rather than the constant Tory sleaze and scandal we’ve become all too familiar with.

The Liberal Democrats’ proposals would give new parents the choice and flexibility they need, including boosting statutory pay for new parents, and a new ‘dad month’ to help more fathers take time off work to be with their new baby during the first year.

Cole-Hamilton addresses King at 25 years of the Scottish Parliament event

Speaking as he addressed Their Majesties The King and Queen to mark 25 years since the opening of the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, christine jardine, conservative leadership, daisy cooper and scottish parliament | 1 Comment

Scottish Lib Dems celebrate TWO by-election wins

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 28th September 2024 - 7:55 am

Back in the day, before even blackberries were invented, the more tech savvy MPs were issued with these palm pilot things so they could get their emails on the move.

When I worked for him, Willie Rennie would spend Friday afternoons constantly checking his waiting for the ALDC email with all the local government by-elections in it. He used to get so excited, like a child who’s been told he can go to the sweetie shop after school and spend all his pocket money.

These days, you don’t have to wait for the email to come out. The results start rolling in on ALDC’s Twitter feed from midnight on Thursday onwards. Yesterday was Willie’s birthday and the Scottish Party delivered him not one but two new councillors.

The first result from Strathallan in Perth and Kinross came in just after midnight. New Councillor Alan Watt had taken a seat from the Tories. The local team had been running a pretty joyous campaign. Not the best start to what would become Russell Findlay’s first day as Scottish Conservative leader.

Of Alan’s win, Alex said:

I am absolutely thrilled to see Scottish Liberal Democrats scoring an amazing by-election victory against the Conservatives in their heartlands of rural Perthshire. Alan is going to make a fantastic councillor, standing up for the people of Strathallan and championing the issues that matter to them.

This brilliant result comes hot on the heels of our party overtaking the Scottish Conservatives at the last general election. I am meeting more and more people who once voted for the Scottish Conservatives but feel disenchanted with the party as it lurches towards ever-greater extremes.

People across Scotland are crying out for a change to the SNP, but it’s clear the Conservatives can’t deliver that. That’s why more and more people are turning to the Liberal Democrats to get the fresh start we desperately need.

By backing the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you will get hard-working local champions who will put your priorities first. Only we have a plan to bring down NHS waiting lists, get a fair deal for carers, help struggling pensioners, lift up Scottish education and grow the economy.

Alan Watt added:

I am delighted to have been elected as the Liberal Democrat councillor for Strathallan, and I want to thank everyone who came out to help me deliver our positive message.

Across the ward, people are doing really great things for our community, so this is a chance to work well and ensure we can get the best outcomes for the people of Strathallan.

I want people to see that by backing the Liberal Democrats, you get someone who’ll fight for you and put the issues that matter at the very top of the agenda.

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ALDC by-election report, 26th September

By Charles Quinn | Fri 27th September 2024 - 8:08 pm

There were 12 principal council by-elections this week (2 on Tuesday and 10 on Thursday) and it has been another very successful week for Lib Dem candidates. We registered yet another gain (this time from the Conservatives) as well as several holds and some very impressive second places.

For the second week in a row the results were tumultuous with many seats changing hands. But the 4 Lib Dem victories put us joint first with the Conservatives overall.

Our gain came on Perth and Kinross Council in Strathallan ward where Councillor Alan Watt took the Lib Dems from third place last time to gaining from the Conservatives on the fifth round of counting. Congratulations to Alan and the team in Perth on a great gain.

Perth and Kinross, Strathallan (first preference results, Lib Dems elected at stage 5)
Conservative: 1045 (32.1%, -14.5%)
Liberal Democrats (Alan Watt): 978 (30%, +18.6%)
SNP: 568 (17.4%, -17.6%)
Labour: 366 (11.2%, new)
Reform UK: 194 (6%, new)
Green Party: 107 (3.3%, -3.7%)

There was another by-election on Perth and Kinross council, this time in Perth City North ward. Thank you to Tina Ng-A-Mann for standing here for us and increasing the Lib Dem vote share. The SNP gained the seat from Labour.

Perth and Kinross, Perth City North (first preference results, SNP elected at stage 6)
SNP: 917 (44.7%, -10.5%)
Labour: 313 (15.3%, -0.1%)
Conservative: 296 (14.4%, -5.1%)
Reform: 209 (10.2%, new)
ALBA: 133 (6.5%, +4.3)
Liberal Democrats (Tina Ng-A-Mann): 95 (4.6%, +0.4)
Green Party: 87 (4.2%, +0.8)

There were two by-elections on Luton BC on Thursday, in Wigmore and Barnfield ward. Both were Lib Dem defences, and we successfully held both seats.

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Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 7 Comments

26 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 26th September 2024 - 10:30 pm

Better pay needed to resolve recruitment crisis in care
Cole-Hamilton responds to Eye Pavilion statement

Better pay needed to resolve recruitment crisis in care

Almost half of leaving care workers cite pay as key factor as Welsh Lib Dems call for creation of carers wage

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have proposed the creation of a new carers wage in Wales, to help resolve the current recruitment crisis amongst care workers.
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds urged the Welsh Government to adopt proposals which would see care workers receive a £2 an hour pay increase on top of the …

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Also posted in Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, care workers, jane dodds and nhs buildings | Leave a comment

Maiden speech: Charlie Maynard MP for Witney

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 26th September 2024 - 8:52 am

Charlie Maynard, our new MP for Witney, made his maiden speech on 9 September in a debate on Syria.

The text is below:

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25 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th September 2024 - 11:55 pm

Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects
Prison release error: Shocking news which needs “immediate action”
McArthur reveals scale of prison self-harm as he marks 1,000 days since suicide strategy expired

Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Health Secretary ahead of his speech at Labour Conference today calling on the government to use any changes to the fiscal rules which are reported to be being made at the Budget to be used to invest in the NHS and complete the building of the previously promised 40 new hospitals.

In the letter from the Party’s Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan she said that the “Conservatives were not honest with the public” in their failure to deliver these schemes but that “patients across the country will now be extremely concerned” that the Health Secretary looks set to cancel many of these new hospitals.

Helen Morgan also said that continuing the projects was “imperative” not only to improve patients care but also for boosting growth with infrastructure spending on major construction projects and that by not fixing the NHS you could not fix the economy.

She went on to say that the changes to the fiscal rules at the Budget, as mentioned in the Chancellor’s speech should “pave the way for the investment we desperately need in our hospitals” to improve patient care and boost growth.

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged helen morgan, josh babarinde, liam mcarthur, nhs investment, prison release and self-harm | 5 Comments

24 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 24th September 2024 - 11:50 pm

Winter Fuel Payments: Hundreds of thousands more pensioners set to lose out
NHS Scotland Stop Smoking Services fall short of target
Cole-Hamilton challenges Health Secretary to tackle cancer crisis
Worst ever homelessness figures on the SNP’s watch
Jardine responds to GB Energy Aberdeen announcement
Cole-Hamilton demands action on Highlands care home closures
Just 3.2% of acid attacks in London have resulted in charge this year

Winter Fuel Payments: Hundreds of thousands more pensioners set to lose out

Responding to the latest Winter Fuel Payment statistics showing that there was a 214,000 increase in the number of recipients of the payments in the winter of 2023/24 compared to the previous year, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:

Hundreds of thousands more pensioners are now set to lose out on these desperately needed payments that protect so many from having to choose between heating and eating.

Cutting these payments for pensioners, which include millions who are just scraping by and are now worried about how they will get through the winter, is totally wrong.

It is not too late for this new government to change course and Liberal Democrat MPs will push them every step of the way to reverse these cuts and protect vulnerable pensioners this winter.

NHS Scotland Stop Smoking Services fall short of target

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has warned that efforts to deliver a smoke-free Scotland are falling short as new figures released today showed that NHS Scotland Stop Smoking services only achieved 74% of their target for helping people to stop smoking.

The new figures also reveal that only Western Isles and Dumfries & Galloway met their yearly targets. NHS Shetland and NHS Borders achieved less than 50% of their yearly targets, with Lothian, Lanarkshire and fife also performing poorly.

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Also posted in London, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged acid attacks, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Angus MacDonald, cancer care, care homes, christine jardine, gareth roberts, GB energy, homelessness, paul mcgarry, smoking, steve darling and winter fuel payment | Leave a comment

Podcast catch-up: Nick Clegg talks with Campbell and Stewart

By Paul Walter | Tue 24th September 2024 - 8:55 am

Embed from Getty Images
Just in case you haven’t listened to this (and apologies from me – I am rather slow on the uptake here), in July Nick Clegg sat down with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart for their “Leading” Podcast series:

Part 1 is entitled “Nick Clegg: Coalition, Cameron and Chaos”. (Link is the Podcast on Apple Podcasts)

Part 2 is called “Nick Clegg: Biden, Brexit, and kicking Trump off Facebook“.

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Tagged nick clegg | 1 Comment

23 September 2024 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd September 2024 - 10:30 pm

Cole-Hamilton calls for statement on eye hospital closure

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, health spokesperson and MSP for Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for the Scottish Government to deliver a statement in the Scottish Parliament on the closure of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.

It was announced last week that the Eye Pavilion, which provides ophthalmic care across Edinburgh and the Lothians, will close temporarily from Monday 28th October for six months while works on the plumbing system are carried out.

Campaigners including Mr Cole-Hamilton have long pushed for a replacement for the 55 year old Eye Pavilion building. However this replacement …

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21-22 September 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 22nd September 2024 - 10:30 pm

McArthur: SNP must confirm that they won’t dump another climate target
More than 400 solicitors withdrawing from legal aid schemes in just 3 years

McArthur: SNP must confirm that they won’t dump another climate target

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate spokesperson Liam McArthur has called on the SNP government to confirm that they will not dump their target to decarbonise the passenger rail network by 2035 after the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero failed to mention this deadline during an exchange in parliament.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament earlier this week, Mr McArthur asked Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, if she …

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Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged climate change, legal aid and liam mcarthur | Leave a comment

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