Category Archives: News

Caroline Pidgeon

Caroline Pidgeon Tackling road safety by helping vulnerable road users

By Caroline Pidgeon | Wed 11th March 2026 - 2:55 pm

Just one per cent of traffic, but twenty-one per cent of fatalities. A shocking statement. This is the reality of motorcycling on our roads. This underpins the danger of being a motorcyclist on Britain’s roads. It is a disparity that shows no sign of diminishing nor, unfortunately, being addressed by government.

The Government’s recent Road Safety Strategy is broadly welcome. While one of the measures in the Road Safety Strategy will help motorcyclist safety, namely increased funding for combatting the scourge of potholes on Britain’s roads, there is little else that is new or transformative for motorcyclists, one of the most vulnerable groups of road users.

The Strategy discusses how “Legislative changes introduced to improve safety for motorcyclists have resulted in a complex motorcycle training, testing and licensing regime, with motorcyclists remaining at greater risk of KSIs than many other road users.” But the actions to make things safer are limited.

The main thrust of the government’s plans is that it will be consulting on changes to the training, testing and licensing regime for motorcyclists. Whilst this is very welcome, and something I have had concerns about for some time, especially with the increase in delivery drivers, more is needed.

In some ways, the government acknowledges the dire statistics on road safety for motorcyclists. Then they explain how, thus far, the main safety changes that successive governments have introduced have done very little to affect motorcyclist safety. The follow up is to then announce that they will do more of the same tinkering around the rules.

Meanwhile, the same Road Safety Strategy introduced plans for 18 new mandatory technologies for cars and other powered four-wheel vehicles. This is a clear example of how, for most motorists, the new Road Safety Strategy is very good. There is plenty to celebrate. But this only makes the difference in treatment that much harder to accept.

It is a glaring hole in the strategy. Motorcyclists, by the nature of a motorbike, are more vulnerable and yet the government appears to not want to embrace any potential safety advancements.

Since 2018, all new cars have been hooked up the eCall programme, a national programme for crash detection. However, despite motorcyclists being far more vulnerable in crashes there is no equivalent system even being considered by the government. This is a missed opportunity in the strategy.

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Caron Lindsay

New team at the Campaign for Gender Balance

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 11th March 2026 - 11:47 am

The Campaign for Gender Balance is there to help women develop and stand for public office. They support women through selection processes, provide mentoring, run brilliant training like the Future Women MPs weekends. I have been on the receiving end of their support and they are brilliant.

Their chair and vice chairs are appointed by the Federal Board at the beginning of each three year cycle. Yesterday, they announced that Cllr Julia Cambridge would continue as Chair, joined by Cllr Donna Harris and Cllr Alice Bridges-Westcott as the two Vice Chairs.

Here’s the  Instagram announcement from Lib Dem Women, the official organisation representing women:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Liberal Democrat Women (@libdemwomen)

Donna Harris, who is also Lib Dem Women’s chair, said:

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Chris Ward

ALDC by-election report, 5th March

By Chris Ward | Fri 6th March 2026 - 6:11 pm

There were five principal council by-elections this week, four of which had a Liberal Democrat on the ballot, up from just one last time these wards were contested.

In Kent, Ashley Wassall and the Sevenoaks team earned a quarter of the vote from a standing start, as the Conservatives picked up the seat from Independent. This is a good base to start from in the next campaign here. Good effort!

Sevenoaks District Council, Hextable
Conservative: 600 (38.9%, +19.3)
Reform UK: 406 (26.3%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Ashley Wassall): 367 (23.8%, new)
Independent: 108 (7.0%, new)
Green Party: 62 (4.0%, new)

Conservative GAIN from Independent

Turnout: 47.15%

In County Durham, there was a rare gain for Labour, who beat Reform UK. Thank you to Neil Thompson for standing here.

Durham Council, Murton
Labour: 1,004 (50.6%, +17.6)
Reform UK: 786 (39.6%, –4.5)
Green Party: 95 (4.8%, new)
Conservative: 61 (3.1%, –2.0)
Liberal Democrats (Neil Thompson): 38 (1.9%, –2.3)

Labour GAIN from Reform UK

Turnout: 24.9%

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey: “The UK can’t be dragged into another protracted Middle Eastern war by a US President”

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 1st March 2026 - 8:12 am

I was relieved that a long drive to the rural Highlands of Scotland prevented me sitting in front of a news channel with my head in my hands for most of yesterday. The sight of Donald Trump in a baseball cap looking the exact opposite of dignity and statesmanlike calm did nothing to quell my anxiety levels.

It is absolutely clear that the Regime in Iran was awful – illiberal, disgustingly misogynist with no care at all for the human rights and freedom of its people. It’s hard to see how the actions yesterday helped the plight of the Iranian …

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Liam Yip

ALDC by-election report, 26th February

By Liam Yip | Fri 27th February 2026 - 4:15 pm

This week, there was one principal council by-election down on the South Coast. With national attention staring north at the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, it offered a straightforward snapshot of how voters are moving locally.

In Southampton, we were defending the seat and held on in a close finish, staying just ahead of Labour. While the margin tightened, the seat stayed in our hands. The Greens made a clear step forward and Reform UK registered a noticeable first outing, yet neither was enough to shift the overall picture. Congratulations are due to Councillor Chris Shank and the local Liberal Democrat team for ensuring this seat remained ours.

Southampton City Council, Shirley
Liberal Democrats (Chris Shank): 975 (27.3%, –11.9)
Labour: 954 (26.7%, +2.7)
Reform UK: 681 (19.0%, new)
Green Party: 539 (15.1%, +12.0)
Conservative: 288 (8.1%, –13.7)
Independent: 122 (3.4%, new)
TUSC: 16 (0.4%, –0.8)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Turnout: 35%

Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams. A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

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Caron Lindsay

Government bows to Lib Dem pressure on Andrew files

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 25th February 2026 - 9:49 am

The Government agreed to a Lib Dem motion to release the files relating to the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy back in 2001.

The commitment came during a Lib Dem opposition debate yesterday. The debate obviously couldn’t focus on any of the legal issues surrounding anyone at the moment, but MPs from most parties took the opportunity to raise their concerns. It’s good that the victims and the disgusting misogynist culture came in for criticism, but will this lead to meaningful change?

Here are some of the highlights of the debate.

It is highly unusual to hear the Royal Family spoken about in less than deferential terms in Parliament, and Ed referenced this in his speech and apologised for his own previous glowing appraisal of Andrew:

I encountered this at first hand back in 2011, when I was asked to respond to an Adjournment debate on behalf of Lord Green, who was then the Minister for Trade and Investment. The debate was led by the late Paul Flynn, but even he—an ardent and outspoken republican, as I am sure many of us remember, was not allowed to raise any actual concerns about Andrew himself. Paul called it “negative privilege”, and that is what it was. He said his mouth was “bandaged by archaic rules”, and that had very real and damaging consequences. I am pleased to see the Minister in his place, because I know he was also constrained by those rules when he raised similar issues. In that debate, Epstein’s name was not mentioned once, and there was no chance to debate the substance. Standing in for the responsible Minister, I set out the Government’s position, as it had been for a decade, in support of the prince’s role as trade envoy. Looking back and knowing what we all know now, I am horrified by it. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the survivors and their families to hear Andrew praised like that, as they did so often all around the world, so I apologise to them, and I am determined to change things.

Minister Chris Bryant, never a fan of the Lib Dems, had a go at him later in the debate despite him being upfront about it.

Let me say gently to the right hon. Gentleman that if he had followed the debates in the public domain at the time he would, I think, have known better than to make those comments.

Ed replied:

The Minister knows that I apologised for making that comment, having taken a brief from someone else. I really wish that I had not uttered those words, because I am thinking about the victims, and I have praised the Minister for the role that he took. I hope he will acknowledge that two months after that debate Andrew left the role, and it was right that he did. I was not privy to those discussions, but the Government did get rid of him.

Monica Harding described an encounter with Andrew where he’d had a go at Dolly the Sheep:

Andrew came to an exhibition I had put on about Dolly the sheep. At the time, it was the pinnacle of British innovation, and we were rightly proud of it as an example of UK scientific excellence. One of my team was a young Japanese woman who worked for the British Government as a member of British Council staff. Her job—we paid her—was to promote the UK. She showed the then prince around with some Japanese dignitaries. “Dolly the sheep,” he sneered, “It’s rubbish. Frankenstein sheep”. My team member was deflated and did not understand why this representative of the British state diminished what she was rightly proud of.

Wendy Chamberlain made a vary pertinent point on the use of language:

Does he agree that we still have a degree of that problem now, because often in the media we talk about “under-age girls” when actually we are talking about children, and we should ensure that when we talk about Epstein’s crimes, we talk about the children who were involved?

Tessa Munt pushed the Government to increase transparency measures:

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Caron Lindsay

Lib Dems to lead debate on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Opposition Day

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 24th February 2026 - 11:30 am

It’s a Liberal Democrat Opposition Day in Parliament today and we have chosen to devote half of it to asking for an investigation on how Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was ever appointed a Trade Envoy and for the Government to publish all the papers relating to his appointment at the time. The motion says:

That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions to require the Government to lay before this House all papers relating to the creation of the role of Special Representative for Trade and Investment and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment to that

…

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The Voice

Scottish Lib Dems support gaming industry

By The Voice | Tue 24th February 2026 - 9:55 am

The gaming industry contributes £188.4 million annually to Scotland’s economy and provides 2181 full time jobs but it’s been facing some challenges in recent years, not least from funding streams drying up thanks to Brexit. A motion introduced by our candidate and, we hope, future MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Neil Alexander.  Neil knows what he is talking about as he worked in the industry for 8 years. By the way, Neil’s social media output is the best in the business. Follow him on Instagram here.

The motion calls for:

  • Establish regional “hubs” across all areas of Scotland for both digital media and video games industry, providing low-cost office space for both sectors, rather than the rent-a-desk options currently available.
  • Create a Games Innovation Centre to act as a central hub for research, development and expertise sharing, supporting new start-ups with vital business skills.
  • Launch a new pilot fund to support targeted sector growth for newer start-up studios.
  • Condition access to any public funding or support body on games companies adhering to fair work practices, such as Fair Work First, to ensure the fair treatment of all employees within the industry across Scotland.
  • Develop a new educational strategy which actively engages industry-leading experts and supports the next generation of high-quality university courses, putting practical experience, such as guaranteed industry placements.
  • Explore business rates exemptions for digital media and video games start-ups for the period of a first product release window while these companies establish a steady revenue stream.

Here’s Neil’s speech proposing the motion:

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Rosemary Thomas

Four years of war has forged Ukraine into a lynchpin for European security

By Rosemary Thomas | Tue 24th February 2026 - 7:56 am

my Today marks the fourth anniversary of the second phase of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Phase one started in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and parts of the Donbas – Putin’s response to ordinary Ukrainians’ refusal to disavow their European future. Now is a good time to remember why we are supporting Ukraine; not just because it is right but because we must if the liberal order and the rule of law on which it is based is to survive.

It is also time to recognise Ukraine as central for Europe’s security and prosperity in an increasingly unstable world. We need Ukraine as much as Ukraine needs us and until Ukraine is lifted out of the grey security zone to which previous failed peace agreements have consigned it, there will be a persistent threat to European security.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia could have chosen cooperation with Europe but settled on the path of confrontation, sowing instability in its “near abroad” to maintain control over its neighbours. As at home, so abroad. Putin propped up Syria’s murderous regime to the very last while his Africa Corps supports autocrats and military juntas in exchange for resource concessions and ousting Western partnerships in Africa.

Chaos is not a glitch but a defining feature of Russia’s foreign policy. We feel its effects increasingly in Europe where Russia’s long-running campaign to disrupt, sabotage and sow unrest has intensified since 2022. The immediate purpose is to weaken our resolve to support Ukraine, but the underlying goal is the demise of the global liberal order.

Russian meddling may have affected the outcome of US elections as well as the the fine-edge Brexit vote which materially damaged the security and economy of the UK and the unity of Europe. Neither theory can be proven, but plausible deniability, like chaos, is a feature of Russian foreign policy.

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The Voice

Sanne Djikstra-Downie on the importance of Pupil Support Assistants

By The Voice | Mon 23rd February 2026 - 11:55 am

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie will, we hope, be an MSP in May. She is standing in the target constituency of Edinburgh Northern and heads the Lothians list.

At Scottish Conference this week, she spoke in our pre-manifesto debate to highlight one particular commitment which is particularly important to her – the provision of Pupil Support Assistants in schools. The pre-manifesto commits us to:

Boost in-class support in every school by inflation-proofing Pupil Equity 270 Funding, hiring more pupil support assistants (PSAs), and ensuring teachers 271 are given proper stable contracts instead of short-term and zero hours work.

Sanne said:

As one of your candidates in May I am so pleased to stand here to speak in support of our pre manifesto, and I absolutely love that line – change with fairness at its heart.

I know we talk a lot about change, and we talk a lot about fairness.

But I especially love the word “heart” in there. Because heart is what we as Liberal Democrats bring to our politics every single day.

And I want to speak to a very specific commitment in our pre manifesto that to me personifies that heart – something means a lot to me personally. And  that is our commitment to more pupil support assistants in schools.

In all my time as a parent and as a councillor working closely with my local schools, I have never heard anyone say: we have too many PSAs. We have too much support or even enough support. Quite the opposite.

PSAs support our children’s learning and our children’s wellbeing. Their job is so wide ranging that Edinburgh Council’s own job description for PSAs runs to 8 pages.

PSAs are there to support kids without additional needs, and with additional needs, and they are especially valuable for those kids who have a slightly harder time at school, for whatever reason.

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Caron Lindsay

Watch: Ed Davey’s speech to Scottish Conference: A positive Lib Dem vision for Scotland

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 22nd February 2026 - 3:00 pm

I have to be honest, it’s a while since I’ve watched Ed Davey’s Conference speech live. I’m usually to be found at Not the Leader’s Speech. I mean, I can watch the speech on You Tube later, but the precious time with my friends I only see twice a year can’t be replaced.

However, the pubs weren’t open yesterday morning at 10 am when he delivered his speech to Scottish Conference. Having not seen him do this for a while, I have to say he’s really become a lot more confident in his delivery and his stage presence has become significantly more compelling.

He paid generous tributes to both Ming Campbell and Jim Wallace, whose absence was felt by us all.

There have been times when having the federal leader in Scotland has had our press team in spasms of anxiety because they could never be sure what he was going to come out with that might not be helpful, but Ed was 100% on message, amplifying our theme of “Change with fairness at its heart”

A choice between our Liberal change, and Nigel Farage’s Trump change.

Liberal Democrat change – true to British values. Transforming our economy, improving our public services and renewing our politics.

The real change people crave.

Change with fairness at its heart.

Or Farage’s change. Change away from the country we love, to a version of Trump’s America we fear.

Setting people’s sights lower. Becoming smaller, meaner.

Closing the country off. Turning inwards. Talking about all the things we can’t do.

I don’t think Farage’s vision befits Scotland or our great United Kingdom.

So friends, let’s use the coming elections to make the case for the positive Liberal Democrat change – change with fairness at its heart.

Enjoy!

The text is below

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Liam Yip

ALDC by-election report, 19th February

By Liam Yip | Fri 20th February 2026 - 2:50 pm

There were three principal council by-elections this week, and all three had a Liberal Democrat on the ballot.

In Redcar, this by‑election brought a much broader field than the last contest, with five parties on the ballot. Congratulations to Councillor Alison Barnes and the local Liberal Democrat team, who secured a convincing win, taking the seat from an Independent who had originally been elected for Labour.

Redcar  and Cleveland Council, Zetland
Liberal Democrats (Alison Barnes): 446 (50.8%, +15.5)
Labour: 191 (21.6%, –25.2)
Reform UK: 119 (13.5%, new)
Green Party: 65 (7.4%, new)
Conservative: 62 (7.0%, –10.9)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Independent (elected as Labour)

Turnout: 26.78%

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 15th February 2026 - 9:13 am

Endangerment Finding

It is true that, as President Trump says, that ending the 2009 “Endangerment Finding” of the Obama Era will be a major boost for the American car industry. It will probably help the Europeans as well.

It is also true that it will save car buyers more.  Trump is on the money when he says that the move will knock $2,800 off the price tag of every new car that rolls off a Detroit assembly line.

It is also a gold-plated economic fact that the deregulation will put billions of dollars in the pockets of fossil fuel companies and their shareholders.

The 2009 “Endangerment Finding” is the foundation stone upon which a a big chunk of subsequent climate change legislation is based. It basically says that fossil fuel emissions—especially those from cars–  are a danger to public health and should be regulated.

Any cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian that has stood behind a car for more than half a minute knows for a fact that breathing in car fumes is bad for you. But Trump—and the oil executives and manufacturers of petrol-driven cars—have decided that anyone who thinks so is peddling a “green scam.”

But cyclists are not alone. The UN has reviewed over 10,000 research papers on climate change and spoken with more than 10,000 climate change scientists. 97.1 percent of them say that our planet is warming. That this is a bad thing and cars are a major cause of the problem.

In 2024 greenhouse gases reached 424 parts per million, the highest ever in recorded history and 152 percent above pre-industrial era levels.

In the United States, cars, trucks and buses account for about 29% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Since Trump took office America’s fossil fuel emissions have grown by 1.9 percent.

But petrol and diesel are not the only polluters. Coal produces almost double the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the transport  industry, and the latest developments in renewable technology means that renewable energy is now about half the cost of coal in both building and maintenance terms.

On the same day that Trump announced the end of the 2009 Endangerment Findings, the American coal industry presented him with a trophy and bestowed on him the title of “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”

The Washington Post

My first news story was published in “The Washington Post.” I was a 13-year-old boy scout, and I wrote a 500-word article on badge-swapping at the Scout World Jamboree. It actually appeared on the front page with my byline. I was quite chuffed.

So, for me, the rapid decline of “The Post” has a personal element. It is even more personal one-third of the Post’s staff who were recently laid off. They are the victims of a changing media-scape and Donald Trump’s attack on the free press.

When the founder of Amazon, billionaire Jeff Bezos, bought the Post in 2013 for $250 million everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The Post had been struggling for years against the onslaught of the internet. If it was going to survive and prosper it needed an owner with deep pockets who believed in its mission and was prepared to inject millions—billions if necessary—to maintain the Post’s  position in the pantheon of the great world newspapers.

Bezos promised to do just that. The local subscriber base had been shrinking as more and more readers switched to social media. So Bezos’s plan was to increase the subscriber base by going global. Which he did.

For about seven years, the Post thrived. And one of the reasons was that Bezos remembered the paper’s left of centre roots. Every editor must know what his readers want to read and produce articles that meet that demand. The Post’s readers are left of centre. They are mainly Democrats. During Trump’s first term Bezos kept to the paper’s traditional editorial line and it became a major thorn in the side of President Trump.

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Chris Ward

ALDC by-election report, 12th February

By Chris Ward | Fri 13th February 2026 - 4:27 pm

There were three principal council by-elections this week, and all three had a Liberal Democrat on the ballot.

Tuesday saw the poll for a new councillor in Fishguard North East ward on Pembrokeshire County Council. This had a big increase in candidate numbers, after the straight Labour-Conservative contest last time. Caleb Churchill and the team achieved a good second place here, as Plaid Cymru gained the seat. A great effort, and a solid base from which to win next time.

Pembrokeshire County Council, Fishguard North East
Plaid Cymru: 253 (33.8%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Caleb Churchill): 135 (18.0%, new)
Reform UK: 95 (12.7%, new)
Labour: 83 (11.1%, -47.9)
Independent (Tannahill): 79 (10.5%, new)
Conservative: 69 (9.2%, -31.9)
Independent (Tyrrell): 35 (4.7%, new)

Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour

Turnout: 48%

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Caron Lindsay

UPDATED: Daisy Cooper announces new economic policy – Get Britain growing again

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 11th February 2026 - 10:11 am

In a major speech in the City of London this morning, Daisy Cooper has announced Liberal Democrat plans to break up the Treasury and move it to Birmingham.

A new Department for Growth would include the Department of Business and Trade’s responsibilities and would have a mandate to boost long term sustainable growth. It would be a single point of contact for business and investment.

A smaller department for public expenditure would control departmental spending

Stronger economic growth would be recognised as the only sustainable solution to the country’s problems. This would come alongside a better relationship with Europe.

This department would align tax policy so that Labour mistakes like the rise in employers’ National Insurance Contributions could never happen again.

Basing it in Birmingham would be a strong signal that we want to rebalance the economy across the whole country and as the only party with MPs spanning the Highlands and Islands to south west,  we see the differences in growth between the south east and everywhere else.

She argued that if we could close the productivity gap between Birmingham and London,we could boost tax revenue by $4 billion which could, for example, provide 80,000 teachers

She said that rising inequality and cost of living pressures were grinding people down. The C0nservatives and Labour have failed and the British public who are left wondering if anyone knows how to fix it.

This all comes with a slogan: Get Britain Growing Again.

Farage wants to break things, not fix them. Others want to hoard power in London. Conservatives are chasing Reform saying that moderates are not welcome in their party.

She said our future liberal economic vision are rooted in the values which have guided us for hundreds of years. We champion international trade, fair markets and wealth creation.

Wealth creation and social justice, she argued, are two sides of the same coin. She concluded:

We believe we can give people a sense of hope, end the cost of living crisis and build the UK’s future by all of us for all of us together.

She then took questions from journalists. The BBC’s Nick Eardley asked how she could justify the time and money to be spent on this. Daisy replied that the plan was  entirely consistent with existing plans to move civil servants out of London. We would prioritise this particular department. He followed up by asking why Birmingham rather than the north of England, Scotland, Wales?  Daisy’s answer: our second city has good combination of manufacturing and financial sectors and if we boost it will help other places around the UK too.

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Caron Lindsay

UPDATED: Jim Wallace’s funeral takes place in Kirkwall

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 10th February 2026 - 8:27 am

UPDATE: A brief reflection on the service that took place earlier today.  If you knew and admired Jim, and haven’t seen it, it will be up for a while here.  I’m not going to tell you too much about it, but there were some stories that illustrate Jim perfectly, from the things he was excellent at, grace and kindness being mentioned a lot, to the things he was less good at. It sounds like he might have been less good at DIY than I am and that’s saying something.  And there are some things you might be surprised to learn. 

His brother Neil gave the most perfect tribute, as requested by Jim a few days before he went into hospital for his operation.  The best euologies are crafted so that you are lifted from sadness with laughter and this was no exception. There was one point where I was about to dissolve into tears and then he said something really funny and everyone laughed. 

Liam McArthur told us about their long working relationship, which started in a noisy pub in Edinburgh Waverley station. Alistair Carmichael shared his one abiding memory of Jim, which may surprise you. It will not be what you think, but in other ways, it will be exactly what you think. 

It is a very fitting summary of a life lived with  love, empathy, kindness,  ferocious intellect, modesty and humour with liberalism at its core. We’ll all be raising a glass to Jim tonight, I expect.

Many Lib Dems have been heading north to Kirkwall over the past couple of days for Jim Wallace’s funeral whihc takes place in the beautiful St Mgnus’ Cathedral in Orkney today.

Theer have been a few photographs of people stopping to campaign with Highland candidates David Green and Neil Alexander on the way, and no doubt we’ll see the same tomorrow as people make the return journey.

Our thoughts are very much with JIm’s wife Rosie, daughters Helen and Clare and brother Neil and all those who were close to Jim.

The service will be livestreamed here

Christine Murdoch and I thought it might be a good idea to open a Zoom room for those of us who will be watching online. We might need a gentle space where we can have a cup of tea and a chat afterwards. If you want to join us between 1 and 2, email [email protected] for the link.

Alistair Carmichael paid tribute to Jim in an article for Politics Home which you can read here. He said:

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Caron Lindsay

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s tribute to Jeane Freeman

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 9th February 2026 - 2:45 pm

There’s too much sadness around at the moment. We are losing too many good people. I was really sad to see this morning that former Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman had died. She had that role during the pandemic and had also been a Special Adviser to Labour First Minster Jack McConnell.

I remember saying to her when I congratulated her on her appointment that it was clear that Nicola Sturgeon was giving her most difficult job to her most competent Minister. She had previously been responsible for setting up Social Security Scotland which she did pretty well. I was involved as our Social Security Spokesperson in the discussions around the legislation and I was impressed at her willingness to listen to opposition parties and build a consensus.

I feel so much for her partner Susan Stewart. They’ve had over 20 years together and it feels particularly cruel that she has lost Jeane not that long after her own retirement.

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Caron Lindsay

What’s happening in York? Lib Dem Spring Conference agenda now published

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 8th February 2026 - 11:06 am

It’s less than five weeks to York Spring Conference. Many of us will be looking forward to returning to the beautiful city to debate, be trained and to learn from exhibitors and discuss issues at fringe meetings.

The agenda has now been published. This is your chance to go through it now and work out what motions you might like to amend, to plan out your diary for the weekend and not to just leave it till you’re actually on the train to York.

You can go to debates on access to driving lessons, preserving trial by jury, revitalising town centres, universities, mental health, Donald Trump and Council finance.

There are speeches from MPs Anna Sabine and James MacCleary and Watford Mayor Peter Taylor, as well as Ed, of course.

You can help shape future policy by going to consultative sessions on international security, primary healthcare and defending democracy.

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Mary Reid

BREAKING NEWS Whip removed from Chris Rennard pending investigation

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th February 2026 - 8:40 pm

 

Note that we are not allowing comments because of the pending investigation.

 

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Liam Yip

ALDC by-election report, 5th February

By Liam Yip | Fri 6th February 2026 - 1:32 pm

This week, there were two principal council by-elections. Only one contest had a Liberal Democrat candidate.

In the seaside town of Clevedon, where Labour was attempting to defend this seat, they managed to hold, albeit with an unconvincing margin against Reform. Thank you to Jude Chambers and the local Liberal Democrat team for flying the flag.

North Somerset Council, Clevedon South
Labour: 350 (29.0%, –25.4)
Reform UK: 334 (27.7%, new)
Conservative: 224 (18.6%, –27.0)
Green Party: 197 (16.3%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Jude Chambers): 100 (8.3%, new)

Labour HOLD

Turnout: 36.8%

There was no Liberal Democrat candidate in the Welsh contest. Here are the results:

Isle of Anglesey Council, Ynys Gyni
Reform UK: 603 (43.9%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 343 (25.0%, –3.7)
Labour: 171 (12.5%, –11.3)
Green Party: 118 (8.6%, new)
Conservative: 112 (8.2%, –13.1)
Independent: 26 (1.9%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Plaid Cymru

Turnout: 33.3%

Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams. A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

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Caron Lindsay

Jeremy Purvis’ tribute to Jim Wallace

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 4th February 2026 - 2:57 pm

The House of Lords also paid tribute to Jim Wallace yesterday.

Our leader in the House of Lords, Jeremy Purvis led the speeches. You can watch here.

My Lords, many of us aspire to be a good politician, to do good and to be a good person. More times than not, we fall short. Jim Wallace was a good man who saw it as his role in life to do good things. He did, and they will last. With great sorrow, we have been denied the opportunity of hearing a valedictory speech in this House from Jim. He would have been characteristically modest. We can perhaps be a little immodest on his behalf for a now profoundly missed absent friend.

After his early political days in the lowlands of Scotland, he triumphed in its most northerly part. When he was elected, many said he was the MP for Jo Grimond’s seat, but in short order we referred to it as Jim Wallace’s Orkney and Shetland. As MP, MSP and Peer, he saw serving in Parliament as the means by which good things can be done, not the end in itself. He was what a parliamentarian should be.

When speaking in Parliament Hall on the day of the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Jim was achieving his ambition and the dreams of many in delivering what Gladstone could not a century before. He said to all those newly elected MSPs:

“As the people’s representatives we should never forget the hopes kindled by this historic opportunity”.

He approached his role to meet those hopes as the first Liberal in office since the Second World War with zeal: land reform, law reform, social reform, education reform, prison reform—radical but workable—and all have endured, none reversed. Jim was a reformer, but he knew that for reform to last, it had to be done well. He said of the new Holyrood:

“Our Parliament must be open and inclusive—willing to consult and willing to listen”.

That sentiment embodied his own approach to politics.

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The Voice

Willie Rennie’s tribute to Jim Wallace

By The Voice | Wed 4th February 2026 - 1:58 pm

It is part of Jim Wallace’s legacy that three of our MSPs worked for him in some capacity. Willie Rennie was the Chief Executive of the Scottish Lib Dems who helped us win 17 seats in the new Scottish Parliament in 1999. He then went to Holyrood to head up our operation there for the first term.

This is his tribute to Jim yesterday:

The text is below:

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The Voice

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s tribute to Jim Wallace

By The Voice | Wed 4th February 2026 - 12:58 pm

Alex Cole-Hamilton also worked for Jim Wallace – in the Scottish Parliament Liberal Democrat staff pool.

Here is his tribute in yesterday’s Scottish Parliament session, detailing when Jim and his wife Rosie first met. The rest of the speeches can be seen here.

The text is below.

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NewsHound

Christine Jardine: With Jim Wallace’s death, it feels like we have lost part of our conscience

By NewsHound | Mon 2nd February 2026 - 2:45 pm

In her Scotsman column this week, Christine Jardine has made many of us in Scotland cry. She wrote about Jim Wallace, about meeting him as a young reporter and then as a fellow parliamentarian.

I first met Jim Wallace in 1992 when I was a journalist with no political allegiance, and he had just become Scottish Liberal Democrat leader. I remember telling my husband and colleagues that he seemed like a decent bloke, and in some ways too ‘nice’ for politics.

That came back to me on Thursday when I learned of his death. Because in truth, that first impression was the one that stuck with me through the 30 years during which he influenced and shaped my personal and political direction, and the country’s.

It never felt like an overt, interfering influence. More like a favourite wise uncle whose opinion you would seek and whose approval you cherished. He was someone you felt was motivated by doing the right thing, not for political gain or to win votes, but to be fair and just.

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Liam Yip

ALDC by-election report, 29th January

By Liam Yip | Fri 30th January 2026 - 10:30 pm

There was only one by-election this week. This was caused by the former councillor being sentenced to over 12 months in prison and therefore was disqualified.

In Scotland, the Conservatives couldn’t hold this seat and their first preference votes slipped to sixth place. We secured a commanding victory, with SNP and Reform trailing well behind us. Congratulations are due to Councillor Ben Langmead and the local team for this strong result, ahead of Scottish Parliament elections in May.

East Dunbartonshire Council, Bearsden South
First preferences:
Liberal Democrats (Ben Langmead): 1,744 (38.1%, +14.9)
SNP: 789 (17.2%, –6.2)
Reform UK: 709 (15.5%, new)
Labour: 650 (14.2%, –1.9)
Scottish Greens: 371 (8.1%, +0.9)
Conservative: 283 (6.2%, –17.0)
Scottish Family Party: 35 (0.8%, new)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative
Elected at Stage 5

Turnout: 42.7%

Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams. A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

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Caron Lindsay

Jim Wallace has died

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 29th January 2026 - 9:28 pm

I know that everyone reading this will be as shocked and sad as I am to hear of the terrible news that Jim Wallace, a giant of this Party, died today. We send our love to his wife Rosie, and his daughters Helen and Clare.

Jim’s death was announced by Alex Cole-Hamilton:

The Scottish Liberal Democrats today announce with great sadness the passing of Jim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, former Deputy First Minister of Scotland and a towering figure of modern Scottish liberalism.

Jim Wallace was born in Dumfriesshire and educated at Annan Academy before attending Cambridge and Edinburgh universities. He was called to the bar in 1979, practising mainly in civil law cases, and became a QC in 1997.

Jim was elected to parliament in 1983 as MP for Orkney & Shetland, succeeding Jo Grimond, and held the seat for 18 years, earning a formidable reputation as a diligent constituency champion and a respected voice at Westminster. After becoming leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in 1992, he led the party through the Scottish devolution referendum in 1997, having also been a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention which created the blueprint for devolution and a Scottish Parliament.

Upon the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Jim was elected as MSP for Orkney and became Deputy First Minister of Scotland, serving in government from 1999 to 2005. He became acting First Minister while Donald Dewar underwent heart surgery in April 2000, after Dewar’s death in October 2000 and again following the resignation of Henry McLeish in 2001.

He also held the roles of Minister for Justice and later Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, playing a central role in the early years of devolution and helping to shape Scotland’s modern political settlement. He also established a world-leading freedom of information regime.

He entered the House of Lords in 2007 as Lord Wallace of Tankerness, where he remained an authoritative and thoughtful contributor on constitutional, legal and Scottish affairs, including serving five years as Advocate General for Scotland.

Jim also served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, who worked for our MSPs in the Scottish Parliament when Jim was leader, said:

Jim Wallace was one of the architects of modern Scotland and one of the finest liberals our party has ever produced.

He believed deeply in devolution as a way to give people better services and more control over their own lives and he lived a life of public service right up until the end.

For me personally, he was a mainstay of support throughout my adult life. Even as he went into hospital for the final time, he was still sending me words of advice and I will always try to live up to the standards he set.

Throughout his career, Jim was widely respected across party lines for his integrity, calm judgement and deep belief in liberal values: fairness, the rule of law and respect for communities, no matter how remote.

Scotland is a better country because of Jim Wallace, and the Liberal Democrats are a better party because of his example.

Alistair Carmichael, Jim’s succsssor as MP for Orkney & Shetland, said:

Jim Wallace gave his adult life to serving the people of the Northern Isles, Scotland and the United Kingdom. His sudden and tragic death leaves a huge gap in public life. For those of us who knew him as a friend and for his family that gap is one that we shall struggle ever to fill.

In the world of politics, having people on whom you can truly depend is a rare and precious thing. For me, Jim was someone who was there through good times and bad and I am bereft at his passing. I shall miss his acute political analysis, his warm and occasionally waspish wit and, most of all, his easy company and friendship. He was never someone for whom I had to present a front.

My thoughts are with his wife Rosie, his daughters Helen and Clare, his mother and his brother Neil who I know are heartbroken at this moment. I hope that they may eventually take some comfort from the knowledge that the man that they loved in their family was loved by so many others too.

Liam McArthur, Jim’s successor as MSP for Orkney, said:

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Mary Reid

Our latest party political broadcast

By Mary Reid | Wed 28th January 2026 - 9:38 pm

This was broadcast earlier this evening, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

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Edward Marsh

Securing the United Kingdom in a changing world: Why Mark Carney was right at Davos.

By Edward Marsh | Wed 28th January 2026 - 11:10 am

In a world still reeling from rapid geopolitical shifts, the question of national security and strategic autonomy has never been more pressing for the United Kingdom. The post-Second World War era of a relatively stable, rules-based international order – underpinned by multilateral institutions, shared norms, and strong Western alliances – is being challenged on multiple fronts. Nowhere was this tension clearer than in Mark Carney’s landmark address at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, where he delivered a stark analysis of the changing global order and what it means for middle powers like the UK.

Carney’s central thesis was that the international system is not merely evolving – it is rupturing. For decades, the UK, alongside its allies, benefited from what was labelled a rules-based order: predictable trade, collective security, open sea-lanes, and multilateral dispute resolution. But that era is increasingly giving way to a world dominated by great power rivalry and economic coercion. According to Carney, we are now in “the midst of a rupture, not a transition” – a point that resonates as global leaders grapple with the reality of a more volatile geopolitical landscape.

This rupture is characterised by powerful states leveraging economic integration as a strategic tool and weapon — using tariffs, supply-chain dependencies, financial infrastructure, and energy ties to bend smaller partners to their aims. Carney warned that continuing to rely on outdated assumptions of mutual benefit is no longer tenable when integration itself can become a source of subordination.

Much of the backdrop to Carney’s analysis is the reality of the international leadership exerted by the United States under President Donald Trump, whose policies have unsettled long-standing diplomatic norms. Trump’s aggressive trade stance – including tariff threats tied to strategic interests such as Greenland – and his readiness to prioritise unilateral action over multilateral cooperation have highlighted the fragility of previous assumptions about Western unity.

While Carney refrained from naming Trump directly in his speech, the subtext was unmistakable: the security environment that the UK has long relied upon – anchored by predictable American leadership – is no longer guaranteed. The UK can no longer take for granted that allies will act within established norms or that economic integration will safeguard its interests.

What this means for the UK and for us as Liberal Democrats

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Liberator 433 is out!

By Liberator Collective | Mon 26th January 2026 - 12:18 pm

Liberator 433 is out and you can download it for free here:

You can also sign up here to be emailed when each new issues comes out:

What’s in this issue?

The War Down the Road From Ukraine

Combat medic and conflict studies academic Adam McQuire has been taking aid to
some of Ukraine’s most dangerous places but finds doors shut when he tries to warn
the UK government about modern warfare

1,000 Days, and the Blood Can Be Seen From Space.

Sudan is the world’s worst – and most ignored – human rights …

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Josh Babarinde

Josh Babarinde writes…. Trump can go f**k himself

By Josh Babarinde | Fri 23rd January 2026 - 11:07 pm

There are moments that demand we speak plainly. 

The moment that Trump demeaned and mocked the sacrifices of our troops is one of them. 

It is time we recognise this moment for what it is, and move together as a party and as a country to meet it.

Donald Trump has accused NATO forces in Afghanistan of having “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” It is time for an uncomfortable truth. This man is no friend of Britain, and we must stop pretending that he is.

Our armed forces personnel stand ready, if necessary, to lay down their lives for our security. There is no higher calling. And those who answer that call, those who brace themselves to face dangers most of us will never know, deserve our eternal gratitude and a clear promise: that we will never forget, and we will never allow their service to be disrespected.

Afghanistan was the only time in NATO’s history that Article 5 was invoked. And it was invoked for America, after the attacks of September 11th.

We answered the call. We sent our troops because when your ally is attacked, you stand with them. That’s what the alliance – and the special relationship – has meant to us. That’s what we believed America meant. It is that type of internationalism that our party has always defended, and what makes me so proud to be a Liberal Democrat. 

But we must be clear about who in Britain still lacks the courage to stand up. Nigel Farage could only muster that Trump’s comments were “not quite fair.” Not quite fair. 

As if hundreds of British deaths were a matter of fairness, as if this were anything less than disrespect of their memory. That cowardice tells us everything we need to know about the choice before our country. 

Populists have tried to claim ownership of patriotism and we must take it back.

Real patriotism isn’t wrapping yourself in a flag while tearing down your neighbours. It isn’t exploiting people’s fears or looking to divide communities.

Real patriotism is what our armed forces showed when they deployed to Afghanistan and elsewhere. It’s what their families showed when they said goodbye at RAF Brize Norton, not knowing if they would ever see them again.

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