Category Archives: News

Mark Valladares

2021 – the year in review: January

By Mark Valladares | Sat 25th December 2021 - 12:00 pm

Welcome this mini-series, in which we’ll take a look back at the LDV year through our own personal prism. And where more obvious to start than at the beginning…

2020 had not been a particularly easy year, but you always want to start a new one with some enthusiasm, and Caron introduced us to something that was going to become pretty big as the year went on, the Maraphone. Perhaps it was a coincidence that the Government tried to ban leafleting a week later… We weren’t benefiting from local government by-elections either, as they’d been suspended due to Lockdown 2 – the sequel.

January also saw the culmination of Republican attempts to steal the 2020 Presidential election, one which was far closer than we had hoped it would be. But, despite what some would describe as a coup attempt on 6 January, democracy triumphed… just. Some of the lessons learned from the campaign as a whole were brought to us by John Surie, a member of Liberal Democrats Overseas.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Site news | Tagged | 1 Comment
The Voice

Season’s Greetings!

By The Voice | Sat 25th December 2021 - 9:00 am

We are all taking a break over the festive season, with only occasional postings, so we may not be able to respond to emails or moderate comments.

Hope you all enjoy a happy and safe time.

Tagged | 7 Comments
The Voice

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s Christmas message

By The Voice | Fri 24th December 2021 - 4:07 pm

Alex Cole-Hamilton has released his first Christmas Message as Scottish Lib Dem Leader.

He said:

“I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas after another tough year. Looking back to the restrictions of last Christmas, our army of vaccinators have given us a more normal festive season this year, but Covid is still very much part of our lives.

“I was honoured to take over the leadership of the Scottish Liberal Democrats this summer and I have sought to follow Willie Rennie’s example of constructive opposition and being prepared to lay politics aside when it comes to finding our way out of the pandemic.

“This year Scottish Liberal Democrats have led calls for the Government to do more to help Scotland’s 100,000 long Covid sufferers and those suffering heightened mental ill health as a result of the pandemic.

“We have fought for your right to medical privacy, by challenging the government on the reach of their vaccine passport scheme, while using scientific evidence to press the government to move to a system of lateral flow testing for large scale events.

“We have called for the introduction of a permanent vaccine workforce, made up of a new class of healthcare professionals, to cope with the ongoing requirement for Covid boosters while allowing current vaccinators to get back to their day jobs in other parts of the NHS. At the same time, we’ve added our voice to international calls for the redistribution of vaccine surpluses to the developing world to help stop the emergence of new variants.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 1 Comment
Mary Reid

Ed Davey: Bring back volunteering scheme

By Mary Reid | Thu 23rd December 2021 - 3:31 pm

Embed from Getty Images

Lib Dems are asking the Government to introduce an Emergency Volunteering Leave scheme – urgently. This would allow volunteers to take time off work, but still be paid, to help with the booster vaccinations over the holiday season.

Last week the NHS said it needs 40,000 volunteers for roles such as admin support and stewards, while vaccination centres say they are desperate for staff. Meanwhile, the British Medical Association has warned there could be up to 50,000 staff absences in the NHS by Christmas.

We also know that there are plenty of people willing to volunteer. We need to put the two together.

The scheme would allow people to take between two and four weeks on unpaid leave, and the Government would compensate them for expenses and loss of earnings.

Ed Davey says:

We are in the race of our lives to get people jabbed and turn the tide against Omicron, while the NHS is facing catastrophic staffing shortages.

It is baffling that the Government decided to scrap these plans that could have helped speed up the booster rollout.

There is no time to waste. Boris Johnson must bring back Parliament and introduce an Emergency Volunteering Leave scheme.

This would help people play their part in the booster rollout and take pressure off the NHS at this critical time.

Continue reading »
1 Comment

Vince Cable says we could win 30 more seats in 2024

By Andy Boddington | Wed 22nd December 2021 - 4:28 pm

Writing in the Independent today, Vince Cable predicts: ”A realistic if optimistic outlook is that the Lib Dems could take 30 more Tory seats at the next general election.” Some may think that is ambitious but if we don’t have ambition we are never going to succeed.

He begins with Orpington, a by-election, on a massive 26 per cent swing in 1962. That was fifty years ago and the political quicksand has shifted since then. But it doesn’t mean that, buoyed by our successes in Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire, we can’t deliver 30 MPs.

The experience in North Shropshire was that people no longer talked about the coalition. Only the very left talks about that now. We need to stride forward. Build on the excitement and momentum that we have gained during 2021. Ensure that we can get more MPs elected in 2024.

Over to Vince Cable.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 61 Comments
NewsHound

Lib Dem MPs demand action on ambulance waiting times

By NewsHound | Tue 21st December 2021 - 8:50 am

Helen Morgan, the new MP for North Shropshire, started her first working day since the by-election win by demanding action on local ambulance waiting times. Helen Morgan, along with Lib Dem health spokesperson Daisy Cooper yesterday called for an urgent review into the ambulance crisis which leaves thousands in Shropshire waiting too long for emergency treatment.

The letter to the Health Secretary calls for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review into ambulance services in England, with all ambulance services across the country now at REAP level 4 – the highest level meaning that ambulance services are under “Extreme Pressure”. With Covid rates rising, there is now a fear the ambulance crisis in Shropshire will worsen. The region already has one of the worst performing ambulance services, with new figures released over the weekend revealing 52% of patients at Royal Shrewsbury are left waiting more than 30 minutes in an ambulance before being handed over to A&E. The backlog in A&E, and shortages of ambulances, leaves those in need of emergency care left waiting dangerously long amounts of times before receiving care.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 4 Comments
NewsHound

Daisy Cooper is named one of top 20 backbencher MPs – vote now

By NewsHound | Tue 21st December 2021 - 7:56 am

Congratulations to Daisy Cooper who has been named as one the more influential backbench MPs in the House of Commons by communications consultancy Pagefield. The company is running a vote to select the top backbench MP. Vote here for Daisy. Voting is open until Friday 7 January.

Pagefield says:

Many expect Cooper to make her own bid for the party leadership, especially if she can help lead the strategic growth of the party within the southern Conservative ‘blue wall’. With over 700 parliamentary contributions… she displays a wide range of expertise and an oratorical talent that reflects her increasing ambition and influence.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 4 Comments
NewsHound

North Shropshire: Helen Morgan says health crisis is first priority

By NewsHound | Mon 20th December 2021 - 12:48 pm

We can’t have enough of Helen Morgan here on Lib Dem Voice. What a Christmas present! With Sarah Green’s win in Chesham and Amersham, we are beginning to build our strength on the national political scene. This morning, Helen spoke to Adam Green and Joanne Gallagher on BBC Radio Shropshire.

It was a very human interview covering the practicalities everyone faces on the first day in a new job. Helen said that one of her first priorities will be to write to Sajid Javid about the health crisis, which is nationwide but worse here in Shropshire. She promised to work on the casework that came up during the campaign and to focus on local issues.

Here are some extracts from the interview.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 8 Comments
NewsHound

North Shropshire: Helen Morgan talks to Midlands Politics (video)

By NewsHound | Sun 19th December 2021 - 2:28 pm

This morning Helen spoke to BBC Midlands politics.

Tagged and | Leave a comment
Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey: The Conservatives can be beaten anywhere

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 19th December 2021 - 2:03 pm

You have to hand it to Ed Davey. The poor man has had Covid since Monday but he hasn’t let it stop him contributing to and celebrating our historic by-election victory in North Shropshire.

He might have been stuck indoors but he maraphoned like a trooper.

Perhaps the only benefit of his self isolation is that he is unlikely now to get a Council Tax Bill from Shropsire Council given how much time he has spent there in the past month.

Covid is not much fun, even when you are fully vaccinated and boostered as Ed is, but he has stepped up to …

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 2 Comments
Mary Reid

“Is Boris Johnson honest?”

By Mary Reid | Thu 16th December 2021 - 9:12 am

That was the question asked by journalist Michael Crick yesterday. And the person he asked was the Conservative candidate in the North Shropshire by-election.

Unfortunately we have to link to the Daily Mail so you can see his answer(s), but it is worth watching the whole of this gem of a video.

To everyone helping today’s efforts – have a great day!  And good luck to Helen Morgan.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 12 Comments
NewsHound

Davey: North Shropshire now a “coin toss” between Lib Dems and Conservatives

By NewsHound | Wed 15th December 2021 - 10:00 pm

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has said the crucial North Shropshire by-election tomorrow (Thursday 16 December) is now a “coin toss” between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

The once ultra-safe Conservative seat is now under serious threat, amid local anger about ambulance waiting times, farmers being let down and rural communities feeling taken for granted by Boris Johnson’s Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats knocked on over 23,000 doors last weekend with over 1,000 volunteers on the ground during the final week. On eve of the poll today, Liberal Democrat candidate Helen Morgan was joined on the campaign trail by five of the party’s MPs.

Even a close second for the party would deal a major further blow to Boris Johnson’s authority in what should be one of the safest Conservative seats in the country.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 10 Comments
Caron Lindsay

How will you help Helen win North Shropshire tomorrow?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 15th December 2021 - 9:43 pm

I’ve not long finished hosting the eve of poll Maraphone for Helen Morgan in North Shropshire. It was a busy night – breakout rooms and everything. And it took Eastbourne PPC Josh Babarinde a whole hour to find anyone who would admit to voting Conservative tomorrow.

And what was absolutely amazing was that Ed Davey came along and joined us for a while. The indefatigable campaigner wasn’t going to let a wee tussle with Omicron get him down. He has been to North Shropshire so often they will probably send him a Council Tax bill and he is clearly gutted that he can’t be there tomorrow. But to come and hit the phones despite feeling poorly is above and beyond the call of duty.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 2 Comments
NewsHound

Javid snubs meeting with West Midlands ambulance trust – highlighting Tory neglect of North Shropshire NHS services

By NewsHound | Tue 14th December 2021 - 9:30 am

Embed from Getty Images

The Health Secretary Sajid Javid has ignored requests for a meeting with his local ambulance trust in the West Midlands, despite warnings that record delays are posing a “catastrophic risk” to patients in the region.

Board documents from the trust reveal that the Health Secretary was invited to a meeting over four months ago but has still not replied. It comes despite the local trust warning that record handover delays at the region’s hospitals are putting patients at risk of severe harm or even death, as it moved its risk rating to the highest possible level for the first time ever. The trust recently apologised to one 95-year old woman who was left waiting for 11 hours on the floor of her home for an ambulance with a suspected broken leg.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 7 Comments
Paul Walter

+++Physical conference returns to your actual Brighton next autumn

By Paul Walter | Tue 14th December 2021 - 8:02 am

The chair of the party’s conference committee, Nick de Costa, has made this announcement:

I can announce that the dates for autumn 2022 conference will be: 17-20 September 2022 at the Brighton Centre.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Conference | Tagged | 4 Comments
Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Council – the view from the cheap seats…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 13th December 2021 - 7:43 pm

Billed as the first meaningful opportunity for European liberals to meet in person since the pandemic started, approximately one hundred delegates and senior figures gathered at the Westin Excelsior hotel in Rome to scrutinise the work of the Bureau and to make decisions about the running and finances of the ALDE parry, along with half as many again online. The British delegation was split fifty-fifty, with five delegates in Rome, and five scattered around England and Wales, including me.

The event started with a speech from Sandro Gozi, the Secretary General of the …

Continue reading »
Tagged | Leave a comment
The Voice

Daisy Cooper: PM ‘moving the goalposts’ on booster jabs

By The Voice | Mon 13th December 2021 - 1:47 pm

Responding to the Department of Health rowing back on the Prime Minister’s promise for everyone to ‘get their booster before the New Year’, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Boris Johnson’s panicked announcement has once again caused chaos and confusion. Last night he promised people they could get a booster before the New Year, now ministers are moving the goalposts and saying people will only be offered one by then.

Their failure to prepare properly now means that NHS websites have crashed, lateral flow tests are running out, and everyone working to get people vaccinated have been left scrambling to

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases | Tagged , and | 3 Comments
The Voice

Daisy Cooper: Boris Johnson needs to go

By The Voice | Sun 12th December 2021 - 12:30 pm

The constant drip feed of stories of Government Covid rule breaking continues, most recently with the picture of Boris Johnson taking part in a quiz as the Daily Mirror reports:

After this latest revelation, Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said that the Prime Minister was undermining the ongoing fight against Covid and needs to go.

She said:

This slew of rule-breaking revelations leaves Boris Johnson with nowhere left to hide.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 55 Comments
Brian Paddick

Brian Paddick: Police Bill is most authoritarian, illiberal Bill I have seen

By Brian Paddick | Sun 12th December 2021 - 10:29 am

The Police Bill is not just about curtailing the right to protest.  The new legislation allows the Home Secretary to force local authorities and other public bodies to hand over sensitive, personal information to the police, even against the informed judgement of professionals on the ground.  Liberal Democrats in the Lords will vote against this further extension of centralised power over local decision-making.

Part of the truly illiberal Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that is not getting much publicity is a new duty on public bodies to give information to the police, so the cops can try to arrest their way out of the problem of serious violence.  What we actually need is a truly multi-agency, public health approach, where enforcement is only one part of the solution.  For example, when I went to Scotland I met a young father, whose partner committed suicide, who realised their son would grow-up without either of his parents if he did not turn away from violence, and with support, he has done just that.

Of course, if anyone has information that will help reduce or prevent serious violence, they have a duty to share it, and this Bill establishes a statutory duty on public bodies to share that information with each other, including the police sharing their information with others.  To the extent that the Bill removes barriers to allow the sharing of information, we support it.  In the wake of the horrific case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, the importance of information sharing is vital, although the changes in this Bill would not have affected that case.

Continue reading »
Tagged , , , , and | Leave a comment
NewsHound

Lib Dems call for hospitality summit amid “unprecedented” level of Christmas cancellations

By NewsHound | Fri 10th December 2021 - 3:27 pm

Daisy Cooper and Sarah Olney have joined with Paul Scully Conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam in a letter to the government calling for urgent support for hospitality firms impacted by plan B measures.

Concern has been mounting in pubs and restaurants in city centres about a drop off in trade during what is usually their busiest time of year after Boris Johnson issued new work-from-home guidance. The MPs say hospitality businesses are experiencing “unprecedented rates of booking cancellations” this Christmas.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 6 Comments
NewsHound

Lib Dems demand full statutory inquiry into Prime Minister’s flat refurbishment

By NewsHound | Fri 10th December 2021 - 1:16 pm

Boris Johnson continues to battle his way through the maelstrom of criticism over government partying while most of the rest of the country obeyed the social distancing rules at the cost of a happy Christmas. But as so often happens when one skeleton is found in the closet, another is found under the floorboards.

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain today called for an independent public inquiry into the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s flat, after new leaked messages show the PM knew more than previously alleged.

The party believes an independent, statutory public inquiry is needed to get to the bottom of the allegations. The inquiry would have the power to summon witnesses and require them to give evidence under oath, including current and former government ministers and officials, and demand the disclosure of any relevant official documents and communications.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 2 Comments
Mark Valladares

8 December 2021 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 8th December 2021 - 10:30 pm
  • PM press conference: Inquiry must look into all Downing Street parties
  • Covid pass app crashes days before vaccine passports introduced

PM press conference: Inquiry must look into all Downing Street parties

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for the Cabinet Office inquiry to be extended into all parties that took place in Number 10 last year, along with any that took place in other government departments.

It comes after Boris Johnson confirmed at a press conference today that he has only asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to look into the party that took place on December 18 last year, not an earlier gathering …

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases | Tagged , , and | 100 Comments
Mark Valladares

ALDE Party Council preview – Rome(o), Rome(o), wherefore art thou, Rome(o)…

By Mark Valladares | Wed 8th December 2021 - 8:58 am

Holding any international meeting in a time of plague is a challenge, but when the rules are in such a state of flux as has been caused by the Omicron variant, there is a sense that you might be better staying at home. But, despite the requires for tests, passports and all the associated hassle, at least some of the party’s delegation to ALDE Party Council will be travelling to Rome for meetings on Friday and Saturday. It is a hybrid meeting so, for those of us who, for various reasons, can’t or won’t travel, it will be another series of sessions in front of laptops or PCs.

The key matters of business are;

  • finance – the 2022 budget is to be adopted
  • membership – we have two applications from parties in Georgia and Lithuania
  • urgency resolutions
  • the future of the ALDE Individual Members group

One of the joys of state funding is a degree of predictability, and the fact that the ALDE Party receives most of its income via a direct grant from the European Commission does make for a rather less fraught financial position than is the case for British political parties. All of the European political groupings are funded in the same way, with strict limits on corporate and individual donations, and as funding has become more generous in recent years, it enables more Europe-wide campaigning, albeit restricted to the confines of the European Union.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

7 December 2021 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 7th December 2021 - 11:40 pm
  • Davey: PM must fess up over Xmas party
  • Williamson party: Met Police must investigate

Davey: PM must fess up over Xmas party

Responding to a new leaked video which shows the Prime Minister’s former press secretary joking about a party in Downing Street last Christmas, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:

People will rightly be furious with Boris Johnson, not just for holding a party during lockdown, but also for refusing to own up to it. Once again he shows it’s one rule for us and one rule for him, with the Conservatives continuing to take people for granted.

Whilst millions

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Press releases | Tagged , , and | 14 Comments
Mark Pack

Only 1 day to go to have your voice heard!

By Mark Pack | Tue 7th December 2021 - 5:24 pm

The Party is currently consulting on how to reform the Federal Board.

The voices of members such as yourself are critical if we are to deliver on the recommendations of the 2019 General Election “Thornhill” review. We have already shown progress in Chesham and Amersham, and have an amazing opportunity to deliver another blow to the Tory Government in North Shropshire (volunteer here or donate!) but to be successful in the long term we need to get our own structures right.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

Guardian – vote Liberal Democrat in North Shropshire

By Mark Valladares | Mon 6th December 2021 - 9:40 pm

It would be fair to say that the relationship between Liberal Democrats and the Guardian has been somewhat lukewarm for some time. The likes of Polly “that Liberal Democrat idea is very good, vote Labour” Toynbee have given us a thorough kicking for doing a bunch of things in coalition that Labour would have probably done had they not lost in 2010. But I digress…

Today’s Guardian editorial, headed “The Guardian view on a byelection test: Labour voters should back the Lib Dems”, is perhaps a sign that the pragmatists are at the editorial helm. In a forceful piece, they note;

But

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged , , and | 19 Comments
Mark Valladares

UPDATED – two North Shropshire Conservative Councillors defect

By Mark Valladares | Mon 6th December 2021 - 1:04 pm

Well, well, well, what is happening to the Tories in North Shropshire? It is reported this morning that Anthony Allen, a Town Councillor in Market Drayton, has defected to Reclaim, who have claimed him as their first elected councillor.

Now, as a parish councillor myself, describing Mr Allen as a top Tory councillor, as Reclaim have done, is a bit like describing me as a senior figure in Suffolk local government, but it does give the impression of a Conservative campaign in disarray.

As reported by the Independent;

The 54-year-old cab company owner said his former party had “gone soft on illegal immigration,

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged , , and | 6 Comments
Caron Lindsay

WATCH: Wendy Chamberlain’s first speech as Scottish Deputy Leader

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 5th December 2021 - 12:30 pm

Wendy Chamberlain has been elected as Scottish Lib Dems Deputy Leader.

 

She spoke to a gathering of party members in Edinburgh:

She said:

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 1 Comment
NewsHound

Ed Davey says Lib Dems challenging Tories hard in North Shropshire

By NewsHound | Sun 5th December 2021 - 10:31 am

With just 12 days to go before the by-election, called after Owen Paterson resigned amid allegations that he had used his parliamentary position to lobby for companies that paid him, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey spoke to BBC Midlands Today yesterday from Oswestry.

We are getting a sense that it is very close between us and the Conservatives. We are clearly challenging them very hard and Helen Morgan, our candidate, is going on really well. We are focussing on the issues people really care about like ambulance waiting times. Frankly, people feel taken for granted by the Conservatives. So, we

…

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 3 Comments
NewsHound

Tim Farron proposes bill to protect farmers from poor trade deals

By NewsHound | Sat 4th December 2021 - 2:31 pm

The Lib Dems have proposed new legislation to protect Welsh farmers from being undercut by food trade deals that do not meet the UK’s environment and animal welfare standards.

A private member’s bill from Spokesperson for Rural Affairs Tim Farron MP would require the government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission to assess the impact of any new trade deal on UK farmers, and guarantee that MPs had the final say on trade deals initiated by the government. This would include an assessment of the impact of new trade deals on farming communities in each region and nation of the UK.

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 1 Comment
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Neil Hickman
    @Simon - I think you should also note that Dan Neidle goes a long way beyond the "oh, we can't possibly touch the obscenely wealthy" position. He specifically a...
  • Jana
    “If the purpose of an economy is not to do that, then what is the incentive for those at the bottom to remain engaged in the economy, democracy and even socie...
  • Nonconformistradical
    @Peter Martin As far as I am concerned the terrorism issuue is not relevant to my point. My point is that the level of violence used against the police offic...
  • Simon McGrath
    "Over the very same years, the public wealth of the country fell from a positive £337 billion to minus £1 trillion." This is obviously nonsense "That is no...
  • Neil Hickman
    @David - Granted, by 1979 the "progressive" nature of the income tax system had become ridiculous. The top rate of income tax was 83% and you had an "investment...