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Category Archives: News

3 November 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 3rd November 2022 - 10:30 pm

Bank of England rate rise: Chancellor must address the country
Asylum seekers abandoned – Braverman failing in her duty as Home Secretary
Elin Jones Wrong to Defend Mark Drakeford’s Qatar Trip Say Lib Dems
Number of GPs and GP Practices in Wales Fall
Interest rates: Chancellor must address the country with a plan to save homeowners
Davey: Recession warning a “badge of shame” for Rishi Sunak and Conservative government

Bank of England rate rise: Chancellor must address the country

Commenting ahead of today’s interest rate decision from the Bank of England, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

The Chancellor must address the country immediately after the rate rise decision to spell out a plan to save homeowners on the brink. He should either come to Parliament or hold a press conference to announce support for families facing mortgage bill rises worth hundreds of pounds a month.

Hardworking families are being left to pay the price for weeks of Conservative chaos. People are desperately worried about how they are going to pay these frightening mortgage payments after tomorrow.

The Government cannot hide away, especially after their long list of economic failures.

Asylum seekers abandoned – Braverman failing in her duty as Home Secretary

The Liberal Democrats have warned that Home Secretary Suella Braverman is “failing in her duty” as Home Secretary, after reports asylum seekers have been left stranded in central London by the Home Office.

It comes after Robert Jenrick emphasised last night on ITV’s Peston that the Home Secretary has a duty not to release asylum seekers into destitution.

Suella Braverman also assured Parliament on Monday that she had refused to release people into local communities “without having anywhere for them to stay”.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

Asylum seekers being abandoned with no place to stay in central London is the most blatant sign that the system is completely broken.

Suella Braverman is failing in her basic duty as Home Secretary. She needs to urgently explain how this has been allowed to happen, despite the assurances given to Parliament earlier this week.

It’s intolerable that vulnerable people are being left without help because of the endless chaos and incompetence of this government.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, asylum seekers, cost of living crisis, ed davey, GP shortage, interest rates, jane dodds, mark williams, qatar, recession, sarah olney and Wales | 1 Comment

Ed Davey on Peston: Braverman, carer support and getting elected

By NewsHound | Thu 3rd November 2022 - 9:47 am

Sir Ed Davey appeared on ITV’s Peston last night.

Peston suggested that since Rishi Sunak had arrived in No 10, the Lib Dems had been in reverse in the polls. Rejecting that and talking about the three by-election wins in Chesham and Amersham, Tiverton and Honiton and North Shropshire, Ed said:

A lot of people said we won because people were turning away from Boris Johnson… I knocked on doors. I talked to people. What we found that they were rejecting the Conservative Party. They were doing it because of health matters, like ambulances, huge delays in getting access to GPs or NHS dentists. They felt the Conservatives had taken them for granted and were just out of touch… We found lifelong Conservatives rejecting the Conservative Party. Whether its Sunak or Johnson it doesn’t really matter.

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Tagged ed davey, featured and robert peston | 9 Comments

2 November 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd November 2022 - 10:30 pm

Sunak at COP27: PM embarrassed by Boris Johnson’s attendance
Welsh Government Must Do More to Combat Fuel Poverty
Matt Hancock should resign and trigger by-election
Welsh Conservatives Dysfunctional, Divided and Ineffective
Welsh Liberal Democrats – Welsh Government Must Change Their Mind on COVID Inquiry

Sunak at COP27: PM embarrassed by Boris Johnson’s attendance

Responding to the news that Rishi Sunak will now be attending COP, Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said:

This whole debacle has shown the environment is simply not a priority for Rishi Sunak. He’s only going after being embarrassed by Boris Johnson’s attendance.

We need action rather than just attendance from the Prime Minister. Building more renewables, the cheapest and most popular form of energy, and insulating our cold and draughty homes will accelerate progress towards net-zero, cut energy bills and increase the UK’s energy security.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged conservative party, COP27, covid enquiry, daisy cooper, fuel poverty, jane dodds, matt hancock, Wales and wera hobhouse | Leave a comment

Wendy Chamberlain to lead Policy Commission on ending men’s violence against women

By The Voice | Wed 2nd November 2022 - 7:00 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has asked his Deputy Wendy Chamberlain to lead a Policy Commission on ending men’s violence against women and girls. Wendy, as the only former woman police officer in the House of Commons, is best placed to lead this work.

Back in March 2021, in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder, Scottish Liberal Democrats called on the Scottish Government to create such a Commission to look at all aspects of tackling this scourge on our society.

Since then the Government has made little progress.

Alex said:

In 1623 John Donne wrote, “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind”. I’ve always found that to be such a Liberal sentiment.

Well Conference, any woman’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in womankind.

And right now, in the villages and cities of Iran, we see women fighting for their lives against the vicious morality police, fighting against the twisted interpretation of Islam used to justify and normalise the brutality of men.

They are casting off hijabs and cutting their hair in the name and in the memory of Mahsa Amini.

And Conference, whether it is in faraway Isfahan or nearby Clapham Common, that brutality is still far too normal an aspect of modern life.It’s why the phrase, ‘she was only walking home’, has now become an epitaph.

Conference, we cannot go on like this. I am tired of waiting for the Scottish Government to act on Liberal Democrat proposals, led by Caron Lindsay, to establish a taskforce to better shape our policy response to this grim reality.

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Tagged Scotland, violence against women and girls and wendy chamberlain | Leave a comment

We should be talking about Lib Dem Councils Building new homes

By Simon McGrath | Wed 2nd November 2022 - 2:01 pm

One of the achievements of Lib Dem controlled Councils has been a focus on building social and affordable housing – but it’s not one the Party has made much of. Given that access to housing is one of the key issues in our society that seems a pity.

In York for example the Lib Dem run council is focused on increasing the number of affordable homes – 447 have been delivered in the last 3 years – and the numbers are increasing year or year. The Council is planning to have delivered no less than 600 affordable homes in it’s 4 years term and to have done so while protecting the local Green Belt.

Even better many of these are being delivered to ‘Passivhaus ‘ standards meaning that they are much better for the environment.

In Kingston we are doing something most Labour councils say is impossible – building new council housing – and new housing build to the highest environment standards. .As the Portfolio Holder for Housing , Clr Emily Davey says -“providing homes which meet our residents needs is a priority for us.”

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Tagged council housing, housing, lib dem councils and Local government | 9 Comments

1 November 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st November 2022 - 10:30 pm

BP profits demonstrate utter incompetence of government
Hotels for migrants in non-Tory areas is “party first, country last” approach
Matt Hancock should lose his MP salary while he’s in the jungle

BP profits demonstrate utter incompetence of government

Responding to the news this morning that BP has announced £7.1bn in underlying profit, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

These profits demonstrate the complete and utter incompetence of this Conservative government. As families and pensioners across the country struggle to pay their energy bills, BP are posting unimaginable profits raking off the backs of hard-working people.

Liberal Democrats proposed a strong windfall tax over a year ago, yet the Conservatives have only attempted an incredibly weak version. Clearly, they’ve been too busy with their own chaos to act.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged christine jardine, I'm a celebrity, matt hancock, sarah olney, suella braverman and windfall tax | 7 Comments

Emily Davey talks to the Guardian about living with Multiple Sclerosis

By The Voice | Tue 1st November 2022 - 7:32 pm

The Guardian has just published an interview with Ed Davey and his wife Emily in which they talk to political editor Pippa Crerar about Emily’s Multiple Sclerosis. They have decided to do so now so that they can use their platforms as an MP and Councillor to advocate further for disabled people and their carers.

I was very struck by Emily's courage, energy and determination to use her own situation to highlight the plight thousands of others are also experiencing.

“I’m not the only one. People want to get back to where they were, but they need the tools.”

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) November 1, 2022

Emily was diagnosed with the condition in 2012, but she has noticed a deterioration since lockdown, when she was not able to be as active. She and Ed have decided to talk about this now to highlight how this is affecting other people:

(Emily) Davey, who ran Kingston council’s public health portfolio during the pandemic, said: “We’ve got a problem here, we have people with mobility problems, including the elderly, who aren’t suddenly going to recover and get better. How do you manage to get people active again on that scale?”

Her husband added: “Here is just another example of the impact Covid had on the nation’s health which is probably not well recognised. We know both from our own personal experience, but also from our constituents and from talking to doctors, there’s a massive issue out there across the country.”

Emily talked about how she her condition is changing:

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Tagged ed davey, emily davey and featured | 1 Comment

31 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 31st October 2022 - 10:30 pm

COP27: Boris Johnson embarrassing Rishi Sunak into attendance
Braverman: One rule for Conservative Ministers and another rule for everyone else
Scandal-ridden Home Secretary has no credibility left
Suella Braverman Risks Inciting Violence – Jane Dodds

COP27: Boris Johnson embarrassing Rishi Sunak into attendance

As Rishi Sunak refuses to confirm his attendance at COP27, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change, Wera Hobhouse MP said:

It shouldn’t take Boris Johnson going to COP to embarrass Rishi Sunak into doing the right thing.

He must immediately confirm his attendance at COP27 and appoint a climate minister to the Cabinet.

We cannot wait another second to tackle the climate crisis. Rishi Sunak must act before he destroys our country’s reputation and the planet even more.

Braverman: One rule for Conservative Ministers and another rule for everyone else

Responding to the Home Secretary’s letter to the Home Affairs Committee, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Wendy Chamberlain MP, said:

This was not a one-off error, the Home Secretary has admitted breaking the rules on an industrial scale. Deliberately sending a sensitive government document to a friend without clearance is completely beyond the pale.

If the Home Secretary wants to maintain even a shred of her dignity and credibility, she must resign now and apologise for her violations of the public’s trust.

Unless Suella Braverman resigns for the second time, the Conservatives will be putting their own party ahead of this country’s security. By reappointing her, Rishi Sunak showed there is one rule for Conservative Ministers and another rule for everyone else.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, COP27, jane dodds, suella braverman, wendy chamberlain and wera hobhouse | 2 Comments

31 October – 3 November – this week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 31st October 2022 - 11:29 am

I used to do this regularly, primarily because the party’s press releases seldom mention the work of the Lords Parliamentary Party. Perhaps it is time to reincarnate this feature…

Time once again to return to the red benches at the more dignified end of the Palace of Westminster, for a preview of events this week, and in particular the Liberal Democrat highlights.

Monday is a relatively low-profile day for the Liberal Democrat peers, with the Third Reading of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill and the more controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill reaching its Committee Stage. Incidentally, it’s a sign of the rapidly changing makeup of the Government that the sponsoring Minister in the Commons on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is someone called Elizabeth Truss. Whatever happened to her, I wonder?

There is also a debate on plans to review the powers and functions of Police and Crime Commissioners, something that Liberal Democrats opposed at the time of their introduction. Brian Paddick, unsurprisingly, will be speaking from the Liberal Democrat benches.

In Grand Committee, the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill starts its Committee Stage, intended to enable the sort of people that you’d cross the street to avoid to have the freedom to be unpleasant on campuses. Think of it as part of the culture war that some people think we really need.

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Also posted in Parliament | Tagged house of lords, northern ireland protocol and public order bill | 4 Comments

28-30 October 2022 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 30th October 2022 - 10:30 pm

Lib Dems call for Suella Braverman to hand over texts and emails for future inquiry
Jane Dodds – The Housing Sector in Wales is Broken
COP27: Nadine Dorries as the voice of reason?
Liz Truss phone hacking story: Urgent investigation needed
Suella Braverman: Government must publish legal advice on detention of asylum seekers

Lib Dems call for Suella Braverman to hand over texts and emails for future inquiry

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Home Office Permanent Secretary, asking him to facilitate the handover of Suella Braverman’s text messages, WhatsApps, and emails for use in any future inquiry into her misconduct.

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael raised concerns that the embattled Home Secretary could take advantage of a loophole exploited by Boris Johnson during an inquiry into the funding of the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat. The former Prime Minister claimed that he had been unable to hand over important messages because he had changed his phone.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael said:

We need an independent inquiry with access to all the relevant evidence, to establish the true scale of Suella Braverman’s rule breaking.

We saw how Boris Johnson and other Conservative ministers have tried time and again to duck accountability and cover up the truth.

Suella Braverman must be required to hand over all relevant evidence now before it is too late.

It took less than a day for Rishi Sunak’s government to be mired in the same old Conservative sleaze. His promise of ‘integrity’ was broken within hours of entering Downing Street. If he was serious about integrity he would commit to an independent inquiry now.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, asylum, COP27, housing, jane dodds, layla moran, liz truss, Phone hacking, suella braverman and wera hobhouse | 13 Comments

27 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 27th October 2022 - 10:30 pm

Shell profits: Lack of proper windfall tax an insult to families struggling to pay bills
Suella Braverman: Sunak must correct record if he misled Parliament
Shell rebate shows government’s windfall tax is failing
COP27: Rishi Sunak must not turn his back on progress

Shell profits: Lack of proper windfall tax an insult to families struggling to pay bills

Responding to Shell announcing £8.2bn ($9.5bn) in the third quarter, around double last year’s, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Conservative government’s refusal to properly tax these eye-watering profits is an insult to families struggling to pay their energy bills.

Even the CEO of Shell has admitted that oil and gas companies should be taxed more to help protect vulnerable households.

It’s time Rishi Sunak introduced a proper windfall tax and used the extra money to support people facing heart-breaking choices this winter.

Innocent families and pensioners should not be left to pick up the bill for this Conservative government wrecking the economy.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, COP27, ed davey, misleading the house, oil revenues, sarah olney, suella braverman and windfall tax | 9 Comments

26 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 26th October 2022 - 11:40 pm

Apologies for the lateness of the hour – I was trawling through my ballot paper for the Party’s internal elections…

Braverman appointment: Lib Dems call for Cabinet Office inquiry
Cancer diagnosis postcode lottery revealed as over 60,000 wait more than two weeks in August alone
Fiscal plan delay leaves families in a cloud of uncertainty
Concerns Over Welsh Government Housing Targets
PMQs: PM refuses to commit to 40 new hospitals
Scrapping triple lock would be a betrayal of pensioners

Braverman appointment: Lib Dems call for Cabinet Office inquiry

The Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office inquiry into the appointment of Suella Braverman to Home Secretary after she was sacked for breaching the ministerial code.

Liberal Democrats Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael MP said:

Suella Braverman’s appointment makes a mockery of Rishi Sunak’s claims to be bringing integrity to Number 10.

There must be a full independent inquiry by the Cabinet Office into her appointment, including any promises Sunak made to her behind closed doors.

If it is confirmed that Suella Braverman repeatedly broke the ministerial code and threatened national security, she must be sacked.

A Home Secretary who broke the rules is not fit for a Home Office which keeps the rules.

Cancer diagnosis postcode lottery revealed as over 60,000 wait more than two weeks in August alone

108 NHS trusts miss the two week cancer referral target (72% of all trusts).
Top 10 worst places for cancer referrals revealed.
Lib Dems call on the Government to bring forward an urgent plan to improve cancer care after NHS targets missed.

New analysis of the latest NHS data by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the worst places in the country to see a cancer specialist within two weeks after being referred by a GP.

A staggering 62,360 people had to wait more than two weeks to see a cancer specialist after a GP referral in August alone.

Despite the Government setting a target of 93% of patients seeing a cancer specialist after a referral, just 30 NHS trusts met the target. Some trusts only managed to see one third of people in time, as a post-code lottery is revealed.

The Liberal Democrats have revealed the top 10 worst places for cancer referrals in the country. Norfolk and Norwich NHS Trust is the worst, where only 34% of people were seen within two weeks of a referral.

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This grim postcode lottery is a national scandal. The evidence tells us how critical a speedy cancer diagnosis is yet thousands of people are left waiting far too long. The sheer number of people anxiously waiting is completely unacceptable.

Our health services cannot be ignored any longer. The Government must prioritise resources to clear record backlogs, slash dangerously long ambulance waiting times, and solve the healthcare postcode lottery.

All we’ve had from this Government is broken promise after broken promise. It is time for real action.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, cancer, daisy cooper, fiscal plan, hospital buildings, housing targets, jane dodds, NHS, postcode lottery, sarah olney, state pension, suella braverman, triple lock, Wales and wendy chamberlain | 7 Comments

Daisy Cooper asks Sunak about the future of hospital funding

By Mary Reid | Wed 26th October 2022 - 6:15 pm

Today Daisy Cooper asked a question during Prime Minister’s Questions.

"There's been a lot of speculation that the PM… might seek to cut infrastructure projects," says Lib Dem MP Daisy Cooper, asking about the future of hospital funding

PM Rishi Sunak says the "chancellor will set out plans in the autumn statement"#PMQs https://t.co/D4qZLdFYoi pic.twitter.com/NnuVebmKMd

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 26, 2022

Two weeks ago she asked a very similar question of the then Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and received a very evasive answer.

It was shocking at #PMQs today to see the Prime Minister completely ignore my question about hospital roofs at risk of collapse.

The Govt must provide emergency funding now to protect staff and patients from these dangerous roofs. pic.twitter.com/ev2CsAiWIC

— Daisy Cooper MP 🔶 (@libdemdaisy) October 12, 2022

Did she get any further this time?

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Tagged daisy cooper and hospitals | 2 Comments

The Government must protect the triple lock on pensions

By Mary Reid | Wed 26th October 2022 - 4:18 pm

Our saintly Steve Webb – the Lib Dem pensions expert who became Pensions Minister during the coalition – created the triple lock pledge on pensions. Here he is talking about its history.

And the only thing that Liz Truss did that was commendable on the economy – admittedly under pressure – was to reaffirm the triple lock in her final Prime Minister’s Questions last week.

As a reminder, the triple lock on state pensions means that they will rise by average earnings, inflation or 2.5%, whichever is the highest.

So it is hugely disappointing to realise the Rishi Sunak is refusing to commit on the triple lock, which presumably means that it is “under review” in the run-up to the Budget on 17th November.

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Tagged state pension, steve webb, triple lock and wendy chamberlain | 32 Comments

Calls for inquiry into Braverman return as home secretary

By Paul Walter | Wed 26th October 2022 - 1:01 pm

Embed from Getty Images

The Guardian reports that both the Liberal Democrats and Labour have called for an inquiry into the reappointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary:

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Tagged suella braverman | 6 Comments

25 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 25th October 2022 - 10:30 pm

Liz Truss’s legacy: Dossier reveals damage done in 50 days of failure
Sunak speech fails to reassure public worried about winter ahead
Reshuffle: Stop “revolving door” payouts to Conservative ministers

Liz Truss’s legacy: Dossier reveals damage done in 50 days of failure

932,000 people seeing their mortgage rise
176,000 more people on NHS waiting lists
365,000 hours of sewage discharges

The Liberal Democrats have published a dossier on Liz Truss’ legacy, showing the damage done to the country during her 50-day premiership.

The analysis shows over 930,000 people saw their mortgage rise due to the Government’s botched mini-budget, the number of people on NHS waiting lists grew by 170,000 and 6.2 million people waited over two weeks for a doctor’s appointment.

A shambolic Home Office oversaw 27,000 unsolved burglaries, 492,000 more victims of fraud and 1,100 police officers leaving the force. The Government also oversaw sewage being dumped a staggering 51,000 times into rivers and waterways across the country, for a total of 365,000 hours.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged christine jardine, conservatives, daisy cooper and ed davey | 2 Comments

Guardian features two Lib Dems whose first date was delivering Focuses in the snow

By Paul Walter | Tue 25th October 2022 - 6:12 pm

This will warm the cockles of your heart, dear reader.

The Guardian has a regular feature called “How we met”, where couples recall the early days of their relationship.

This week, they feature “Nicky, 37, and Simon, 40”. They found love at first sight when they both got up to close a window together at a Lib Dem training weekend in Derby!

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1 Comment

24 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th October 2022 - 10:45 pm

Lib Dems table Bill calling for general election by December
Sunak: Another out of touch Conservative PM with no plan
Sunak statement: Keeping public in the dark while celebrating behind closed doors
First Minister Must Not Contribute to the Whitewashing of Qatar

Lib Dems table Bill calling for general election by December

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a Bill in Parliament today calling for an early general election by 1st December 2022.

The Bill will be tabled in Parliament today (Monday 24th October) and will be given its First Reading on Wednesday after Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Liberal Democrats are urging Conservative MPs to back the …

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged ed davey, jane dodds, qatar, rishi sunak, sarah olney, wendy chamberlain and world cup | 3 Comments

Welcome to my day: 24 October 2022 – exit Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, pursued by bear…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 24th October 2022 - 7:30 am

And so, true to form, a man without loyalty to anyone but himself bails out, leaving his supporters in the lurch. Given how many times he did exactly that as Prime Minister, one does wonder how, indeed why, people keep falling for his schtick.

Does this mean that we have a coronation for the leadership of the Conservative Party, or will Johnson supporters opt to switch to Penny Mordaunt in the hope of denying Rishi? Time is short, but such a thing isn’t impossible and, given the membership’s proven judgement, could Rishi win over the members? If the individual who …

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9 Comments

22-23 October 2022 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 23rd October 2022 - 11:30 pm

Rishi standing: The Chancellor that hiked taxes on hardworking families and lost billions of pounds
Zahawi backs Boris: Beyond belief
Boris Johnson out: Leadership contest has become a total farce

Rishi standing: The Chancellor that hiked taxes on hardworking families and lost billions of pounds

Responding to Rishi Sunak’s announcement that he is standing in the Conservative leadership election, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper MP said

Rishi Sunak cannot be trusted to steer our country through this cost of living crisis. He was the Chancellor that hiked taxes on hardworking families and lost billions of pounds of taxpayers money to covid

…

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged christine jardine, Conservative chaos and daisy cooper | Leave a comment

No room for complacency about the Tories

By Simon McGrath | Sun 23rd October 2022 - 10:41 am

t’s tempting seeing the fall in the Tory poll ratings and the turmoil in Government as presaging a disastrous General Election for them. But we have been here before – in the early summer of 2019 they were regular getting polls ratings in the 17-24% range and they lost 1,300 councillors that May and yet they went on to win a General Election a few months later.

If there is one thing we know about the electorate it is that it has become hugely volatile with voters much more willing to switch parties which is great in many ways but may still work against us.

Nor can we assume a continuous economic crisis: The EY Item Club Forecast has inflation dropping to 1.8% in 2024 with growth of 2.4%. There is plenty of economic pain in store for 2023 with average earnings continuing to fall but we should not under estimate the Tory’s ability to present lower inflation as an achievement of theirs.

The Tories are probably the most electorally successful party in the world: they have an extraordinary ability to reinvent themselves -helped of course by vast amounts of money and a formidable lack of scruples in how they fight elections.

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Tagged party strategy | 20 Comments

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 23rd October 2022 - 8:30 am

Ukraine

Good news/bad news on the Ukraine front.

Good news is that Ukrainian military are now making progress. It is also good news that Vladimir Putin has declared martial law in the parts of Ukraine he recently annexed and imposed lesser but still severe restrictions on other parts of Russia. The crackdown is a sure sign of lack of public support.

Bad news that the Russians have started bombing Ukrainian power generating and water pumping stations. So far about a third of the country has lost power. It will be a dark, cold winter for Ukrainians who may also lose water supplies.

Good news on the economic front. The Ukrainian economy is actually growing. This is mainly due to a stable banking system backed up by $23 billion in Western loans to secure currency reserves. But the loans would have been ineffective if the Ukrainians had not cleaned up their banking system which a few years ago was one of the most corrupt in Europe.

European Union

Good and Bad News also on the EU front. They are having another summit as I write this and at the top of the agenda will be how Europe can weather the energy crisis. The bad news is that the European Council has to discuss this issue because the richer countries are bowing to domestic demands to outbid the poorer EU countries for gas and oil supplies. The good news is that they are at least discussing the problem.

Other bad news is that it appears that Iran is involving itself in Ukraine on the Russian side. The drones attacking Ukrainian power stations were made in Iran and there are reports that Tehran is also supplying Russia with trainers and surface to air missiles. The Iranians publicly disapprove of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but, more importantly, they hate America.

France

President Emmanuel Macron had developed a reputation for being more interested in locating Putin’s golden exit ramp than prosecuting the war. As such he was not Volodomyr Zelensky’s most popular Western leader. That perception is changing. This week France announced that they were sending a quarter of their high-tech Caesar cannon to Ukraine. They also announced training facilities for 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and the dispatch of French anti-aircraft systems and radar. The French still lag well behind the British and Germans, but they are now committing themselves to increased military backing for Ukraine.

Italy

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Tagged Bolsonaro, brazil, emmanuel macron, france, Giorgia Meloni, italy and ukraine | 4 Comments

21 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 21st October 2022 - 10:30 pm

Block Boris: Parliamentary motion tabled to stop Boris Johnson
Appointments Commission urged to give no resignation gongs to Truss

Block Boris: Parliamentary motion tabled to stop Boris Johnson

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in Parliament to block Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister again.

The motion seeks to stop MPs who were found to have broken the law while in government from becoming Prime Minister. The Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper has described Johnson as “Britain’s Berlusconi” and said he is not fit to govern Britain.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said:

Boris Johnson is Britain’s Berlusconi. Conservative MPs are

…

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Conservative chaos, daisy cooper, honours and wendy chamberlain | 7 Comments

Wendy Chamberlain’s Carer’s Leave Bill

By Mary Reid | Fri 21st October 2022 - 5:04 pm

Today Wendy Chamberlain spoke on her Carer’s Leave Bill, which has cross-party support and passed its second reading.

It was a great privilege to lead a debate on my Carer's Leave Bill today and to have it pass onto the next stage of becoming law.

The Bill would create a right would give an estimated 2.3 million carers across the UK a statutory right to take five days of unpaid leave per year. pic.twitter.com/zjScrQEGcN

— Wendy Chamberlain MP (@wendychambLD) October 21, 2022

Carer’s UK have described this as a ‘landmark’ piece of legislation which would help carers to better balance work and care.

Last month Wendy held an event with major employers to explain her proposals, which were met with widespread support. She points out this is only a small step to recognise the vitally important work of unpaid carers but one that will be appreciated. There are already systems in place to support parents in their caring responsibilities, but nothing for those who care for adults, usually family members.

Scottish Lib Dems added their support.

"Millions of carers across the UK have to juggle their work with the responsibilities of looking after of loved ones.

This Bill would give them some much-needed flexibility to cope with these challenges."@wendychambLD pic.twitter.com/W2UeeB6NK4

— Scottish Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) October 21, 2022

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Tagged Carers Leave Bill and wendy chamberlain | 2 Comments

The fallout

By Mary Reid | Fri 21st October 2022 - 3:43 pm

Lib Dems have been busy today dealing with the fallout from the resignation of Britain’s shortest ever Prime Minister. I’ll rephrase that – the British Prime Minister who served for the shortest time in office EVER (although the original version is probably also true, if of no political significance).

First, all departing Prime Ministers are entitled to an annual allowance for the rest of their lives of £115,000 to cover office costs. This was covered in a press release yesterday, where Christine Jardine is urging her not to take it. Today Ed Davey told LBC radio:

Most people have to work at least 35 years to get a full state pension. I think working 45 days shouldn’t give you a pension that is many many times what ordinary people out there get after a lifetime of work.

Second, traditionally Prime Ministers can hand out peerages and other honours in a resignation list. Boris Johnson has only just honoured 29 people in that way. Another tranche following so soon from Liz Truss would be completely inappropriate. Wendy Chamberlain, Lib Dem Chief Whip, has written to the Chair of Parliamentary and Political Service Committee:

As you know, it is traditional upon a Prime Minister’s departure from office for them to issue a ‘Resignation Honours’ list. This list signifies individuals who are to be rewarded with an honour from the King which, in turn, would be considered by your committee.

However, because of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding Liz Truss’s tenure and resignation, I am writing to urge you and the committee to reject any Resignation Honours list put forward by her.

Liz Truss will be the shortest serving Prime Minister in British political history. It is possible that by the time she formally resigns, she will not have held office for more than 50 days.

I do not believe that it would be appropriate for Liz Truss to be permitted to issue a resignation honours list, given the extremely short length of her tenure.

I urge you to make it clear that you and your fellow committee members would not sign off on any such honours, which would be the second list in a matter of months.

Third, there is a lot of concern that Boris Johnson is thinking of entering the leadership contest. This was, of course, the Prime Minister who was only persuaded to stand down after 50 ministers resigned. As also mentioned in press releases our MPs have now tabled a motion to stop anyone who has broken the law while in Government from ever becoming Prime Minister. It reads:

That this House believes that the upholding of standards by its Members is of vital importance to the functioning of UK democracy; believes that it is vital that the Prime Minister and Ministers uphold these standards; and therefore resolves that any honourable or right honourable member that is found to have broken the law whilst in Government should be barred from holding Prime Ministerial Office.

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Tagged boris johnson, christine jardine, ed davey, featured, liz truss and wendy chamberlain | 5 Comments

21 October 2022 – the overnight press release

By Mark Valladares | Fri 21st October 2022 - 7:00 am

Chamberlain to lead debate on Carer’s Leave Bill

North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain will tomorrow lead a debate in the House of Commons on her Carer’s Leave Bill, after which it will be voted on by MPs. The Bill would give carers the right to take unpaid leave and has cross-party support.

Ms Chamberlain’s Private Member’s Bill would give an estimated 2.3 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.

The Bill …

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20 October 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 20th October 2022 - 10:30 pm

You don’t expect press releases to become obsolete quite so quickly but the past forty-eight hours have been historic (or hysterical, depending upon your perspective), so these, published in chronological order, perhaps sum up the events of the day…

Trevelyan refuses to back Truss: Conservatives way past their sell by date
NHS waiting list in Wales hits three-quarters of a million as health service “brought to its knees”
Truss resigns: Conservatives must do patriotic duty and back election
Welsh Lib Dems – Conservatives must do patriotic duty and back election
Conservative MPs must block Boris Johnson’s return
Deny Truss the £115k a year taxpayer dividend offered to ex-PMs, say Lib Dems

Trevelyan refuses to back Truss: Conservatives way past their sell by date

Responding to the latest Conservative chaos, with Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan failing to to answer whether Liz Truss will lead the Conservatives into the next election, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain said:

Liz Truss and the Conservatives are way past their sell by date. This is a government that can’t govern, led by a prime minister whose authority has been totally shredded.

People worried sick about how to pay the bills are looking on aghast at this never ending chaos and incompetence. The Conservatives must stop clinging to power and give the country the general election it needs.

NHS waiting list in Wales hits three-quarters of a million as health service “brought to its knees”

Responding to the news that the NHS Wales backlog has now hit 750,000 Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

Behind these figures are countless human tragedies. In every corner of the country people are frightened, suffering and waiting in pain because our NHS can no longer cope.

Labour is letting the NHS fall to its knees and patients are paying the price. Wales routinely has the worse health figures in Britain despite all nations facing similar challenges. This cannot go on.

The Government must come forward with a proper plan to bring down waiting times and recruit and retain more NHS staff. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to call for greater investment in primary healthcare facilities, GPs and social care.

We must prevent people from getting so ill they require either treatment in A&E or complex treatment paths if we are to reduce pressures on the system, this starts at ensuring people can access their GP easily. We also need to ensure patients can be discharged safely once their treatment is finished.

Truss resigns: Conservatives must do patriotic duty and back election

Responding to Liz Truss resigning as Prime Minister, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged alexander boris de pfeffel johnson, christine jardine, Conservative chaos, daisy cooper, ed davey, jane dodds, NHS, Wales and wendy chamberlain | 1 Comment

Ed Davey: Country wants a General Election

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 20th October 2022 - 7:23 pm

“I have just publicly congratulated a lettuce.” Now there’s a sentence I never thought I would write. But after six weeks in which the Government had descended into a destructive and self-destructive parody, it seemed appropriate. The Daily Star’s “Can Liz Truss outlast a lettuce” livestream was childish, but appealed to our sense of the ridiculous as our politics became more absurd.

My plan for yesterday evening was to watch the Doctor Who Easter special. I knew it would shred my emotions, so I’d been putting it off, but the thirteenth Doctor’s tenure ends on Sunday so I’d better get on with it. Anyway, Channel 4’s Gary Gibbon started to explain the bizarre events in the Commons voting lobbies and I ended up binging on the news channels until I fell asleep.

Of all the weird things about last night, the strangest was that the vote didn’t even matter. It was on an opposition motion, which the Government usually just ignores. What on earth possessed them to make such a big deal out of it when the Parliamentary Party was already in a highly sensitive state? Apparently making it an issue of confidence would nullify any of the rebels’ letters, but chucking them out of the parliamentary party would surely reduce the threshold and invite more letters from disgruntled MPs.

Not content with crashing the economy with the binfire budget, they turned in on themselves.

The Conservative Party is in so much pain that it is not capable of governing. It really needs to go and lie down in a darkened room for a few generations until it sorts itself out. Yet they are about to inflict their third PM in three years on to us.

I am not convinced that the 1922 Committee has thought through its high nomination requirement, which has presumably been set to keep out Boris Johnson. There is every possibility that you have one person with the backing of 100 MPs, and two others just short of that. They will be just as split as ever and we have seen how they behave when they all hate each other.

The country shouldn’t have to deal with this. Every household in the country on low and middle incomes will be paying more for borrowing, energy, basic costs of living because of Liz Truss’s folly. And the folly of MPs who allowed her to go forward to the members.

Ed Davey, Daisy Cooper and Christine Jardine have been commenting on various aspects of the Conservative chaos

Ed has been doing the media rounds this afternoon making the case for a general election so that the country can finally get some decent government. Here he is on the BBC, Sky and ITV:

"Moving the deck chairs on the Titanic is not what this country needs"

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says he thinks "there's a big movement in the country for a general election"

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 20, 2022

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Tagged chaos, christine jardine, conservative leadership, daisy cooper, ed davey, featured, lettuce and salad days | 10 Comments

Our new party political broadcast

By The Voice | Thu 20th October 2022 - 10:35 am

And here it is:

More and more people are turning to the Liberal Democrats because we work hard for your community and never take you for granted.

Join the Liberal Democrats today and help us win the fair deal the British people deserve. pic.twitter.com/1qnvHamxjm

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) October 19, 2022

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Tagged ed davey and party political broadcast | 2 Comments

19 October 2022 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Wed 19th October 2022 - 11:00 pm

And here are the rest (at the time of writing)…

Liberal Democrats Press Conservatives on HS2 Funding for Wales
Braverman departure: a “carousel of Conservative chaos”
Fracking vote: The Conservatives will not be forgiven
This Conservative soap opera needs to end now
Conservatives Cannot be Trusted to Maintain Fracking Ban if they Came to Power in Wales

Liberal Democrats Press Conservatives on HS2 Funding for Wales

During today’s Wales Office questions in Westminster, the Liberal Democrats continued to press the UK Conservative Government to release the £5 billion of consequential funding owed to Wales from HS2.

The HS2 rail line is currently classed by the UK Government as an “England and Wales project” despite not a single metre of the track being located in Wales and economic impact assessments showing that the rail line will result in a slight net loss to the Welsh economy. As a result, the UK Government is avoiding paying out over £5 billion in consequential funding to the Welsh Government, which could be spent on rail transport in Wales itself.

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Also posted in Press releases | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, Conservative chaos, daisy cooper, fracking, HS2, jane dodds, sarah green, Wales and wera hobhouse | 2 Comments