Category Archives: News

Alex Cole-Hamilton calls for Scottish election

By News Meerkat | Tue 30th April 2024 - 11:15 am

Embed from Getty Images
Responding to the resignation of Humza Yousaf as First Minister, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

Tagged humza yousaf and Scotland | 2 Comments

29 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th April 2024 - 10:30 pm

Lib Dems: Protect swimming pools and leisure centres from closure with “critical health infrastructure” status
Welsh Lib Dem leader meets Aber student union following scrapping of teacher training

Lib Dems: Protect swimming pools and leisure centres from closure with “critical health infrastructure” status

The Liberal Democrats have called for swimming pools and leisure centres to be designated as “critical health infrastructure” to protect them from closure.

It comes as new analysis by the party shows 266 local authority swimming pools and 261 leisure facilities have been closed since 2015.

Once new openings are taken into account, there has been a net loss of 31 local authority swimming pools and 19 leisure facilities since 2015.

A series of Parliamentary Questions from Helen Morgan MP to Ministers showed year on year closure of swimming pools across the country alongside the loss of leisure centres.

29 April – 2 May: this week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th April 2024 - 4:10 pm

Before I move on to the week ahead, I thought that I couldn’t do so without mentioning last week’s debates on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act which saw its final stages in the Lords last Monday. Dispiriting though it was to see such a ghastly piece of legislation passed, I take some (very) slight comfort in the fact that Liberal Democrat peers were in the forefront of the attempt to first defeat the Bill at Second Reading and then to salvage what could be salvaged from the wreckage that ensued, as outlined by Mike German in his speech.

I’m going to try something a little different this week, focussing on my own personal highlights for the week ahead, rather than simply reciting the week’s events. If that’s what you’d like, why not look here?

Liberal Democrat intervention of the week

Jonny Oates is essaying a Motion of Regret over the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 556), published on 19 February. As he rightly notes, the changes will deprive migrant care workers of the basic right of caring for their own children, increase workers’ dependency on their sponsors by removing the safety net of a partner’s income, and make it harder for workers to report and change sponsors, increasing the risk of exploitation.

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Alex Cole-Hamilton responds to Humza Yousaf’s resignation

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 29th April 2024 - 2:15 pm

Humza Yousaf bowed to the inevitable this lunchtime. Knowing that he could not win the vote of no confidence due to take place this week, he announced his resignation as First Minister and leader of the SNP. He will stay on until his successor is chosen.

This should mean that there is no 28 day limit to when the SNP choose their next leader. The rules of the Scottish Parliament state that if there is no First Minister, the Parliament has 28 days to choose another and if they can’t agree, there’s an election. But if Humza stays on, as Nicola did, the SNP can take longer to run its leadership contest.

There’s a lot of talk about John Swinney, the former Deputy FM, standing. Potentially, Kate Forbes, who came within a whisker of winning last time, could stand as well. Swinney would have a decent chance of getting the support of a majority of MSPs – the Greens would probably either back him or abstain. His major challenge would be getting a budget through next February or March. Kate Forbes would be unlikely to get the support of the Greens, given her socially conservative views, so we could be looking at a Scottish Parliament election on or round 4th July if she were the new First Minister.

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s comments on Humza Yousaf’s resignation struck the right note between hammering the SNP Government for its many failings and also being dignified and respectful to the outgoing First Minister. This is in contrast to the rather distasteful gloating coming from the Tories.

Alex said:

2 Comments

Dr. Who? Poll finds half of Brits rarely or never see the same GP

By The Voice | Mon 29th April 2024 - 9:42 am

Government told “the family GP is a thing of the past” as GP crisis worsens

Older people most likely to never see the same GP despite warnings from health groups

Lib Dem Leader calls for over-70s and those with long-term health conditions to see the same GP for every appointment

New plans would cover around 19 million patients across the country, and be crucial for people with long-term care needs

New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has led to the government being warned “the family GP is a thing of the past”, with people reporting to never see the same GP for every appointment.

Almost half (47%) of UK adults who have been to see their GP more than once in the last couple of years say they have rarely or never seen the same GP for every appointment. Of these, almost one in five (18%) say they have never seen the same GP in the past few years.

This number rises for those aged over 65, with a staggering quarter (27%) never seeing the same GP. This is despite research showing that seeing the same GP helps the elderly avoid hospital admissions and improves the quality of treatment.

Also posted in Press releases | Tagged GPs | 8 Comments

Cole-Hamilton to Humza Yousaf: Your actions have eroded any trust you had

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 28th April 2024 - 11:52 am

Scottish Lib Dem Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has declined to help Scotland’s beleaguered First Minister Humza Yousaf.

We need to remember that Yousaf’s predicament is entirely of his own making. He would not be facing a confidence vote this week had he not unceremoniously handed the Greens their jotters and booted them out of the Government on Thursday this morning, just two days after saying they were worth their weight in gold.

Alex understandably responded to Yousaf’s invitation to talks by asking him how on earth he could expect anyone to trust a word he said, given the way he had acted.

He also then outlined a few of the biggest failures of the Scottish Government before saying that the best solution would be for the First Minister to resign and for there to be a Scottish election. Here’s the text of his letter in full:

Dear First Minister,

Thank you for your letter. Scottish Liberal Democrats have always believed in working together in the national interest and building consensus across all political traditions. Our history speaks to that and we will continue to do so in the change that is coming for Scotland. However, I have decided to decline your offer of talks at Bute House.

Successful minority administration must be rooted in compromise and a spirit of mutual trust with other parties. However, your actions this past week have eroded entirely any remaining trust that you enjoyed across the chamber. They suggest that rather than being motivated by the national interest, you are presently motivated only by your own self-interest and by political survival.

Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, holyrood, Scotland and snp | 2 Comments

ALDC by-election Report 25th April

By Charles Quinn | Fri 26th April 2024 - 4:10 pm

The final 2 council by-elections of the 23/24 civic year took place this week.

In Scotland, there was a by-election on Angus Council in Arbroath West, Letham & Friockheim ward. Thank you to Sandra O’Shea for not only standing for the Liberal Democrats here but working hard to secure an increase in Lib Dem vote share and a healthy 333 votes. The by-election was caused by the resignation of an Independent councillor. With no Independent standing this time the Conservatives gained the seat.

Thank you once again to Sandra and the local Lib Dem team in Angus for working so hard and moving the Lib Dems forwards here.

Angus Council, Arbroath West, Letham & Friockheim
Conservative: 1682 (41.9%, +10.5%)
SNP: 1175 (29.3%, -6.9%)
Labour: 644 (16.1%, +9.6%)
Liberal Democrats (Sandra O’Shea): 333 (8.3%, +3.9%)
Green Party: 176 (4.4%, +1.1%)

In Wales, there was a by-election on Cardiff Council in Grangetown ward. Thank you to James Bear for flying the Lib Dem flag in this election and making sure Lib Dem voters had someone representing them on the ballot.

Labour held the seat with a reduced vote share.

Cardiff Council, Grangetown
Labour: 1470 (47.5%, -5.6%)
Plaid Cymru / Green: 573 (18.5%, -9.3%)
Conservative: 387 (12.5%, +3.5%)
Propel: 292 (9.4%, +6.2%)
Independent: 205 (6.6%, new)
Liberal Democrats (James Bear): 123 (4%, -0.9%)
Independent: 44 (1.4%, new)

A full summary of all results can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

Next week there are over 70 principal council by-elections that have been called to coincide with local election polling day. Some are ‘double vacancies’ in wards that have existing local election contests. ALDC will report the results of these by-elections in the week following the local election and results will be recorded on our by-election results webpage.

Good luck to everyone standing in a by-election or local election contest next week.

Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 1 Comment

Christine Jardine fights for improved consular assistance for Brits abroad

By George Cunningham | Fri 26th April 2024 - 1:00 pm

Apologies – this post has been postponed

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Graham Watson to stand in European Elections – in Italy

By NewsHound | Wed 24th April 2024 - 9:04 am

Many of us are sad that we are not participating in the elections to the European Parliament for the first time since 1979.

However, one longstanding liberal Europhile is heading up ALDE party United States of Europe’s list in North East Italy.

Our Graham Watson, formerly Lib Dem MEP for the South West between 1994 and 2014 is seeking election to the European Parliament. He has joint Italian and British nationality and his wife is Italian.

From ALDE:

On 20 April, ALDE Party members Più Europa, libdem europei and Radicali Italiani in Italy presented their joint list “Stati Uniti d’Europa” (United States of Europe) for the European elections.

At an event in Rome with other parties on the list, partners unveiled the list’s official logo and selection of lead candidates for each of the five Italian constituencies.

Tagged 2024 european elections, eu and graham watson | 3 Comments

Another chief constable makes a formal apology to the LGBT+ community #ApologiseNow

By News Meerkat | Tue 23rd April 2024 - 12:00 pm

The Peter Tatchell Foundation, a registered charity, is running a campaign called “#ApologiseNow” which has this petition statement:

Demand all UK police services apologise for their past persecution of the LGBT+ community: raiding bars, clubs, saunas and even private birthday parties. Plus, officers arrested same-sex couples for mere kissing, cuddling and holding hands, and they abused LGBTs as ‘poofs’ & ‘queers’.

Tagged LGBT rights and peter tatchell | 2 Comments

20-21 April 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 21st April 2024 - 9:30 pm

Lord Cameron urged to answer questions in the House of Commons amid global conflicts
Long Covid may have reduced Scotland’s GDP by £120m and cost 11,000 jobs
Scottish Liberal Democrats attack Government over GP closures
Blackie: Abolish London’s bedtime

Lord Cameron urged to answer questions in the House of Commons amid global conflicts

Liberal Democrats call on “unelected and unaccountable Foreign Secretary” to take questions from MPs

Layla Moran MP writes directly to the Foreign Secretary demanding accountability

Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Layla Moran MP, has written to the Foreign Secretary urging him to appear in the House of Commons this week.

The letter to Lord Cameron follows escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, a G7 Summit, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Last week, the government blocked a request by cross-party MPs which called on Lord Cameron to be accountable for the question.

In the letter, Layla Moran MP writes:

The public are demanding answers from you about the government’s response to these situations.

Every day thousands of people write to their MPs, wanting to know what the government is doing to ensure aid can reach the people of Gaza, why we haven’t proscribed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or wanting to know how we are combatting Russia’s expansionist exploits into our allies’ territory.

In the 21st century, it should not be the case that our Foreign Secretary is both unelected and unaccountable.

You speak on behalf of the United Kingdom as our most senior diplomat. Yet you refuse to speak to your own elected Members of Parliament.

Our constituents must have the ability to have their concerns put directly to the Foreign Secretary.

Long Covid may have reduced Scotland’s GDP by £120m and cost 11,000 jobs

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called on the Scottish Government to develop a long-term plan for tackling Long Covid after a new economic report indicated that the condition may have reduced Scotland’s GDP by a massive £120m.

Also posted in London, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, GP shortage, layla moran, long covid, nightlife, parliamentary procedure and rob blackie | Leave a comment

Observations of an Expat: Poor Bibi

By Tom Arms | Sat 20th April 2024 - 10:13 am

Spare a thought for Bibi Netanyahu. He is caught between a rock and several hard places. He is fighting external wars against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran; an internal war against his cabinet colleagues and a diplomatic one against the Biden Administration and most of the rest of the world, if not all of it.

The results of this complex picture could be Armageddon, stalemate or any one of the many in between scenarios.

While pondering the fate of the Israeli prime minister you may also want to consider all the other players who are dragging the world to the brink of a Middle Eastern abyss: President Joe Biden, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. They are locked in a dangerous escalating tit for tat dance of death.

Within the Israeli cabinet there is a four-way tug-of-war between Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and War Cabinet Minister and Opposition Leader Benny Gantz. They all appear to hate and distrust each other.

According to sources, Gallant and Gantz have hardly spoken to each other since Benny Gantz beat out Yoav Gallant for the top military job ten years ago. Itamar Ben-Gvir is an ultra-Orthodox Jew who said Netanyahu should “go berserk” after Iran’s missile attack on Israel. He described Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran’s third most populous city, Isfahan, as “lame.”

Gallant is not as extreme as Ben-Gvir, but not far off. Benny Gantz is the nearest thing to a dove that there is in the Israeli war cabinet. But even he is calling for the “total destruction” of Hamas. If elections were held today, Gantz would be prime minister.

All four men have conflicting views on a post-war Gaza. Netanyahu wants the army to take over. Gallant wants an ill-defined arrangement with the West Bank’s Palestinian Authority. Ben-Gvir is pushing for replacing the 2.2 million Gazan Palestinians with Israeli settlers and Benny Gantz is keeping his cards close to his chest, but hints at a politically slimmed down two-state solution.

Netanyahu, according to sources, deals with his rivals by ignoring them. All the major decisions since October 7 have been made by the prime minister without – or with the minimum – consultation.

Tagged benjamin netanyahu, gaza, iran, israel and joe biden | 9 Comments

19 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 19th April 2024 - 10:00 pm

River Thames Tsar should be created to tackle sewage crisis
Menzies Scandal: Ethics adviser must investigate Conservative Chief Whip
Sick note speech: Sunak blaming British people for failures on NHS and economy
Lib Dems respond to SNP interview on ditched climate targets

River Thames Tsar should be created to tackle sewage crisis

Liberal Democrat Leader calls for new government appointed role to hold Thames Water to account for sewage pollution

New role could pave the way for wider reforms of water industry with increased environmental accountability and new representation on water company boards

Ed Davey will make the announcement during a local elections visit to the River Mole in Esher and Walton today

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new River Thames Tsar to be appointed by the government, in a bid to hold the country’s biggest water firm to account.

Leader Ed Davey visits the River Mole in Esher and Walton, a marginal Surrey constituency, to announce the policy. The Esher and Walton constituency was in the top 100 worst for sewage dumping last year and saw a staggering 135% increase in spills.

This policy is part of the party’s plan for water industry reform, including transforming water companies into “Public Benefit Companies”, by ensuring environmental experts sit on water utility boards. The reforms aim to put an end to water companies putting profit before the environment. The Liberal Democrats have also called for Ofwat to be abolished, so a new tougher water regulator can be created.

The new River Thames Tsar proposed by the Liberal Democrats would have various roles, including:

Attending Thames Water board meetings
Hosting public meetings with river users and environmental groups
Ensuring the Environment Agency follows up on reports of sewage pollution into the Thames and its tributaries

The latest policy announcement follows the Government’s decision to appoint a River Wye Tsar last week, amid concerns of agricultural pollution. The Liberal Democrats are calling for the new River Thames Tsar to have a high public profile, with Feargal Sharkey and Steve Backshall suggested as possible candidates.

Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, climate change, daisy cooper, ed davey, health; mental health;, sewage dumping and tory sleaze | 1 Comment

ALDC by-election Report, 18th April

By Charles Quinn | Fri 19th April 2024 - 7:11 pm

There were 3 principal council by-elections this week. Two on Thursday and a rare election on Tuesday. Just like last week our Lib Dem candidates secured an excellent win and an extremely close second place in the elections we contested on Thursday.

Our win came on East Cambridgeshire DC in Ely West ward. The was a Lib Dem defence. Congratulations to Councillor Ross Trent and the East Cambridgeshire team for not only holding the ward but doing so by increasing our vote share by over 10%!

East Cambridgeshire DC, Ely West
Liberal Democrats (Ross Trent): 1125 (47.9%, +10.6%)
Conservative: 760 (32.2%, +10.3%)
Labour: 466 (19.8%, -2.7%)

We also contested the seat of Farnham Castle on Waverley BC. Despite not standing here in the last election Lib Dem candidate Theresa Meredith-Hardy finished second and was only 28 votes off winning – securing 30% of the vote and pushing Labour into third. This is a truly exceptional result and reward for the hard work put in by Theresa and the Waverley Lib Dem team. You’ll get it next time!

Waverley BC, Farnham Castle
Farnham Residents: 307 (32.5%, -17.6%)
Liberal Democrats (Theresa Meredith-Hardy): 279 (29.6%, new)
Labour: 217 (23%, -11.7%)
Conservative: 141 (14.9%, -0.2%)

Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 1 Comment

18 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 18th April 2024 - 11:00 pm

Police taking up to 17 and a half hours to respond to anti-social behaviour calls
Thames Water: This corporate clown show must end
“Flushed away”- Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh Government to support maintenance of public toilets
Scot Lib Dems respond to SNP and Greens ditching climate change targets
Khan manifesto launch
Cole-Hamilton speaks after more days of turmoil for Humza Yousaf

Police taking up to 17 and a half hours to respond to anti-social behaviour calls

Average police response times to anti-social behaviour incidents have increased by 37% since 2021, with some forces taking an average of 17 and a half hours to arrive at the scene, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The figures were obtained through a series of Freedom of Information requests to all police forces in England. 27 forces provided full responses.

In 2023, it took an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes across police forces for an officer to turn up to the scene of anti-social behaviour incidents. This is an increase of 34% compared to average wait times across police forces in 2021, which stood at 2 hours and 44 minutes.

The figures revealed a disturbing postcode lottery, with huge differences in average response times between police forces.

Suffolk had the longest wait times in England last year, with police taking an average of 17 and a half hours to attend anti-social behaviour reports, followed closely behind by Norfolk where wait times were 17 hours and 29 minutes. Cambridgeshire also had extremely long wait times, which stood at 11 and a half hours.

Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour calls in Essex were attended to in less than 8 minutes on average.

In recent years, some forces also experienced huge deteriorations in wait times. In Surrey, where Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey will be making a campaigning visit today, wait times have increased by 281% since 2021, up to nearly 5 and a half hours.

London wait times have more than tripled in that same time period, up a staggering 353%.

The shocking figures come just months after the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that in the year ending September 2023, more than one third of people had experienced or witnessed some type of anti-social behaviour, with the police recording 1 million incidents.

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Government for these figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing have left local police forces overstretched, under-resourced and unable to effectively respond to local crime. This includes taking more than 4,500 community officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015.

Also posted in London, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, anti-social behaviour, climate change, crime and policing, ed davey, jane dodds, public toilets, rob blackie, sarah olney, snp leadership and water companies | Leave a comment

17 April 2024 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 17th April 2024 - 11:45 pm

Lib Dem comment on Sadiq Khan’s latest pre-election pledge on women’s safety
McArthur welcomes assisted dying bill being assigned to health committee
“Cultural vandalism”- Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh government to save National Museum
Cole-Hamilton urges SNP Government to deliver transparency on Russian land ownership
“Families are being cut off” -Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh Gov to lift immigration status barriers on school grants

Lib Dem comment on Sadiq Khan’s latest pre-election pledge on women’s safety

Commenting on Sadiq Khan’s promise to fund a free, independent legal advice pilot service for survivors of rape and serious sexual offences, if re-elected, Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate Rob Blackie said:

Under Sadiq Khan, the police are catching rapists and sexual offenders half as often as they did when he became Mayor in 2016. This is a scandal. But in last night’s debate the Mayor would not even say that he is sorry for this.

The Mayor’s plan does not promise to catch significantly more sexual offenders. It even includes policies that were promised last year.

McArthur welcomes assisted dying bill being assigned to health committee

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has welcomed the news that the Scottish Parliament’s health committee has been assigned as the lead committee for scrutinising his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

The decision to assign a bill a lead committee is taken by the Scottish Parliament business bureau. The bill is also expected to be scrutinised by the Finance committee and Delegated Powers committee.

The committee will now decide how it wishes to proceed, which is likely to start with call for the submission of written evidence followed by oral evidence sessions with a wide range of witnesses and stakeholders, concluding with Mr McArthur, appearing before the committee.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was published on 28th March, alongside polling from Dignity in Dying showing strong support for assisted dying in every constituency and region of Scotland.

Also posted in London, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, assisted dying bill, child poverty, culture, jane dodds, liam mcarthur, rob blackie, rodney berman, russia and violence against women and girls | 1 Comment

17 April 2024 – today’s press releases (part 1)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 17th April 2024 - 11:15 pm

Back after a few days on grandparent duty…

Inflation figures: Nobody will notice this in their pockets
Three in four of worst hit constituencies for sewage dumping held by Conservative MPs
Mark Menzies scandal: Sunak must suspend the Whip

Inflation figures: Nobody will notice this in their pockets

Responding to the latest inflation figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

Nobody will notice this in their pockets, with mortgage bills still skyrocketing after Liz Truss crashed the economy, and prices still so much higher than last year. By patting themselves on the back for this record, Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have proved just how out of touch they are.

Conservative Chancellors have presided over the worst cost of living crisis in living memory. The blame lies squarely with their gross economic incompetence.

Three in four of worst hit constituencies for sewage dumping held by Conservative MPs

75 of the the top 100 constituencies for the worst number of sewage spills last year held by Conservative MPs

Rishi Sunak’s constituency was the 10th worst hit in England, with the duration of sewage dumping doubling to 42,000 hours in 2023

Theresa May’s seat of Maidenhead saw a staggering forty fold increase in duration of sewage dumping

Lib Dems warn of a “reckoning at the ballot box” from former Conservative voters furious about the sewage scandal

96% of Conservative held seats in England saw an increase in sewage dumping last year, with the worst constituency for sewage dumping facing 100,000 hours worth of spills, Liberal Democrat analysis of House of Commons Library research has shown.

Geoffrey Cox’s seat of Torridge and West Devon was the worst affected last year by sewage dumping, facing 97,000 hours worth of sewage being pumped into the area’s waterways, a 65% increase on 2022’s figure This was followed by Central Devon, Skipton and Ripon, Penrith and The Border, and Totnes, all of which experienced over 50,000 hours worth of dumps by water companies.

450 of the 508 seats in England saw a rise in the duration of sewage dumping and 456 saw a rise in the number of spills in 2023 compared to the previous year. In a staggering 96% of Conservative held seats in England there was an increase in sewage spills last year.

Also posted in Press releases | Tagged daisy cooper, economy, sarah olney, sewage dumping, tim farron and tory sleaze | 2 Comments

Helen Morgan challenges PM on A and E waiting times in Shropshire

By NewsHound | Wed 17th April 2024 - 4:53 pm

We reported earlier on Sarah Olney’s question to the Prime Minister today but she wasn’t the only Lib Dem called.

Helen Morgan has been pushing the Government to improve NHS services from ambulance waiting times to the time people spend in A and E.

Today, she questioned Rishi Sunak after learning that 10,000 pensioners had spent more than 24 hours waiting on trolleys and hard chairs, up from just 290 in 2019. That’s not to mention the 4200 adults who had the same fate.

She said:

Tagged a and e waiting times, helen morgan and NHS | 1 Comment

Sunak fails to back Sarah Olney’s call for free court transcripts for victims

By The Voice | Wed 17th April 2024 - 3:54 pm

Rishi Sunak today failed to back a call at Prime Minister’s Questions from our Sarah Olney, to change the law to give victims access to free court transcripts.

Sarah’s question was on behalf of her constituent, Juliana Terlizzi, who was drugged and raped by her then boyfriend in 2020. When Ms Terlizzi requested a copy of the court transcript to aid with her healing process, she was ordered to pay over £7,000 to access it. Ms Terlizzi, who was in the gallery for the question, branded Rishi Sunak’s response as yet more empty words, adding it was “a slap in the face” for victims.

This is not the only time this has happened One recent case involved a girl who was raped and sexually abused by her father, but whose family were then quoted £6,534 for the transcript of his trial.

Lib Dem peer Sal Brinton has proposed an amendment to the Victims’ and Prisoners’ Bill, scheduled for a vote in the House of Lords on Tuesday 23rd April, which would tackle these costs being charged to victims. It would allow all crime victims to request a transcript of the court’s summing up and sentencing remarks, so long as the trial took place in a court where the proceedings are recorded. This would include all crown court cases where serious offences, including robbery, rape and murder, are tried.

Sarah Olney said:

No victim or bereaved family should be forced to pay thousands to access a court transcript that’s part of their own story. The Prime Minister could easily tackle this injustice, but his government’s continued refusal to do so speaks volumes.

Tagged rape, sal brinton, sarah olney and sexual assault | 4 Comments

Rob Blackie holds Khan to account on crime in ITV London Mayor debate

By The Voice | Wed 17th April 2024 - 1:50 pm

Rob Blackie at ITV London debate. Credit: Andy Sillett

Last night, ITV London held a debate with the candidates for London Mayor. Our Rob Blackie took part and challenged incumbent Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan on his record on tackling crime. He also emphasised that the Conservatives could not win.

You can watch the whole debate here and an extra comment from Rob Blackie here.

At one point, Rob asked Sadiq Khan “Aren’t you ashamed?” at the collapse in the number of sexual offenders being caught.

Rob also called the Mayor out for undermining Transport for London’s finances with election gimmicks, benefitting tourists, pledging to halt bus cuts and get the tube back on track instead.

After the debate, Rob said:

2 Comments

Ed Davey: I will vote for lifelong tobacco purchase ban and I hope it passes

By Paul Walter | Tue 16th April 2024 - 9:59 am

There was a twelve minute interview with Ed Davey this morning on BBC Breakfast. Twelve minutes!

You can watch the interview here – move the slider to 01:30:15 (just under halfway through) to see the start.

The exchange started with the news, highlighted by the LibDems, that 72% of car thefts were not attended by the police last year. Ed said the Conservatives are “asleep at the wheel on crime” and that the LibDems would tackle the shortage of detectives.

Tagged car thefts, gaza, middle east and post office scandal | 39 Comments

ALDC by-election Report, 11th April

By Charles Quinn | Sun 14th April 2024 - 11:27 am

There were just 2 principal council by-elections last week. Both were Liberal Democrat defences fought in difficult or unusual circumstances. However in both elections the Lib Dem candidates and campaign teams did themselves proud and achieved superb results.

We start in North Yorkshire Council where we successfully held Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone ward following the resignation of an Independent councillor elected as a Lib Dem.

Congratulations to Councillor Andrew Timothy and the local Lib Dem team on winning and retaining the ward so decisively with a majority of over 400 and 43% of the vote. An impressive feat to uphold our majority with a larger set of party candidates than before. A marvellous win for the Lib Dems in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Council, Hookstone Woodland and Stray
Liberal Democrats (Andrew Timothy): 1094 (43%, -7.8%)
Conservative: 768 (30.8%, -4%)
Green Party: 376 (15.1%, new)
Reform UK: 141 (5.7%, new)
Labour: 116 (4.6%, -2.6%)

Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 5 Comments

12 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 12th April 2024 - 10:45 pm

GDP figures: Economy stuck in the slow lane
Defence: Only the Lib Dems are committed to reversing troop cuts
Energy Minister stands down: Drumbeat of Conservative resignations is becoming deafening
More than half of councils see rise in sewage dumps
Jardine Secures Commons Debate on Consular Assistance

GDP figures: Economy stuck in the slow lane

Responding to the latest GDP figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

This sluggish growth shows the UK economy is stuck in the slow lane under the Conservatives.

This government has no plan to fix the damage they’ve done to people’s living standards.

Instead we have a prime minister and Chancellor totally out of touch with families feeling the pinch. The only way to get the economy moving again is to kick this economically illiterate Conservative government out of office.

Defence: Only the Lib Dems are committed to reversing troop cuts

Responding to Labour and the Conservatives announcements on defence policy today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to reversing the Conservatives’ irresponsible cuts to Army troop numbers. With Putin waging war in Europe and Trump threatening the future of NATO, cutting the British Army by 10,000 troops is a major threat to our long-term national security.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives and Labour only offer meaningless talk about vague aspirations for some unspecified time in the future.

Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, christine jardine, conservative leadership, daisy cooper, economic growth, ed davey, military, right to consular assistance, sarah olney and sewage dumping | 3 Comments

11 April 2024 -today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 11th April 2024 - 10:30 pm

Sunak in “parallel universe” as NHS waiting lists grow by 330,000 since he pledged to cut them
Nick Fletcher endorses Lee Anderson: Sunak should kick him out of Conservative Party
Donelan libel costs: Donelan must pay this money back now
Lib Dems to create London Housing Company – Blackie: “I will get London building again”

Sunak in “parallel universe” as NHS waiting lists grow by 330,000 since he pledged to cut them

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has said Rishi Sunak is living in a “parallel universe,” after today’s figures reveal NHS targets are being missed while waiting lists have grown by 330,000 since the Prime Minister pledged to cut them.

NHS targets missed include:

NHS waiting lists: NHS waiting lists stood at 7.54 million outstanding treatments in February 2024, up from 7.21 million in January 2023 when Rishi Sunak pledged to cut them. This is an increase of 330,000 (NHS England).

65 week waits: There were 75,000 65-weeks for treatment in February, despite a target to eliminate them by March 2024 (NHS England).

A&E: 71.3% of patients were seen within 4 hours in all A&E in February, against a target of 76% (NHS England).

Cancer: 63.9% of people treated began cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral in February 2024, against a target of 85% (NHS England).

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

This week we uncovered that over 150,000 people waited over 24 hours in A&E last year. Now we find that waiting lists have gone up by 330,000 after Rishi Sunak pledged to cut them.

To add insult to injury, the Conservatives have cut NHS spending while millions of patients are suffering in pain on endless waiting lists.

Rishi Sunak is living in a parallel universe if he thinks our National Health Service is recovering. The Conservative Party and the Prime Minister are out of touch, out of ideas and deserve to be kicked out of office.

Nick Fletcher endorses Lee Anderson: Sunak should kick him out of Conservative Party

Responding to Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Don Valley, telling voters in Ashfield that Reform UK MP Lee Anderson is the area’s “greatest champion” and that he needs to be back in Westminster, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

Also posted in London and Press releases | Tagged daisy cooper, ed davey, housing, nhs waiting times, rob blackie, tory disunity and tory sleaze | Leave a comment

10 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 10th April 2024 - 10:30 pm

Government amendment on “deeply damaging” non-disclosure agreements does not go far enough to protect victims
Shoplifting: Govt continues to let organised gangs off the hook
Cole-Hamilton criticises state of sewage monitoring
SNP burn through ScotWind cash in record time
McArthur responds to opposition to assisted dying bill

Government amendment on “deeply damaging” non-disclosure agreements does not go far enough to protect victims

After tireless campaigning by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, the Government in the House of Lords has tabled an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill that ensures non-disclosure agreements preventing victims from disclosing information to the police or other bodies (including confidential support services) cannot be legally enforced.

Responding to the tabling of this amendment, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:

The Liberal Democrats have long been campaigning to end the deeply damaging practice of non-disclosure agreements. This amendment is a welcome move that will help victims to access the support they need.

But while this is a step in the right direction, the Government is not going far enough in giving victims their voice back.

We need a complete ban of NDAs in cases of sexual misconduct, harassment and bullying to ensure that no victim is silenced.

Shoplifting: Govt continues to let organised gangs off the hook

Responding to the news that assaulting a shop worker will be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said:

For too long, the Conservative Government have been sitting on their hands while hardworking shopkeepers are left to face the brunt of the shoplifting epidemic alone.

As the majority of shoplifting cases go unsolved, the Conservatives has repeatedly failed to get even the basics right of tackling this issue – something their new gimmicks won’t change.

It is now vital the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary invest in proper community policing and ensure all shoplifting thefts are investigated.

The government is currently letting organised criminal gangs off the hook and leaving shopkeepers hugely vulnerable.

Cole-Hamilton criticises state of sewage monitoring

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has called on the SNP and Greens to get tough with Scottish Water as it was revealed that in three local authorities there is no monitoring of sewage dumping at all and in ten more local authorities just one or two sites are monitored.

Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, Alistair Carmichael, assisted dying bill, layla moran, liam mcarthur, non-disclosure agreements, public spending, sewage and shoplifting | Leave a comment

Ed Davey’s message for Eid

By The Voice | Wed 10th April 2024 - 11:12 am

We at Liberal Democrat Voice would like to wish everyone celebrating Eid Mubarak.

In his message for Eid, Ed Davey talked of our collective values of compassion and justice and assured British Muslims that the Liberal Democrats stand with them in solidarity and celebration.

He said:

Eid Mubarak to everyone in the UK and across the globe celebrating Eid.

As we mark the end of Ramadan, let’s reflect on our values of working together, of compassion and gratitude for what we have in common.

I know there are so many of you who have gone through this holy month and are now with your families and friends celebrating this moment.

And I know it has been a difficult time for British Muslims and Muslims across the world with the rise of Islamophobia and the horrible, awful conflict in Israel and Palestine and we commit ourselves to working for the peace we all need.

Tagged ed davey and eid | Leave a comment

9 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 9th April 2024 - 11:20 pm

Hospital’s spend £3million on pest control as patients suffer from rats and insects
Cameron and Trump: European leaders’ summit needed to seize frozen Russian assets
Cole-Hamilton: SNP have failed to help A&E recover
Lib Dems launch London Transport Policy – Blackie: “No more bus cuts”

Hospital’s spend £3million on pest control as patients suffer from rats and insects

Staff report being bitten by bugs as rats roam maternity and emergency wards
Freedom of Information requests reveal NHS Hospitals coping with 18,000 pest incidents since 2021
Liberal Democrat Leader demands urgent repair fund for crumbling hospitals

Freedom of Information Requests by the Liberal Democrats have revealed the extent of pests roaming NHS Hospitals. As the NHS repair backlog reaches record levels, these new revelations show staff and patients subjected to poor conditions.

Since 2021, over 60 NHS Trusts have reported £3.7 million spent on pest control at their hospitals. Imperial College NHS Trust, which includes St.Mary’s Hospital London, spent a staggering £383,597 on pest control, including dealing with 748 pest incidents last year alone.

East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust spent £119,199 to deal with mice in the kitchen, maggots in the mortuary and rat droppings in a corpse bag, amongst many other pests.

The most shocking incidents were reported by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust, which includes Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital. Staff reported:

Black insects are biting the legs of staff
Ants and fly infestations
Rats in the ambulance area

At Ashford NHS Trust, dead headless pigeons and dead rabbits, as well as slug and ants were reported. Royal United Hospitals Bath reported pests in the children’s ward and breast clinic.

Also posted in London, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged accident and emergency, Alex Cole-Hamilton, bus services, ed davey, nhs crisis, public transport, rob blackie and ukraine | 2 Comments

Westminster ‘Honeytrapper’ targetted MPs at LibDem conference in Bournemouth – via Grindr

By News Meerkat | Tue 9th April 2024 - 8:51 am

Politico reports that the “honeytrapper” implicated in the Westminster scandal actually tried to target LibDem MPs at our last Bournemouth conflict. No, this is not an April Fool’s joke.

“I was at the bar at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott ,” recalls an attendee at Lib Dem conference. He saw a message on gay dating app Grindr from a handsome man in a Levi’s T-shirt. “M – xl” said he was 28 — and that his name was Charlie.

Tagged bournemouth 2023 conference and honeytrap | 5 Comments

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 7th April 2024 - 8:30 am

Iran is unlikely to wreak a shattering vengeance for the Israeli attack on their diplomatic compound in Damascus. The attack killed Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Zahedi and seven others. General Zahedi led the Quds force, which is the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. He was credited with helping the October 7 Hamas attack.

On the surface, it would be logical to think that Tehran would respond with a tit for tat attack — perhaps a strike against an Israeli diplomatic mission.

But the experts think not this time. There are several reasons. The first is that Iran is in a poor position economically and politically to take Israel head-on. Years of sanctions have damaged the Iranian economy and the theocratic leaders face strong and growing domestic opposition to their repressive interpretation of the Koran and Sharia law.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini is quite happy to employ the Houthis and Hezbollah to keep poking at Israel and the US and their allies, but fears the result of a direct confrontation. At least until Iran has a nuclear weapon to deter a full-scale Israeli-American attack.

Another reason observers think Iran is holding back is because Tehran believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to escalate and expand the war. Iran thinks, according to sources, that more war is Netanyahu’s best chance of staying in power and of securing wavering American support. Limiting the scope of hostilities makes it more likely that Israeli elections will be held and Netanyahu will be voted out of office.

Meanwhile, the biggest threat to Netanyahu’s government appears to be coming not from Gaza, Iran, Joe Biden or the West Bank. It is from Israel’s Orthodox Jews.

This week the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that government subsidies for the Orthodox community must end and that Orthodox men and women — who have been exempt from conscription since 1948 — must be subject to the Israeli draft like everyone else.

Almost as soon the court made its ruling, Attorney-General Gali Beharav-Miara, wrote to the education and defense ministers telling them to cut off funding to the Yeshiva schools and start drafting the estimated 60,000 Orthodox Jews aged 18 to 26.

But Benjamin Netanyahu is hesitating. He relies on the support of two Orthodox parties — Shas and United Torah Judaism — to stay in office. Their leaders are threatening to walk out of the fragile coalition government if the Supreme Court’s ruling is enforced. At the same time, the secular parties in Netanyahu’s coalition have issued warnings that they will collapse the government if the prime minister does not enforce the ruling.

Tagged tom arms world review | 8 Comments

5 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 5th April 2024 - 10:30 pm

NICs: Prime Minister is still peddling this deception
Chamberlains’s Carer’s Leave Bill to come into force
91,000 people call 999 or turn to A&E after struggling to get GP appointment
Rennie: Fall in modern languages teachers jeopardises vision for Scotland
Blackie: ‘My top priority: fix the Met’

NICs: Prime Minister is still peddling this deception

Responding to the changes to National Insurance (NI) and freezing of income tax thresholds coming into force tomorrow, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Sarah Olney MP said:

The Prime Minister is still peddling this deception and voters will see straight through it.

Hammering the public with unfair stealth taxes and then claiming people will be taking home more in their pay packets is frankly offensive.

This is an out of touch Prime Minister leading a directionless Conservative government with his party more interested in clinging on to power than ensuring people are better off. They do not deserve to be in power for a moment longer.

Chamberlains’s Carer’s Leave Bill to come into force

The “landmark” Carer’s Leave Bill introduced by North East Fife MP and Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain will come into force on Saturday 6th April.

The Bill will give an estimated 2.4 million carers across the UK a statutory right to take five days of unpaid leave per year. Carer’s UK have described this as a ‘landmark’ piece of legislation which would help carers to better balance work and care.

Wendy Chamberlain introduced the Carer’s Leave Bill in June 2022 after winning a place in the Private Member’s Bill lottery. The Bill enjoyed cross-party support and was passed on 19 May 2023. The legislation comes into effect on 6th April 2024

Also posted in London, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged 999 service, Carers Leave Bill, crime and policing, daisy cooper, foreign languages, rob blackie, sarah olney, stealth taxes, wendy chamberlain and willie rennie | 1 Comment

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