Category Archives: News

Caron Lindsay

The Federal Election results are out!

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd December 2025 - 4:09 pm

I am just quickly posting this now in between appointments and I will do some commentary later.

The Federal Returning Officer Crispin Allard sent this email out giving the results of the Federal Committee elections:

I can confirm that today we have completed the count for the internal federal elections, following an initial delay.

The results can be found below:

Federal Board:
Hannah Kitching; Janey Little; Prue Bray

Federal Board – Councillor Rep:
Lucy Nethsingha

Federal Council:
Adrain Hyyrylainen-Trett; Aiden Van de Weyer; April Preston; Candy Piercy; Caroline Leaver; Caron Lindsay; Charley Hasted; Dominic Martin; Donna Harris; Gareth Roberts; Hannah Perkin; Humaira Sanders; Janice Turner; Jenny Wilkinson; Keith Moffit; Rachel Barker; Richard Cole; Sarah Cheung Johnson; Simon McGrath; Teresa Cooper; Victor Chamberlain

Federal Council – Councillor Rep:
Sudhakar Achwal; Tim Pickstone; Thalia Marrington

Federal Policy Committee:
Abrial Jerram; Antony Hook; Duncan Brack; Katie Mansfield; Laura Gordon; Lucy Nethsingha; Martin Horwood; Mohsin Khan; Nick Harvey; Phil Bennion; Rebecca Jones; Richard Cole; Rosie Shimell; Simon McGrath; Zoe Hollowood

Federal Policy Committee – Councillor Rep:
Susan Juned; Thalia Marrington

Federal Conference Committee:
Alison Jenner; Callum Robertson; Chris Adams; Chris Maines; Eleanor Kelly; Gareth Epps; Jennie Rigg; Jess Brown-Fuller; Kath Pinnock; Nick da Costa; Sarah Teather; Shaffaq Mohammed

Federal International Relations Committee:
Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett; Allessandra Rossetti; Ann Keeling; David Chalmers; Eleanor Rylance; Hannah Bettsworth; Irina von Wiese; Khadija El Morabit

ALDE Delegation:
Chloe Hutchinson; Helen Belcher; Irina von Wiese; Jacqueline Bell; Phil Bennion; Rowan Fitton

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that, on 12 November, Josh Babarinde was elected as President, and Victoria Collins was elected as Vice President with responsibility for ethnic minorities.The Federal Returning Officer team extend our sincere thanks to all candidates for putting themselves forward, and to every member who engaged in the process and made their voice heard.

A few quick thoughts:

Continue reading »
Tagged | 5 Comments
The Voice

Danny Chambers’ Animal Welfare Bill becomes law

By The Voice | Wed 3rd December 2025 - 10:25 am

Dogs, cats and ferrets across the world have cause to be grateful to Lib Dem MP Danny Chambers. His Bill preventing puppy smuggling and trafficking of heavily pregnant animals received Royal Assent from the King yesterday and is now the law of the land.

“Britain will no longer be a market for animal cruelty” said Danny to Lib Dem Conference in September. Here’s his whole speech where he was completely upstaged by Vikki Slade’s gorgeous dog Todd.

Speaking as his Bill received Royal Assent, Danny said:

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 2 Comments
The Voice

Federal Election counts happening today

By The Voice | Wed 3rd December 2025 - 8:45 am

After a three week delay, the counts for the Federal elections will get underway at 10 am.

By the end of the day, we should know who has been elected to the Federal Board, Federal Conference Committee, Federal Policy Committee, Federal International Relations Committee, ALDE delegation, Federal Council and the Councillor representatives to FPC, FCC and FC.

The counts were delayed in the wake of the decision of the Returning Officer to change the ways the diversity quotas operated just one day before the ballots opened. This was successfully challenged to Federal Appeals Panel which led to the results being delayed. 

We …

Continue reading »
Tagged | Leave a comment
Liam Yip

ALDC By-Election Report, 27th November

By Liam Yip | Fri 28th November 2025 - 4:09 pm

This week saw three principal council by‑elections in England, each offering a glimpse into the shifting local political landscape. The most notable was in Pendle, where the Liberal Democrats faced the challenge of defending this council seat against the rising threat of Reform, whose presence on the ballot paper added uncertainty surrounding the contest.

Beginning in the town of Barlick, we were able to successfully defend this seat with a clear and decisive victory. Polling day happened to fall on Lancashire Day, even though the town itself has sat on the wrong side of the county line for the past fifty years. The Liberal Democrats strengthened our position, while both Labour and the Conservatives saw their vote collapse. Meanwhile, Reform UK made its first appearance here with a sizeable vote share but ultimately fell well short of mounting a serious challenge.

Congratulations are due to Councillor Bryony Hartley and the local team for ensuring this remained a Liberal Democrat seat.

Pendle Borough Council, Barnoldswick
Liberal Democrats (Bryony Hartley): 1,008 (59.8%, +1.5)
Reform UK: 441 (26.2%, new)
Conservative: 170 (10.1%, -11.7)
Labour: 66 (3.9%, -11.1)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Turnout: 25.8%

Continue reading »
Tagged | 7 Comments
The Voice

Ed Davey reacts to “botched” budget

By The Voice | Wed 26th November 2025 - 2:30 pm

Ed Davey has described Rachel Reeves’ budget as a failure. He said:

This was a botched Budget delivered by a Chancellor who has diagnosed the disease, but refuses to administer the cure.

This Government has chosen to reject the single biggest thing it could do to turbocharge economic growth and repair the £90 billion Brexit black hole.

Labour was elected on a promise of tackling the cost of living crisis and growing the economy – and this is the second budget where it’s failed to do either.  For millions of people struggling with higher bills, all this budget really offers is higher taxes.

David Chadwick, our Welsh MP, had this to say:

This is yet another budget that fails to deliver the structural changes needed to deliver for the people of Wales.

My constituents will be bitterly disappointed in the lack of help for the cost-of-living crisis and the failure of the Government to listen to Liberal Democrat calls to make energy bills cheaper and cut VAT for hospitality businesses.

Rural communities have been left abandoned again, with Labour’s refusal to compromise on the family farms tax set to cause devastation to the entire wider supply chain.

The Government has deliberately turned its back on the single most effective step it could take to kick-start growth and fill the £90 billion Brexit-shaped hole in the public finances. No wonder our public finances are in such a rough state.

He made further comments on the lifting of the two child benefit cap, which we opposed from the start:

This is a commendable move that will go a long way to addressing Wales’ sky-high child poverty levels, which are amongst the highest in Europe and something the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on since 2017.

But this could have been done much sooner; thousands of Welsh Children have been dragged into poverty due to the Conservatives and Labour’s refusal to do this sooner.

This must be the start, rather than the end, to reducing child poverty in Wales, with the level of children in poverty almost stagnant since Labour started running the Welsh Government in 1999, we will need further action.

That is why we are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce 30 hours of funded childcare per week for every child in Wales aged between 9 months and 4 years old.

And he welcomed the release of the investment reseerve of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme back to its members. This will not cost the public purse anything but will make a massive difference to the lower paid staff in particular – the office staff and the nurses, for example, who are its members and are mostly women. In fact, it will bring a gain in taxes.

He has been really active on this issue since he was elected last year:

Continue reading »
Tagged | 34 Comments
The Liberator Collective

Liberator 432 is out

By The Liberator Collective | Wed 26th November 2025 - 8:55 am

Cover of Liberator 432 showing two horses in middle of road signed Lib Dem strategy, both saying they are not frightened.

Liberator 432 is out.

You can download Liberator 432 for free here. and remember you can sign up here to be emailed when each issue comes out:

In this issue we have what we think is the first full account in English of how social liberal party D66 won in the Netherlands, and how Roz Savage MP’s solo ocean rowing experiences informed her views on the environment.

Also, find out in Radical Bulletin what went wrong with party elections, what’s happened to membership and about a panic over the Federal Council’s powers

MAN TROUBLE 

Young men are drifting to Reform but the Liberal Democrats could win them back if they only tried, says Isaac Tucker

YES WE CAN!

Annelou van Egmond explains how a stricter immigration policy helped the social liberal party D66 come top in the Dutch general election.

REGENERATION GAP.

Roz Savage MP argues Britain needs more than net zero targets and masterplans – it needs a great regeneration of nature, communities, economy and democracy

EATING THE BIG APPLE 

The triumph of democratic socialist Zoran Mamdani as New York’s mayoral race has not been grasped by the Democrat establishment, says Rebecca Tinsley

HAS THE FIGHTBACK AGAINST TRUMP STARTED?

Martha Elliott looks at signals that the American public has had enough of its president

GIVE THE HIGH STREETS A HEART 

The Liberal Democrat policy paper on high streets and town centres lacks ideas on how to rescue them from decline, says Roger Hayes

MISSING MEMBERS 

Why do the Liberal Democrats pay so little attention to membership? wonders Tad Jones

WHEN TO FLY A  FLAG

Continue reading »
Tagged | Leave a comment
Caron Lindsay

What are Lib Dems saying about the Budget?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 26th November 2025 - 8:27 am

I don’t know if you feel the same, but it seems to me that this is the longest run-up to a Budget that I can remember.  We’ve been talking about it forever. At times the Government’s communications around Rachel Reeves’ second budget have made the Omnishambles Budget of 2012 look competent.

First we were raising income tax rates then we weren’t, the Black Hole in the country’s finances has been of varying sizes and suddenly there now seems to be billions down the back of the sofa to stave off a break in the manifesto promise.

I don’t mind paying more tax. In fact, if I want decent public services and to tackle poverty,  I think a household on our income should be paying significantly more than we are. I really hope that our reaction to today’s announcements is more than “Aaaargh…..tax.”

So what do Lib Dems want to see from the Budget?

We’re looking for energy bills to be cut, cutting VAT for hospitality and getting a better deal with the European Union. We quite like the increase in the minimum wage, but we want to see more opportunities for businesses to grow as Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

Increasing the minimum wage is always welcome news for millions of low-paid workers but unless businesses are able to grow, there is a danger that this will result in fewer jobs being available overall.

The government must make people’s money go further by slashing energy bills, boosting our high streets with a cut to VAT for hospitality until 2027, and going for growth with a better deal with Europe.

We’ve opposed the two child benefit cap brought in by the Conservatives from the start so we should welcome its abolition.

After Lib Dem instigated research from the House of Commons Library showed that the costs of Brexit to the nation, namely a staggering £90 billion in tax revenue in 2024/25, Scottish spokesperson Susan Murray said:

The economy is at a standstill. Despite years of promises from the Conservatives and now Labour to kickstart growth and clamp down on crushing household bills, the British people are facing a cost-of-living permacrisis and yet more betrayals from those in charge.

The Government must not load struggling households or high streets with yet more tax rises to pay for its own mistakes. Rachel Reeves must take bold action to slash the cost of living, rescue our high streets, and start fixing the mess left by Brexit – by negotiating a new Customs Union with the EU, to grow our economy and bring in tens of billions for the Exchequer.

Anything else would be tantamount to a dereliction of duty.

Steve Darling, our DWP Spokesperson, has been talking about the impact of freezing tax thresholds on pensioners. I agree with him that we need to worry about those on the lowest incomes having to find extra money because they’ve been dragged into income tax.

This is a stealth tax bombshell that will hit pensioners hard, leaving those affected £800 a year worse off – and Labour is poised to make that nightmare even worse.

Rachel Reeves once called extending these tax thresholds a policy that would ‘hurt working people’. Now it’s clear she’s getting ready to copy the economic vandalism of the past.

The Chancellor must stand by her word, rule out an extension to this outrageous tax freeze at the Budget, and stop hammering pensioners who have already been left out in the cold by skyrocketing energy prices and the disastrous Winter Fuel Payment scandal.

According to a blog post from Independent Age for Equal Pay Day, many of  the poorest older people are women so it is improtant that we take an intersectional approach to this:

While poverty affects almost two million of all older people across the UK, older women are disproportionately impacted. Behind closed doors and on fixed incomes, hundreds of thousands of older women are finding it harder to make ends meet. The statistics are stark:

Poverty among older women is projected to rise from 20% in 2022 to 26% by 2040
Women aged 55 to 59 have 48% less private pension wealth than men in the same group
Older women too often face a future shaped not by rest and recognition, but by rising costs, shrinking incomes and a system they feel overlooks them. At Independent Age, we are determined to ensure that all older people in financial hardship receive better support which they are entitled to.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 10 Comments
Liam Yip

ALDC By Election Report 20th November

By Liam Yip | Fri 21st November 2025 - 7:24 pm

This week, there were seven local by-elections, of which there was a Liberal Democrat candidate in all but one contest. The six-month rule has now come into effect for seats that are up in 2026, so no more for this cycle will be called.

We start in Stratford-on-Avon, where there were two by-elections. One was a Liberal Democrat defence, whilst the other saw the Conservatives defending their seat. In the former, we successfully defended this seat. However, in the latter seat Reform were able to successfully gain off the Conservatives, only 3 votes ahead of us. Congratulations are due to Paul Harrison for his win. Commiserations to Huw Lewis and the local team for the extremely close result.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Quinton
Liberal Democrats (Paul Harrison): 437 (47.3%, +3.5)
Reform UK: 306 (33.1%, new)
Conservatives: 137 (14.8%, –26.2)
Green Party: 35 (3.8%, –4.7)
Labour: 9 (1.0%, –5.7)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Turnout: 30.41%

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Salford Priors and Alcester Rural
Reform UK: 272 (33.3%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Huw Lewis): 269 (32.9%, +9.7)
Conservatives: 227 (27.8%, –29.1)
Green Party: 31 (3.8%, –5.3)
Labour: 18 (2.2%, –8.6)

Reform UK GAIN from Conservative

Turnout: 33%

Continue reading »
Tagged | 9 Comments
Mary Reid

Lib Dem councillors win 2025 Cllr Awards

By Mary Reid | Thu 20th November 2025 - 10:17 am

The winners of the Cllr Awards for England and Wales were announced by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) at an event on Tuesday night. Of the five awards two were won by Liberal Democrats, while a third was awarded to a former Lib Dem.

The Innovator of the Year award went to Cllr Alex Ehmann (centre of photo) of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.  His citation says:

Councillor Alexander Ehmann of the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames has elevated transport and air quality agendas by focusing on residents’ involvement in the design process. He is leading the council’s transformation of its transport strategy with the development of the Richmond 2040 plan. And he was responsible for an innovative new entry treatment for school streets, which is now being adopted by other London Boroughs.

Cllr Harry Boparai (second from left) from Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey County Council was gained the Community Champion award.

Councillor Harry Boparai from Surrey County Council and Spelthorne Borough Council is a tireless, hands-on problem-solver praised for his impact on everyday quality of life. His focus is on the issues that matter to residents, from tackling rogue landlords and fly-tipping to improving road safety. Well-known for his practical support of local causes, he plays a leading role in protecting green spaces, heritage projects, and supporting organisations working with young people.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 7 Comments
Mark Valladares

19 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 19th November 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Inflation stats: Chancellor must put households and high streets first
  • Lib Dems: Govt must go further and “ban surge pricing”
  • PMQs: Kemi Badenoch should apologise for £40bn of Conservative stealth tax hikes
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats call for World Cup fan parks and late night licenses
  • Stone secures meeting with Treasury to save high street banks

Inflation stats: Chancellor must put households and high streets first

Responding to the latest ONS inflation figures released this morning, Daisy Cooper, Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said:

As the cost-of-living crisis rages on, the Chancellor mustn’t look this small gift horse in the mouth.

Hitting people with a stealth tax at next week’s Budget would prolong the pain of higher taxes for much longer and unfairly pull poorer pensioners and low-income workers into paying tax for the first time.

We Liberal Democrats are calling for emergency measures to slash people’s energy bills, save our high streets with a VAT cut for hospitality and boost growth in every corner of the UK – funded fairly by taxing the banks. The Chancellor must put households and high streets first and put an end to the most vulnerable from having to choose between heating and eating.

Lib Dems: Govt must go further and “ban surge pricing”

Responding to the government’s announcement banning the reselling of tickets for profit, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Anna Sabine MP said:

Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to ban surge pricing – a practice that can see ticket prices skyrocketing for in-demand events, and require ticket resale platforms to verify that listed tickets actually exist before they are allowed to be sold.

So while this is a good opening act, let’s make sure the encore truly gives live events back to the fans, not the scalpers.

PMQs: Kemi Badenoch should apologise for £40bn of Conservative stealth tax hikes

The Liberal Democrats have blasted Kemi Badenoch’s hypocrisy on stealth taxes at PMQs, highlighting the £40bn stealth tax bombshell the Conservatives hit the public with during their time in office.

Between the stealth tax being announced in 2021 by the Conservatives, and the 2024-25 financial year at the end of the last Parliament, frozen income tax thresholds hit households with £38.7bn in total, according to figures from the OBR.

The Conservative freeze on income tax thresholds has meant that, by the end of the last Parliament, basic rate taxpayers had paid an additional £950 in total due to the freeze on the Personal Allowance, while higher rate taxpayers were hit with nearly £4,800, according to Liberal Democrat analysis of figures from the OBR.

Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

Kemi Badenoch should apologise for the years of stealth taxes put in place by the Conservatives if she wants to be taken seriously by the public.

The Conservative government she loyally served hammered families with years of unfair tax hikes.

Both Labour and the Conservatives seem intent on punishing the public with endless tax hikes, instead of turbocharging our economy with a closer trade deal with the EU.

Scottish Liberal Democrats call for World Cup fan parks and late night licenses

Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for huge fan parks to be set up across the country so fans can gather to watch Scotland’s World Cup games and for pubs to get special dispensation to show their matches in the event that they are scheduled for late at night.

The party says stadiums and parks could host huge screens to beam back the games from the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

18 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 18th November 2025 - 11:57 pm
  • Highest number of 8 hour waits at A&E in 2025
  • Scot Lib Dems call for action on Alzheimer’s and dementia
  • Rennie: Scottish education deserves better than third decade of SNP
  • Government must set out support for workers at Mossmorran
  • McArthur: Prison crisis shows every sign of getting worse
  • Rennie: Housing Secretary has some nerve as heating bill dropped

Highest number of 8 hour waits at A&E in 2025

Responding to new figures showing only 61.5% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 9th November 2025 (11,020 waited more than 4 hours, the highest in 2025), while 4,532 people waited over 8 hours (the highest in 2025) and 2,181 waited over 12 hours, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

Under the SNP it feels like every week at A&E is breaking a some kind of record for long waits. We are now seeing the highest number of people waiting over 8 hours of the entire year.

With the cold snap of the last few days we can be under no misapprehension that winter has now arrived, yet the SNP have squandered the months it had to prepare and left our A&E departments in a perilous state.

The Scottish Government needs to start taking serious action to support the staff facing these pressure cooker conditions. Scotland’s A&E patients deserve better – and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you can vote for change with fairness at its heart.

Scot Lib Dems call for action on Alzheimer’s and dementia

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today called for the Scottish Government to make sure people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias don’t fall through the cracks as new figures confirmed that they now account for around one in 10 of all deaths.

New figures published today by the National Records of Scotland show:

  • There were 6,612 deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias registered in Scotland in 2024. This is one of the leading causes of death in Scotland, accounting for around one in 10 of all deaths.
  • After adjusting for age, there were 122 deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias per 100,000 people in Scotland in 2024. This rate has almost doubled over the last two decades.
  • Almost two-thirds (64%) of deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were females and 36% were males.

Delegates at the Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference recently backed a motion calling for the Scottish Government to urgently establish minimum national care standards and entitlements for Scots with dementia.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

17 November 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 17th November 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Asylum hotels: state-endorsed robbery will not fix the crisis
  • Lib Dem MP calls for National Crime Agency crackdown after “mountain of waste” uncovered in Oxfordshire
  • Greene calls for Scotland-wide school fire safety audit
  • Poll suggests Lib Dems can win over wide range of voters and take on SNP
  • Scottish Conservatives seem to have nothing but name-calling left

Asylum hotels: state-endorsed robbery will not fix the crisis

Commenting on the Government’s annoucement to confiscate asylum seekers’ jewellery to pay for their housing costs, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

The Government must fix the asylum system, but stripping vulnerable people of their family heirlooms will not fix a system that is costing taxpayers £6 million every day in hotel bills.

This policy goes against who we are – a nation that has long responded with compassion to those fleeing the worst atrocities imaginable.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the end of asylum hotels and to give asylum seekers the right to work, so that they can support themselves financially, integrate and pay tax. That is how we bring down the bill – not by state-endorsed robbery.

Lib Dem MP calls for National Crime Agency crackdown after “mountain of waste” uncovered in Oxfordshire

The Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Calum Miller, has used an urgent question in Parliament to call on the Government to pay for a 150 metre illegal waste dump in Oxfordshire, and for the National Crime Agency to investigate the most serious cases.

The mountain of rubbish, which is situated in a field between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington, has been described by Calum as “pollution on a grotesque scale.”

Calum also suggested that the site has to “be seen to be believed” and condemned criminal fly-tipping gangs, who he said are “carefully planning operations to dump industrial waste in the countryside” without consideration for the “health of people or animals”.

Calum has today (Monday 17th November) used an urgent question in Parliament to call on the Secretary Of State to issue an “urgent directive” to clear up the site “before it is too late” for the River Cherwell. The cost of cleaning the pile of waste, which is up to 20 feet high, is more than the entire budget of Cherwell District Council. Calum also called for an Independent “root-and-branch review” into the Government’s response to waste crime.

Greene calls for Scotland-wide school fire safety audit

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the West of Scotland Jamie Greene has urged the Scottish Government to conduct a Scotland-wide audit of fire safety in schools.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , and | 1 Comment
Caron Lindsay

Josh Babarinde asks The Question in Parliament

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 17th November 2025 - 7:31 pm

Every week Lib Dem MPs ask questions in Parliament, aiming to hold the Government to account.

But last week proved to be busier than usual for newly elected President Josh Babarinde.

He asked The Question of his partner Connor in the House of Commons chamber, with the permission of the Speaker and the help of fellow MP Jess Brown-Fuller. And our Earl Russell was on hand to take these beautiful photos.

We think Josh is the first MP to actually propose in the Chamber itself, though photos of that private moment can’t be published.

How cute is this?

Josh said on Twitter:

Last Thursday, I asked a very special question in Commons after official business had finished for the day – not to the Prime Minister, but to my partner Connor (on his birthday!)

…and his answer was YES! 🤩

We marked it with a photo just outside the chamber afterwards.

🙏Thank you to Mr Speaker
@CommonsSpeaker, his team, the Sergeant-at-arms, the doorkeepers, events team and all those who helped make this surprise happen.

And a huge thanks to one of my top pals, @JessBrownFuller, for being my wingwoman in helping me plan this and pull this off over the last few weeks and months!

Connor and I couldn’t be happier and we will never forget it 🙏

📸: Lib Dem member of the House of Lords (and pro photographer)
@EarlRussellLD – thank you John!

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 1 Comment
The Voice

Marie Goldman’s statement for Trans Awareness Week

By The Voice | Sat 15th November 2025 - 11:30 am

Lib Dem spokesperson for Women and Equalities Marie Goldman has issued a statement for Trans Awareness Week in which she reaffirms the Lib Dem commitment to fight for a society where everyone is free to be who they are and where trans people are protected from discrimination. She said:

Many trans and non-binary people – in the UK and across the world – face unacceptable barriers to healthcare, employment, education, and public life. In the

…

Continue reading »
Tagged | 6 Comments

ALDC By Election Report, 13th November

By Chris Ward | Fri 14th November 2025 - 6:24 pm

This week saw five local by-elections, four of which had a Liberal Democrat on the ballot.

Congratulations are due to Cllr Hannah Griffin and the team for the Lib Dem hold in Vale of White Horse.

Vale of White Horse District Council, Ridgeway
Liberal Democrats (Hannah Griffin): 442 (43.1%, -14.9)
Conservative: 250 (24.4%, -17.6)
Reform UK: 204 (19.9%, new)
Green Party: 122 (11.9%, new)
Labour: 8 (0.8%, new)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Turnout: 38%

Friday’s count in Canterbury delivered less pleasing news, as the Green Party gained from the Liberal Democrats. Commiserations to Guy Meurice and the team.

Canterbury City Council, Wincheap
Green Party: 842 (39.1%, +24.1)
Liberal Democrats (Guy Meurice): 518 (24.1%, -12.2)
Reform UK: 351 (16.3%, new)
Labour: 276 (12.8%, -25.5)
Conservative: 166 (7.7%, -2.6)

Green Party GAIN from Liberal Democrats

Turnout: 33.27%

Continue reading »
Tagged | 15 Comments
Caron Lindsay

The presidential and vice presidential results are out…..

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 12th November 2025 - 11:45 am

As I said earlier, the party’s presidential and vice presidential elections have been counted.

Josh Babarinde and Victoria Collins have been elected as President and Vice President respectively.

The presidential result was as follows:

Josh Babarinde 3742   69%

Prue Bray 1698  31%

Turnout 9.1%

The vice presidential race was closer

Victoria Collins  2788 57%

Kamran Hussain 2102 43%

Turnout 8l2%

Congratulations to both Josh and Victoria who take up their new roles on 1st January. The President chairs the Federal Board and is there to be the voice of the members to the leadership. The Vice President is responsible for increasing diversity in the party.

All four candidates contributed to an illuminating, positive and interesting campaign.

After the count, Josh said:

I’m so grateful to Liberal Democrat members for electing me to serve as our next Party President.

With the traditional parties failing to stand up to Reform’s division, I’m fired up to help ensure our party is ready to be the last line of defence against them.

I’ll be working across the party to broaden our reach, apply my youth work experience to engaging young voters ahead of votes at 16, and get battle-ready for next May’s elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and councils and Mayors across England.

Ed Davey added:

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 18 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Presidential and Vice Presidential counts to get underway at 10 am but all committee counts postponed

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 12th November 2025 - 9:33 am

Today the counts get under way for the federal internal elections.

Online voting ended at 2pm yesterday but the voting period was dominated by the changes to the diversity quotas announced the day before polling started on October 28th.

On that day, presidential candidate Prue Bray wrote that she was so angry she could barely type.

It is far from clear what the law is exactly at this point, but even if we are not compliant with it, the party should have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do this! If we give up without a fight, not only will we be letting trans and non-binary people down and violating one of the core values of the party, namely, our opposition to discrimination of any kind – we will also do ourselves immense damage. We will lose the trust of many of our LGBTQ+ members and voters and their allies. Some may choose to quit the party altogether. The stupidity of the way that this has been done, without any explanation to those involved, without any priming, without any expression of regret..! I am not sure whether I feel furious – or heartbroken.

Her fellow candidate Josh Babarinde said shortly thereafter that he stood with trans an non binary Lib Dems.

What has happened in the last 24 hours represents the mere tip of the iceberg of the kind of thing trans and non-binary people face when going about life day-to-day, never mind when putting their heads above the parapet to stand in elections to represent us.

We’ve got to do more to support our trans and non-binary candidates, and ensure they feel safe and valued making contributions to public life. I’ve already had discussions with trans and non binary members about what this practically needs to look like, and I’m fired up to continue these discussions and drive action accordingly, irrespective of the Presidential election.

Since then, there has been an extraordinary and brilliant display of joint working between Josh, Prue and the official diversity organisations within the party, LGBT+ Lib Dems, Lib Dem Women, Lib Dem Campaign for Racial Equality and the Lib Dem Disability Association. They met the KC who had provided the party with the legal advice which had kicked this all off on Friday and issued a detailed statement on Monday which we reported here.

At the same time, Lucas North, a candidate in the elections, challenged the Returning Officer’s decision at a Federal Appeals Panel hearing on Monday. The decision was published yesterday and found in Lucas’s favour. The 2 page decision is published in full below.

The Federal Returning Officer David Crowther announced his resignation this norning:

Following the decision by FAP I don’t believe my position as FRO is any longer tenable and so I have resigned with immediate effect.

I’d like to put on record my thanks to Rachel Minshull and Mike Dixon for their support and endless hard work that made the volunteer role at all possible.

David was in an impossible position. As a volunteer, going against the party’s legal advice would have been extremely risky. We should be grateful to him for his service in this role.

There will have to be a review of what happened because there is much to learn from this. It should be carried out in a spirit of transparency and humility and we should make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.

How we deal with the quotas going forward will need to be addressed too, but the willingness we have seen for all the key players to work together over the past few weeks is an extremely good sign.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 4 Comments
The Voice

Internal Elections update – Federal Appeals Panel, statements from official party organisations and presidential candidates

By The Voice | Mon 10th November 2025 - 7:20 pm

This afternoon, the party’s highest dispute resolution panel met to discuss the ruling issued by the Returning Officer on 27th October, prior to the ballots opening in the federal party elections.

Lucas North had appealed to the Federal Appeals Panel and after the hearing this joint statement was issued:

We were pleased to attend the FAP hearing today on the rules around the internal elections.

The FAP made clear that the rules as written in the constitution need to be reviewed by members as they can no longer be implemented as originally intended following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland and therefore there is a lack of clarity.

The FAP has ruled that parts of quotas should be disapplied on a case by case basis, as the election count proceeds, in order to avoid discrimination. This requires a different approach to that originally set out by the RO; it means that quotas will apply as written in the constitution until they lead to a breach of the Equality Act 2010 in any individual circumstance.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , , , , , , and | 7 Comments
Lord William Wallace

Why does the UK handle budgets like this?

By Lord William Wallace | Sun 9th November 2025 - 8:45 am

Another budget, and another set of parliamentary debates – and newspaper comments – that will generate much heat but very little light about the choices Britain faces in raising state revenue and funding public services.  Since Margaret Thatcher used revenues from North Sea oil and receipts from privatization to fund current spending through asset sales rather than higher taxes, Britain has been stuck with a false self-image that we can be a country of both lower taxes than our continental counterparts and comparably generous public services.  Brexit of course, with its consequences in in depressing economic growth, has made the choices more difficult.  But we still have politicians calling for tax cuts without suggesting what impact on public spending they will have.  How do they get away with it?

I’ve just been reading a paper a novice Liberal Democrat MP wrote 25 years ago on how badly the British Parliament handles budgetary scrutiny and debates on spending and taxation.  He notes that the British Parliament has one of the weakest systems for parliamentary influence over government expenditure in the world.  He condemns the way in which taxation and spending are discussed separately rather than as unavoidably linked, with changes in the tax structure sprung from the Chancellor’s budget statement rather than carefully examined for their impact on the economy – which has led to the UK now having one of the most complex and untidy systems of taxation in the developed world.  He decries the false divide between ‘policy’ and ‘finance’ – the first the province of ministers, the second the responsibility of permanent secretaries who answer to the Public Accounts Committee for how funds have been spent. ‘It matters how a country takes its decisions on the budget. It may be less exciting, but process matters’, Ed Davey argued.  He therefore made a series of proposals to strengthen the role of MPs in discussing financial choices and in later scrutinising how well funds have been spent.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 6 Comments
Liam Yip

ALDC By-Election Report 6th November

By Liam Yip | Fri 7th November 2025 - 6:45 pm

This week, there were ten by-elections, of which two were on Tuesday. Three by-elections did not have a Liberal Democrat candidate.

Congratulations to Councillor Jan Goffey and the local Liberal Democrat team for gaining a seat in Devon, despite beginning from a standing start. We were able to secure a decisive victory, whilst both the Conservatives and an independent were vying for second place.

West Devon BC, Okehampton South
Liberal Democrats (Jan Goffey): 356 (57.1%, new)
Conservative: 152 (24.4%, -5.9)
Independent: 116 (18.6%, – 17.0)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Green Party

Turnout: 22%

Congratulations are also due to Councillor Martin Redman and the local team, who were able to gain a seat off the Conservatives in Surrey. Meanwhile, Reform UK were able to secure a convincing second place, well ahead of the Conservatives who finished third.

Tandridge DC, Westway
Liberal Democrats (Martin Redman): 539 (42.3%, -0.6)
Reform UK: 420 (33.0%, new)
Conservative: 202 (15.9%, -13.3)
Labour: 112 (8.8%, -19.1)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative

Turnout: 25%

Continue reading »
Tagged | 10 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Lib Dem Donna Harris leads Lambeth Council in rejecting committee seat for sex-charge councillor

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th November 2025 - 3:34 pm

Headshot of Cllr Donna HarrisWhen a review of Lambeth Council’s committee structure proposed putting a councillor who had been arrested  on charges of sexual assault, exposure and controlling and coercive behaviour on a committee that investigates wrongdoing, Lib Dem leader of the opposition Cllr Donna Harris was having none of it.

Donna, who is the chair of  Lib Dem Women, the official body in the Lib Dems representing women, led the efforts to get this stopped. For a week she tried, unsuccessfully, to block the move behind the scenes.

However, when the appointments came to Council recently, she spoke against them and they were ultimately rejected unanimously.

Donna said that the appointmentsent the wrong message to every woman who expects our public institutions to be safe and fair:

I stand here today not only as a councillor, but also as the national party’s Chair of Liberal Democrat Women.
And I must say — clearly and firmly — that what I’m about to raise cannot be ignored.

This must be addressed on behalf of women everywhere who expect their councils to act with integrity, accountability, and respect.

The proposal to offer the independent member a seat on the Investigating Committee is deeply concerning.
It sends entirely the wrong message — to residents, to council staff, and to every woman who expects our public institutions to be safe and fair.

The independent member has been charged by police and faces a pending court case.
I fully recognise, as we all must, that he is innocent until proven guilty.
But while those proceedings are ongoing, it is wholly inappropriate for him to be given a committee seat —
especially one responsible for investigating the conduct of others.

Over the past week I’ve tried everything to prevent this, putting forward constructive alternatives.

The administration may say the current position is lawful — but laws can and should change.

Let’s be clear: this is not about prejudice.

It’s about safeguarding — about protecting the reputation of this council, maintaining public confidence, and ensuring everyone who works in or visits the Town Hall feels safe and respected.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 6 Comments
Tom Arms

Tom Arms World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 2nd November 2025 - 8:30 am

Trump’s Asia trip was a tour of important political contrasts.

In Malaysia, Japan and South Korea he was treated with obsequious knee-bending accommodations. As his helicopter Marine One flew past the landmark Tokyo Tower was lit up with red, white and blue, AND, the final touch, topped with Trumpian gold.

But it was the South Koreans who won the toadying prize. President Trump was greeted with a 21-gun salute, a band that played “Hail to the Chief” followed by his campaign rally theme song, “YMCA”.

But it didn’t stop there. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung presented Trump with his country’s highest medal and a replica of an ancient Korean royal crown. Then, at the state dinner, the South Koreans served a “Peacemaker’s Dessert” which consisted of brownies topped with edible gold.

Finally, the South Koreans agreed to invest $20 billion a year for the next ten years in the American companies that Trump chose. The kowtowing worked. Trump reduced US tariffs on South Korean products from 25 percent to 15 percent

Then, Trump met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. There were no bands, no red carpets, and no Trumpian gold. The venue was a non-descript military building on the edge of Busan International Airport. Both men looked tense when they shook hands for the cameras.

It was clear that the two men were meeting as equals and Trump was ill at east. At meeting’s end, Trump—in typical hyperbolic overstatement—called the get-together with XI “amazing” and gave it a score of “12 out of ten.”

It was not amazing. Both sides met because they had looked into the abyss created by Trump’s tariffs and Chinese refusal to concede a Trump victory in a trade war with the US.

China is the only country with the economic strength and political will to challenge Trump’s tariffs. It did so by cutting off American access to essential Chinese rare earth minerals. The meeting in South Korea eased American tariffs and allowed renewed access to the minerals. But it did little to reduce tensions between the two countries.

There was no sign of the obsequiousness that Trump enjoyed everywhere else in Asia. There was no talk about Chinese support for Russia in Ukraine; or a renewal of meetings of military leaders or cooperation on climate change or talks on the development of artificial intelligence. The world needs improved relations between Beijing and Washington and there was no sign of it in Busan. This meeting dealt with only one aspect of bilateral relations between the two super powers– trade. At best it was a start and should receive a score of five out of ten.

Qatar is a top contender for the next Nobel Peace Prize. Forget Donald Trump. He is good at making a lot of noise about peace deals. Qatar just goes about quietly doing the job of international conciliator.

In fact, the country’s 2003 constitution says that its foreign policy is “based on the principles of strengthening international peace and security by means of encouraging the peaceful resolution of international disputes.”

It is this constitutional determination that has turned Qatar into the Switzerland of the Middle East. During the war in Afghanistan, it became the safe haven headquarters of the Taliban leadership. As a result, it was also where negotiations were held to end the war.

But that is not all, in September Qatari diplomats helped negotiate the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher held captive for two years by Iraqi militia. They also brokered talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which culminated in a peace deal in June.

Qatari’s peace-making efforts are not confined to the Middle East and Africa. They are also mediating between the Colombian government and the drug gang Clan del Golfo. So, Trump, look out, Qatar is coming up fast on the inside track.

Continue reading »
Tagged | Leave a comment
The Voice

Joint statement from Josh Babarinde and Prue Bray on diversity quotas

By The Voice | Thu 30th October 2025 - 2:17 pm

Presidential candidates Prue Bray and Josh Babarinde have issued a joint statement on the changes to diversity quotas which we are reproducing in full below.

Both of us are deeply concerned by the impact of the changes to diversity quotas for the Liberal Democrats internal Federal Elections that was made on 27th October, the day before voting opened.

We have spoken with countless members who are similarly outraged at the unacceptable consequences of this decision on the dignity of trans and non-binary members of the Liberal Democrats.

Together, as Presidential candidates, we have been urgently working with party colleagues to help find a way forward – within the law and within the constitution – while recognising that options are limited and the road ahead is long.

To move forward, it is essential firstly that the legal basis on which the decision was made was clear and that the art of the legally and constitutionally possible and impossible is also clarified.

Having made this representation on behalf of members, we are able to report that the party has agreed to our request to facilitate a meeting between the King’s Counsel who issued the legal advice in question, and 1 representative of each of the AOs represented on the Federal People and Development Committee (Lib Dem Women, LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, the Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality, the Lib Dem Disability Association, the Young Liberals).

Continue reading »
Tagged | 4 Comments
Rebecca Jones

Have we forgotten what we stand for?

By Rebecca Jones | Tue 28th October 2025 - 4:00 pm

I joined the Liberal Democrats six years ago. I was 16, I’d just finished my GCSEs and I wanted to make a difference. I believe in Liberalism, and the party’s preamble spoke to me. After all, who wouldn’t want a free, fair and open society? Well, as it would seem, quite a lot of people.

But nevertheless, I campaigned in elections during 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 3 times in 2024 and again in 2025 and I’ll continue in 2026 for my local election campaign. We lost most of those elections. All 5 of the ones I stood in we lost, which wasn’t too surprising. Throughout all of this I kept going not because I thought it was the best way to spend my Saturdays. Nor for my step counter. Nor because I wanted fame and fortune.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 13 Comments
Liam Yip

ALDC’s by-election report: 23 October 2025

By Liam Yip | Fri 24th October 2025 - 6:16 pm

4 parallel white vertical lines on orange background ALDC logoThis week saw seven local by-elections across the country, with there being a Liberal Democrat candidate in all but one.

In Birmingham, we were able to successfully gain a seat off Labour, with a convincing victory amidst a substantial challenge from a local independent. Congratulations to Councillor Philip Mills and the local team!

Birmingham MBC, Moseley
Liberal Democrats (Philip Mills): 1,634 (34.7%, -11.9)
Labour: 1,149 (24.4%, -14.1)
Independent (Williams): 923 (19.6%, new)
Green Party: 474 (10.1%, +1.5)
Reform UK: 345 (7.3%, new)
Conservative: 101 (2.4%, -4.1)
BC Inds (Mazhar): 80 (1.7%, new)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Labour

Turnout: 29.9%

In Devon, congratulations are also due to Councillor Nigel Kenneally and the local team, who were able to win a seat in a ward that we had not previously stood in.

Torridge District Council, Milton and Tamarside
Liberal Democrats (Nigel Kenneally): 428 (37.5%, new)
Reform UK: 355 (31.1%, new)
Conservative: 191 (16.7%, new)
Independent: 101 (8.8%, new)
Green Party: 67 (5.9%, -23.9)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Independent

Turnout: 32.99%

In Minehead, the Conservatives fell to third place in a seat they were defending since we were able to gain this seat off them. Congratulations to Councillor Cara Strom and the local team!

Somerset Council, Dunster
Liberal Democrats (Cara Strom): 1,142 (49.6%, +8.5)
Reform UK: 666 (28.9%, new)
Conservative: 449 (19.5%, -22.9)
Labour: 44 (1.9%, -4.2)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Conservative

Turnout: 32.2%

In Glastonbury, we were able to successfully defend our seat with a decisive victory. Congratulations to Councillor Ewan Cameron and the local team.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 3 Comments
Catherine Bearder

I know our party: it needs Prue for President

By Catherine Bearder | Fri 24th October 2025 - 11:55 am

Catherine Bearder

Editor’s Note: In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.

I’ve been around this great party for a few years now, and I’ve done a lot of jobs. Constituency organiser, agent, fundraiser, organiser of regional conferences and part of the team for the federal conferences as well as being a candidate – for far too many times to recall. Alongside other activists I’ve helped out at parliamentary by- elections and seen us at our best. I was elected as a Liberal Democrat on Parish, District and County councils and finally elected three times to the European Parliament,where I famously served on my own for one term, and latterly led a group of 16 fresh and keen MEPs. After the European Parliament, I chaired my region of South Central for 3 years. It’s been quite a journey, but none of it would have been possible without the commitment and support of legions of hard- working and committed members who believe in a Liberal Democrat future for this country, and were willing to give up their time and energy to deliver it. I know where our strength comes from: it’s our members.

Of course, organising our party machine takes leadership and skills and a lot of behind the scenes organisation with a lot of meetings, lots and lots of meetings! (I’ve been to quite a few of those too…) At these, I’ve always been aware that the voice often missing is that of the members. It’s often said, and felt, that the party is too London-centric, but that’s not true, though it does have a tendency to be power-centric. This is why I think we members need to be very sure about what we want our new President to be.

For me, the party President should be the voice of the membership, able to speak truth to power, to be available for the local parties, not only to attend their events but to feed back their concerns to those inevitable committee meetings. But the President also leads the internal processes and line-manages the CEO, so that we remain true to our principles of fairness, equality and democracy. I want to see our new President do that, and do it well.

MPs must answer to the leader in the House of Commons, as do the Peers to their leader in their House. The nations speak for their particular regions and interests, feeding through their regional issues, but too often those who do the work in the local parties don’t have a champion at the top table. The President, elected with a mandate from the members, is able to be that person to challenge and champion the party, to defend our constitution in the face of the demands of publicity and controversy.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 1 Comment
Simon McGrath

What would Nelson say?

By Simon McGrath | Tue 21st October 2025 - 11:17 am

Embed from Getty Images
Today is Trafalgar Day – the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
 

When I attend meetings in the Council Chamber in Merton, it’s impossible to ignore the Borough’s most famous inhabitant: a huge picture of Admiral Lord Nelson looks down on the assembled Councillors.

Today is the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, which cemented Britain’s naval supremacy. I wonder what Nelson would make of the Royal Navy today, which  cannot properly defend us. The core problem traces back to Tony Blair’s expeditionary foreign policy and its emphasis on distant wars. To support this, his government commissioned two large aircraft carriers designed for offshore bombardment and troop support.

In principle, that’s fine. Unfortunately, the focus on these two large ships means the Royal Navy cannot reliably carry out its most basic task: keeping our sea lanes open to receive vital supplies. 95% of our trade is carried by sea, including 66% of our gas supply. The risk isn’t just cargo ships being sunk; we also rely on pipelines from Norway, cross-channel power cables, and the huge web of critical undersea communications cables.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 9 Comments
Mark Valladares

18-19 October 2025 – the weekend’s (non-Conference) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 19th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”
  • Lib Dems: Govt must “break the link” with gas prices to reduce bills

Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”

Responding to the news that Rupert Lowe will joining the Public Accounts Committee in place of a Conservative, Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs, commented:

Huge numbers of decent British people – including many Conservative voters – will be rightly appalled to hear that Kemi Badenoch has decided to support somebody with Rupert Lowe’s views.

This decision proves yet again just how far the

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases | Tagged , , and | 2 Comments
Mark Valladares

18 October 2025 – the Scottish Conference press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sat 18th October 2025 - 10:00 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good
  • Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland
  • Scottish Lib Dems back proposals to support night-time economy
  • Lib Dem conference backs new plans for dementia support
  • Scottish Lib Dem conference backs measures to tackle violence against women and girls

Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good

Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow has today backed plans put forward by West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene to end the SNP”s ferries fiasco for good.

It follows a consultation run by Mr Greene which heard from local people, workers, ferry experts and businesses who have been messed around.

The party”s new plan calls for a series of measures including:

  • A new Ferries Bill within the first year of the new Parliament which guarantees that island communities are served by a reliable network, which listens to the needs of island communities and empowers them in decision-making.
  • New requirements to replace ageing vessels and produce a rolling 30-year strategy for ferries and port infrastructure, so no community is ever left without a viable lifeline service.
  • Restructuring the current tripartite governance arrangements of Scotland”s maritime assets, making them independent of government and putting community voices at their heart.
  • Expanding the compensation scheme for those affected by the SNP’s ferries fiasco, removing the current arbitrary limits that are unfair to so many businesses in island and coastal communities.

Jamie Greene said:

Islanders and coastal communities have paid the price for the failure of the Scottish Government to provide the ferries they need, manage maintenance, and procure new vessels on time or on budget.

They deserve better than SNP ministers who’ve shown that they don’t understand local needs and can”t be trusted with lifeline links.

We need to get Scotland moving again. By backing this motion, conference has sent a clear message that we have a realistic plan to get things done.

We will end the ferries fiasco for good through a new Ferries Bill that puts fairness for these communities at its heart. They deserve a new strategy that guarantees vessels are replaced in time and a real say on how their ferries are run, on top of proper compensation for the disruption they”ve suffered.

We are poised to beat the SNP in seats where their ferries fiasco has hit hard, but wherever you are a vote for the Liberal Democrats on the peach ballot next year can fix the ferries for good and get Scotland moving again.

Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland

The Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference has today backed proposals from Highland Liberal Democrats which would ensure that all legislation works for rural communities.

The motion also calls for a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities and funding formulas – subject to their request – to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities.

It was put forward by the party’s candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green and candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber Andrew Baxter, and backed overwhelmingly by conference.

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green said:

Scotland’s rural communities are vital to our economy, our environment, and our culture – but are too often left behind by the SNP’s centralised, urban-focused policy. People in the Highlands are tired and frustrated with always feeling they are at the back of the queue.

Many rural communities have a wealth of opportunities but also face significant challenges, including depopulation and the loss of young people; a chronic shortage of affordable housing and childcare; and poor transport connectivity.

Liberal Democrats successfully championed legislation to ensure that the needs of island communities are considered in every piece of legislation. That same consideration should apply to Scotland’s rural communities.

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch candidate Andrew Baxter said:

Highland council covers an area almost the size of Belgium. People living in Skye, Wick and Aviemore don’t necessarily have exactly the same interests. Meanwhile it is distant SNP ministers in Edinburgh who are making decisions about what local services should look like. That’s not good enough.

The motion also calls for the Scottish Government to enable a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities – subject to their request – and funding formulas to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities. If communities want to see local authorities broken up then they should be able to decide that for themselves.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Conference, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , and | Leave a comment
The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Clive Jones

By The Voice | Sat 18th October 2025 - 5:20 pm

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Clive Jones’ contribution tells of Ming’s solidarity with someone whose journey to the Commons was similarly long:

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am sure that Ming would have been delighted with the tributes paid to him today by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey) and many others. Just as importantly, I think Elspeth would have been equally delighted. She would have been raising a glass of champagne in celebration.

Ming is remembered as a brilliant and successful athlete and an accomplished, distinguished advocate. He was a real fixture in this House, utterly authoritative on foreign policy and defence matters for more than two decades. Less well remembered is the fact that it took him three elections and a decade to be elected to represent Fife, a seat he then held for 28 years. He was, therefore, sympathetic and hugely supportive of my similarly numerous efforts to win in Wokingham.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | Leave a comment
Advert

Recent Comments

  • David Allen
    A clear, credible, principled strategy from the Yorkists! Makes a welcome change. Sadly, followed by twenty below-the-line posts, providing nearly twenty ve...
  • Simon McGrath
    so we get a permanant increase in costs for these subsidies based on ( alleged ) windfall profits. Its another big increase in spending -how is it to be paid ...
  • Peter Davies
    @Kira CollinsThat assumes we want to help people more with their energy bills than with all the other bills they may be struggling with. There is no reason why ...
  • Rob Heale
    Agree that we need to focus on strategy and have clearer messaging:- 1. We MUST prioritise membership recruitment in all we do, including PPB's, most leaflets...
  • Kira Collins
    Disappointed. The most obvious means of reducing energy bills is to remove VAT. Relatively straightforward to do and does not adversely impact on the attractive...