Category Archives: Press releases

Mark Valladares

25 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th September 2024 - 11:55 pm
  • Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects
  • Prison release error: Shocking news which needs “immediate action”
  • McArthur reveals scale of prison self-harm as he marks 1,000 days since suicide strategy expired

Lib Dems call for any fiscal rule changes to be used to build new hospitals amid under-threat projects

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Health Secretary ahead of his speech at Labour Conference today calling on the government to use any changes to the fiscal rules which are reported to be being made at the Budget to be used to invest in the NHS and complete the building of the previously promised 40 new hospitals.

In the letter from the Party’s Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan she said that the “Conservatives were not honest with the public” in their failure to deliver these schemes but that “patients across the country will now be extremely concerned” that the Health Secretary looks set to cancel many of these new hospitals.

Helen Morgan also said that continuing the projects was “imperative” not only to improve patients care but also for boosting growth with infrastructure spending on major construction projects and that by not fixing the NHS you could not fix the economy.

She went on to say that the changes to the fiscal rules at the Budget, as mentioned in the Chancellor’s speech should “pave the way for the investment we desperately need in our hospitals” to improve patient care and boost growth.

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Mark Valladares

24 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 24th September 2024 - 11:50 pm
  • Winter Fuel Payments: Hundreds of thousands more pensioners set to lose out
  • NHS Scotland Stop Smoking Services fall short of target
  • Cole-Hamilton challenges Health Secretary to tackle cancer crisis
  • Worst ever homelessness figures on the SNP’s watch
  • Jardine responds to GB Energy Aberdeen announcement
  • Cole-Hamilton demands action on Highlands care home closures
  • Just 3.2% of acid attacks in London have resulted in charge this year

Winter Fuel Payments: Hundreds of thousands more pensioners set to lose out

Responding to the latest Winter Fuel Payment statistics showing that there was a 214,000 increase in the number of recipients of the payments in the winter of 2023/24 compared to the previous year, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:

Hundreds of thousands more pensioners are now set to lose out on these desperately needed payments that protect so many from having to choose between heating and eating.

Cutting these payments for pensioners, which include millions who are just scraping by and are now worried about how they will get through the winter, is totally wrong.

It is not too late for this new government to change course and Liberal Democrat MPs will push them every step of the way to reverse these cuts and protect vulnerable pensioners this winter.

NHS Scotland Stop Smoking Services fall short of target

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has warned that efforts to deliver a smoke-free Scotland are falling short as new figures released today showed that NHS Scotland Stop Smoking services only achieved 74% of their target for helping people to stop smoking.

The new figures also reveal that only Western Isles and Dumfries & Galloway met their yearly targets. NHS Shetland and NHS Borders achieved less than 50% of their yearly targets, with Lothian, Lanarkshire and fife also performing poorly.

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Mark Valladares

23 September 2024 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd September 2024 - 10:30 pm

Cole-Hamilton calls for statement on eye hospital closure

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, health spokesperson and MSP for Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for the Scottish Government to deliver a statement in the Scottish Parliament on the closure of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.

It was announced last week that the Eye Pavilion, which provides ophthalmic care across Edinburgh and the Lothians, will close temporarily from Monday 28th October for six months while works on the plumbing system are carried out.

Campaigners including Mr Cole-Hamilton have long pushed for a replacement for the 55 year old Eye Pavilion building. However this replacement …

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Mark Valladares

21-22 September 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 22nd September 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • McArthur: SNP must confirm that they won’t dump another climate target
  • More than 400 solicitors withdrawing from legal aid schemes in just 3 years

McArthur: SNP must confirm that they won’t dump another climate target

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate spokesperson Liam McArthur has called on the SNP government to confirm that they will not dump their target to decarbonise the passenger rail network by 2035 after the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero failed to mention this deadline during an exchange in parliament.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament earlier this week, Mr McArthur asked Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, if she …

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Mark Valladares

20 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 20th September 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • National debt: The Conservatives trashed the economy
  • McArthur responds to health committee’s summary of assisted dying consultation responses
  • Cole-Hamilton: We should empower communities to help tackle antisocial driving

National debt: The Conservatives trashed the economy

Responding to the national debt reaching 100% of GDP for the first time in decades, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s figures are yet more proof of the terrible state in which the previous Conservative government left our public finances.

Even though the Conservatives trashed our economy, the government can’t use that as an excuse to make the wrong decisions, such as cutting winter fuel payments and leaving vulnerable pensioners worried about the cold months ahead.

Ministers must take action to repair our public finances in a fair way, by asking big banks, the oil and gas giants and global social media corporations to pay their fair share of tax.

McArthur responds to health committee’s summary of assisted dying consultation responses

Responding to the Health Committee publishing a summary of responses received in response to its call for evidence on Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which shows that a majority of respondents were supportive of the bill, Mr McArthur said:

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Mark Valladares

19 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 19th September 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Improving maternity care must be a key priority for the new government
  • Rennie responds to new Audit Scotland college report
  • Cole-Hamilton urges First Minister to act on antisocial driving
  • Cole-Hamilton attacks “vast” pay off to water industry boss

Improving maternity care must be a key priority for the new government

Responding to the Care Quality Commission’s report into maternity care services, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Helen Morgan said:

The ongoing postcode lottery of maternity care must end. That means raising standards across the board and making sure that no mother or baby is put at unnecessary risk.

Unsafe staffing levels and practices can have tragic consequences, as so many families across the country have experienced first hand.

Despite several reviews and inquiries, this new CQC report makes clear that much more progress needs to be made.

Improving maternity care must be a key priority for the new government as it seeks to address the broader crisis in our healthcare system.

Rennie responds to new Audit Scotland college report

Responding to a new Audit Scotland report which warns that colleges may not be able to offer the same learning experience to students as in the past and that further staff cuts are on the horizon, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said:

College budgets have been first in line for the axe for years now. Figures from the Scottish Funding Council show that the SNP cut resource funding for colleges by 4.8% in the 2024-25 budget, hot on the heels of a real-terms reduction in funding of 8.5% over the previous two financial years.

The SNP’s neglect of further education has contributed to our wider economic malaise and it makes clear that ministers do not see colleges, their staff and students as a priority.

Colleges have a key role to play in providing people with the skills they need to flourish in key sectors like insulating homes, food and drink, tourism, social care and nursery education.

Scotland won’t reach its economic potential without a thriving college sector.

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Mark Valladares

18 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 18th September 2024 - 11:45 pm
  • Ed Davey unveils new Lib Dem frontbench team to champion “the people’s priorities”
  • Cole-Hamilton: For ten years the SNP have picked at the scab of their defeat

Ed Davey unveils new Lib Dem frontbench team to champion “the people’s priorities”

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his new frontbench, as he calls on his party to champion the “people’s priorities” and “clean up the mess left by the Conservative government.”

The new frontbench announcement follows Ed Davey’s conference speech, where he set out the Liberal Democrat plan to be a “constructive opposition” holding the new government to account. Davey unveils his new team of spokespeople after the party won 72 seats at the general election, becoming the largest third party in the House of Commons in a hundred years.

Daisy Cooper remains as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, but will also now become the party’s Treasury Spokesperson, where she will focus on the cost-of-living crisis and holding the Government to account as it clears up the terrible economic mess left by the Conservative Party.

Helen Morgan, who became MP for North Shropshire in a historic by-election victory in 2021, now leads on Health and Social Care, the number one priority for the party that is championing access to GPs and dentists as well as support for unpaid carers.

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Mark Valladares

17 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 17th September 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey speech: “Make the NHS winterproof”
  • Cole-Hamilton comments as Scotland marks ten years since Independence Referendum

Ed Davey speech: “Make the NHS winterproof”

In his speech to Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton today, Leader Ed Davey will call on the Government to set up a new “Winterproof NHS Taskforce” to put an end to the annual winter crises in the health service.

With NHS chiefs warning that “this winter is likely to see urgent and emergency care services come under significant strain”, Ed Davey will urge the Government to “make this year the last winter crisis in our NHS”.

Last winter, ambulances across England collectively spent a total of 112 years waiting outside hospitals to hand patients over, according to official NHS figures. Between November 2023 and March 2024, 732,000 patients faced A&E waits of over 4 hours to be admitted, with 228,000 waiting more than 12 hours.

For the first time, the Taskforce would bring together a team of experts reporting directly to the Health Secretary, responsible for strengthening coordination across the NHS and allocating long-term funding and resources to prevent winter crises.

Over the past seven years, the Government has announced an average of £376 million of emergency funding each year to tackle the NHS winter crisis. Under the Liberal Democrat proposal, the new Taskforce would instead manage a ringfenced fund of £1.5 billion over the next four years, to build resilience in hospital wards, A&E departments, ambulance services and patient discharging.

This would allow integrated care boards and NHS Trusts to plan their budgets more efficiently to prevent winter crises, instead of just receiving emergency funding from the Government at the last minute.

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Mark Valladares

10 September 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 10th September 2024 - 10:50 pm
  • Winter Fuel vote: Cut will be deeply worrying to millions
  • 589 people die from suspected drug death in first half of 2024
  • Alcohol deaths highest in 15 years
  • Cole-Hamilton: Supporting 168,000 Long Covid sufferers is vital economic investment
  • Rennie responds to Michael Matheson’s return to parliament
  • Rennie responds to Children’s Commissioner free school meals comments

Winter Fuel vote: Cut will be deeply worrying to millions

Responding to the vote to cut the Winter Fuel Payment, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

Millions of pensioners will be left deeply worried about how they will get by this winter with this cut to the Winter Fuel Payment. So many pensioners are already facing another winter of a cost of living crisis and this will make things worse.

The damage left by the Conservatives to our economy is unforgivable but cutting payments to vulnerable pensioners is no way to bring about the change the country deserves.

Liberal Democrat MPs proudly opposed the Government today and stood up for the many pensioners across the country who are now at risk of an even bigger winter cost of living crisis.

We’ll keep fighting this cut tooth and nail anyway we can, we’ll continue to be a constructive opposition to the new Government and we’re fighting for the real change people want to see.

589 people die from suspected drug death in first half of 2024

Responding to new figures published by the Scottish Government which show that 589 people died of a suspected drug death in the first six months of 2024, including 269 deaths between April and June, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

This is nothing short of a national tragedy; my thoughts today are with all those who have lost someone from a drug death.

Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is worse than anywhere else in Europe. Despite deaths more than doubling over the last decade, the SNP government have chosen to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy, amounting to a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services.

When this issue comes before parliament later this week, I want to see ministers committing to fresh measures to stop people dying. This includes rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities- centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and open up new pathways for treatment and recovery.

My party also wants to see a much stronger frontline response to synthetic opioids- including nitazenes, which are 50 times more powerful than heroin- through enhanced information, detection and treatment.

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Mark Valladares

Liberal Democrats to oppose winter fuel allowance cuts

By Mark Valladares | Mon 9th September 2024 - 11:55 pm

Winter Fuel Allowance: Over half of pensioners say they will heat their homes less this winter

  • Over half (55%) of UK pensioners polled say they will likely heat their homes less this winter due to the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment, while four in ten (39%) say they will cut back on essentials.
  • Two-thirds (65%) say they will take cost-cutting measures due to the government’s announcement to withdraw the Winter Fuel Payment support. One in five (19%) say they will eat less this winter.
  • Liberal Democrats call on the Labour government to urgently rethink cuts that will affect around 11 million people

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Mark Valladares

31 August & 1 September 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 1st September 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems call for vote on Winter Fuel Allowance cut this week to avoid ‘damaging public trust’
  • DIY A&E: Scots treat their wounds and make slings over fear of hospital waits
  • Sharp rise in 999 callers making their own way to hospital
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to Swinney conference speech

Lib Dems call for vote on Winter Fuel Allowance cut this week to avoid ‘damaging public trust’

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper has written to Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, the Leader of the House of Commons, demanding that MPs be given a vote this week on the government’s proposed cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance for millions of pensioners.

In her letter, Daisy Cooper warns that failing to hold a debate and vote on the issue would risk “damaging public trust in politics” especially given the policy wasn’t included in the Labour manifesto at the election and is now set to go through with “minimal parliamentary scrutiny.”

The letter adds that there are just two weeks to go to protect pensioners from the cut before it comes into force on 16th September.

The Liberal Democrats will tomorrow table a motion backed by all 72 of its MPs to block the government’s proposals through a debate and vote in Parliament.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP said:

Over the past few weeks we have heard from countless pensioners worried about whether they’ll be able to heat their homes this winter.

To push these cuts through without any other measures to mitigate the impact on millions of poorer pensioners, and with minimal parliamentary scrutiny, risks damaging the public’s trust in politics and putting the most vulnerable at risk.

We all appreciate the damage that the Conservative Party did to the public finances and the size of the challenges in front of us, but this is a step in the wrong direction and the proposed cuts must be scrutinised properly.

The government must give MPs the chance to debate better solutions, vote on their cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance and prevent millions of the most vulnerable in our society from losing out.

DIY A&E: Scots treat their wounds and make slings over fear of hospital waits

A new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that people are suffering in pain or treating themselves rather than go to A&E out of fear of waiting times.

The poll reveals the lengths to which people across the UK went if they needed to use A&E in the past two years, but decided not to, over fears of waiting times.

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Mark Valladares

30 August 2024 – today’s press release

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

Cole-Hamilton comments on day one of SNP conference

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

In the morning Stephen Flynn is on the radio trying to sound contrite but by the afternoon depute leader Keith Brown is already bellowing about how the answer to everything is breaking up the UK.

The SNP don’t really seem to have learned anything from the defeat voters handed them in the election.

When I am out knocking on doors, no one is interested in wasting more time on constitutional clashes. They want to see action on long NHS waits, rising violence in schools and our disappointing economic

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Mark Valladares

29 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 29th August 2024 - 11:45 pm
  • Lib Dem MPs back motion to block Winter Fuel Payments cut
  • Swinney should launch new term by ending support for Heathrow expansion
  • Cole-Hamilton speaks ahead of SNP conference

Lib Dem MPs back motion to block Winter Fuel Payments cut

  • Ed Davey announces plan to force vote on government’s cut to Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners
  • Analysis reveals pensioners facing a £670 hit this winter from rising energy bills and slashing of support
  • Liberal Democrats call for a “rethink” so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners continue to get the support they need

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his party is tabling a motion to block the government’s proposed cut to Winter Fuel Payments as soon as Parliament returns from recess next week.

All 72 Liberal Democrat MPs have backed the party’s ‘prayer motion’ to block the cut to Winter Fuel Payments and ensure MPs are given a vote on the changes before they come into force on 16th September.

It comes as analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows that pensioners are expected to take a £670 hit this winter due to the rise in the energy price cap, the end to the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, and the government’s cuts to the winter fuel allowance coming into effect.

The Liberal Democrats are urging the government to “think again” about the proposed cut to Winter Fuel Payments which will impact 10 million pensioners. Of these, the charity Age UK has said two million will find paying their energy bills a real stretch and will be seriously hit by this cut.

According to the government’s own figures, 800,000 of the lowest-income pensioners are eligible for Pension Credit but do not get it, meaning they will lose their Winter Fuel Payments.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

We have heard from countless pensioners worried about how they will afford their energy bills this winter. Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners, just when energy bills are set to rise again this winter, is the wrong thing to do.

That is why the Liberal Democrats are tabling a motion to reject these plans as soon as Parliament returns, and give MPs a chance to vote on this issue on behalf of their constituents.

We recognise that the government faces difficult choices given the appalling mess left by the Conservative Party. But a rethink is urgently needed so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners continue to get the support they need.

Swinney should launch new term by ending support for Heathrow expansion

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on John Swinney to launch the new parliamentary term by ending the SNP government’s support for expanding Heathrow Airport, as he stated that the expansion is incompatible with tackling the climate emergency.

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Mark Valladares

28 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 28th August 2024 - 10:50 pm

Back from three weeks away, time to pick up the party’s press releases again…

  • Water bills: High time Ofwat were replaced
  • UK-Germany treaty: A positive step forward
  • Erasmus: Disappointing that Govt will not rejoin scheme
  • 170+ artists slam SNP culture cuts
  • Scot Lib Dems comment as FM and Chancellor meet

Water bills: High time Ofwat were replaced

Responding to comments from water firms that despite rising bills for consumers, companies claim this isn’t enough to stop sewage spills, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

It’s an absolute outrage that British families face sky high bills that continue to rise, whilst water firm CEOs pocket millions of pounds in bonuses, and all the while filthy sewage continues to destroy our seas and rivers.

It’s clear to see that the current regulator Ofwat is not fit for purpose, and it’s high time they were replaced. That is why the Liberal Democrats have been calling for a new regulator to crack down on water companies and hold them accountable to end this sewage scandal once and for all.

UK-Germany treaty: A positive step forward

Responding to UK-Germany treaty talks, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

This is a positive step forward after years of the Conservatives trashing the UK’s relationship with Europe.

But the new Government needs to be more ambitious about rebuilding stronger ties with our European allies.

That should start with agreeing a Youth Mobility Scheme giving young people the opportunity to easily live and work across the continent.

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Mark Valladares

6 August 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 7th August 2024 - 1:05 am
  • Ofwat fines: A game of catch up after Conservative Ministers turned a blind eye
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP must take action to avoid winter crisis at A&E
  • Welsh Lib Dems call on new First Minister to “restore trust in Welsh Politics”
  • Police office numbers are lowest on record
  • Number of people stuck in hospital reaches new high
  • Scot Lib Dems criticise SNP exam failings

Ofwat fines: A game of catch up after Conservative Ministers turned a blind eye

Responding to Ofwat imposing a £168m fine on Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

After years of inaction and failure under the last Conservative government, it is welcome to see the regulator finally impose proper fines.

This should only be the start if these polluting firms are to clean up their act.

We now need a ban on bonuses and an end to bumper profits on the industry.

Sadly this is all a game of catch up after Conservative Ministers turned a blind eye to this environmental scandal.

Cole-Hamilton: SNP must take action to avoid winter crisis at A&E

Responding to new figures showing only 69% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in June 2024, while 14,126 people waited over 8 hours and 5,936 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Normally in summer we would see an improving picture at A&E, but these waiting times are already very long, and moving in the wrong direction.

Under the SNP the NHS is teetering on the brink, staff are overwhelmed, and thousands are waiting far too long to be seen.

We need to see action from this SNP government to address long waits at A&E before we are staring down the barrel of a winter crisis.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan, get you fast access to GPs and help people leave hospital on time through a new minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

Welsh Lib Dems call on new First Minister to “restore trust in Welsh Politics”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the new First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan to rebuild trust in Welsh politics.

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Mark Valladares

2 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 2nd August 2024 - 11:05 pm
  • Jenrick: A terrible record tainted by failure
  • Calls for increased security after violent thuggery spreads to London

Jenrick: A terrible record tainted by failure

Responding to Robert Jenrick’s Conservative Leadership campaign event, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP said:

As a Minister, Robert Jenrick oversaw a housing crisis and failed to address immigration, he has a terrible record tainted by failure.

Only in today’s Conservative Party could someone with such a terrible record of failure think they could lead it.

Jenrick is now a symbol of the way the Conservative Party has moved further and further away from lifelong Conservative voters in the Blue Wall. People right across the country are instead putting their faith in the Liberal Democrats to get a fair deal for them.

Calls for increased security after violent thuggery spreads to London

A London Assembly Member has called for increased security around mosques in London following the spread of violent and racist riots to London.

Violent riots have erupted in several British cities following misinformation spread by the far-right in the wake of the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar in Southport.

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1 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 1st August 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect
  • Davey on PM Statement: “Riots and disorder are never the answer”
  • Rennie responds to bin strikes news

Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect

Responding to NFU Mutual’s new Rural Crime Report, which shows that the cost of rural crime rose to £52.8m in 2023, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Rural communities are suffering badly after years of neglect by the last Conservative Government. Far too many criminals are getting away with stealing millions of pounds worth of equipment from our farmers.

This needs to change. Rural communities deserve much more focus within government, including a proper strategy to combat rural crime that costs our economy so much.

Davey on PM Statement: “Riots and disorder are never the answer”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s press conference on the unrest since the attack in Southport on Monday, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

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31 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 31st July 2024 - 11:50 pm
  • Pensioner waits more than 9 hours for ambulance after suffering heat stroke as UK hits heatwave
  • CalMac maintenance soars 55% in a year to over £41m

Pensioner waits more than 9 hours for ambulance after suffering heat stroke as UK hits heatwave

  • Freedom of Information Act (FOI) on heat strokes reveals a pensioner in the East Midlands waited close to nine-and-a-half-hours for an ambulance last year.
  • FOI shows an almost doubling of ambulance response times when going on call outs involving heat stroke since 2018/19, rising from 32 minutes to 59 minutes in 2023/24.
  • Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper calls for urgent cross-party talks on social care and a review of the UK’s preparedness for heat waves saying: “We’ve heard too many harrowing heatstroke stories from people waiting hours in a state of confusion for an ambulance to arrive.”

A pensioner in the East Midlands waited close to nine-and-a-half-hours for an ambulance last year a Liberal Democrat FOI has revealed as the UK is in the midst of a heatwave following high temperatures this week.

The data also revealed that there has been a staggering 84% increase in ambulance response times when going on call outs involving heat stroke since 2018/19, rising from 32 minutes to 59 minutes in 2023/24.

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30 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 30th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP must start fixing A&E before winter
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP need to tackle alarming rise in deaths linked to synthetic opioids

Cole-Hamilton: SNP must start fixing A&E before winter

Responding to new figures showing only 63.7% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in week ending 21st July, while 3,345 people waited over 8 hours and 1,448 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

People across Scotland sent a very clear message to this SNP Government last month. The NHS is teetering on the brink and it’s time they got their act together.

Normally in summer we would see an improving picture at A&E, but these waiting times are as long as some weeks in the winter. Unfortunately, under the SNP, staff are overwhelmed and thousands are waiting far too long to be seen.

We need to see action from this SNP government to fix the A&E crisis before winter arrives.

Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul the SNP’s failed NHS Recovery Plan, get you fast access to GPs and help people leave hospital on time through a new minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

Cole-Hamilton: SNP need to tackle alarming rise in deaths linked to synthetic opioids

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today warned that “without more action we will only see more tragedy” as new statistics revealed that drug-related hospital admissions, suspected drug deaths and deaths linked to synthetic opioids known as nitazenes are all worryingly high.

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Mark Valladares

29 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Public spending audit: We must focus on NHS
  • New Mid Dunbartonshire MP welcomes home Kirkintilloch Roy Roy

Public spending audit: We must focus on NHS

Commenting on the Treasury’s audit into the state of public finances, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

The shortfalls in public spending announced today are truly shocking, and the result of years of Conservative failure and mismanagement. We have been left with a stalling economy, leaving millions of families struggling to pay the bills and make ends meet.

To get our economy growing, we must focus on the NHS by cutting the waiting lists, giving the people the

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Mark Valladares

27-28 July 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 28th July 2024 - 10:00 pm
  • Cole-Hamilton writes to minister for third time over neonatal death spike
  • Rennie warns that the Scottish Government’s heat pump installation scheme is hardly helping

Cole-Hamilton writes to minister for third time over neonatal death spike

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today written to the Scottish Government for a third time to call for ministers to answer questions in Parliament over a spike in the neonatal mortality rate – deaths within the first 28 days of life.

His call comes as five Scottish health boards were rated ‘red’ for neonatal mortality rates in the annual UK-wide evaluation known as MBRRACE, including a steep increase in the Grampian region.

Regions are red-flagged if their death rates are more than 5% higher than the UK average for their group. According to reports in The Herald, in 2022, five health boards in Scotland – Grampian, Lothian, Western Isles, Lanarkshire, and Borders – were ‘red’ for neonatal mortality once “congenital abnormalities”, also known as birth defects, were excluded as a cause of death.

This is up from one in both 2020 and 2021, and is the highest at any point since 2017.

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Mark Valladares

26 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 26th July 2024 - 11:00 pm
  • CQC: entire NHS and care system needs fixing
  • Cole-Hamilton: Fornethy women must be given the redress they deserve
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to fresh NHS buildings delay
  • Stone ‘thrilled’ with Flow Country’s World Heritage Status

CQC: entire NHS and care system needs fixing

Responding to the Health Secretary saying that the Care Quality Commission “is not fit for purpose”, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

In recent weeks countless people have told us harrowing stories about not being able to get the care they or their loved ones need leaving them feeling anxious and abandoned.

The Conservative party kicked the can down the road on overhauling social care and sent NHS waiting lists spiralling. It is patients who have borne the brunt of this shocking neglect.

For too long, too many patients have had no levers to pull to stop things going wrong and when they do, complaints and regulatory systems are too complex and slow.

The findings of this report are staggering and the CQC and our entire NHS and care system needs fixing, with patient rights at its heart.

Cole-Hamilton: Fornethy women must be given the redress they deserve

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today reiterated his call for the survivors of alleged abuse at Fornethy House to be allowed access to the Scottish Government’s compensation scheme for those abused while in residential care.

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Mark Valladares

25 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 25th July 2024 - 10:45 pm
  • GB Energy: We cannot be left at the mercy of Putin again
  • Chamberlain urges transport infrastructure funding
  • McArthur comments on prison report and plans for young prisoners
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to Health Secretary reannouncing £30m of NHS money

GB Energy: We cannot be left at the mercy of Putin again

Responding to the government’s deal between GB Energy and the Crown Estate, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

In recent months we heard countless harrowing stories of parents having to choose between putting food on the table or keeping their children warm as the energy crisis sent their bills spiralling.

For far too long, the Conservative party left us at the mercy of tyrants like Putin for our energy. This can never happen again.

It is right that the new government is taking action to help protect households by committing to clean and secure energy. Alongside this we must also see an emergency insulation programme to drive down bills and keep families warm.

We hope the new government will urgently implement a programme laser-focused on reducing bills and heating homes to avoid another winter of discontent.

Chamberlain urges transport infrastructure funding

Wendy Chamberlain MP for North East Fife yesterday wrote to the Scottish Secretary of State asking for a meeting to discuss transport infrastructure for Scotland.

Since many areas related to transport are devolved, funding sources and application processes often end up falling under both the Westminster and Scottish Governments. As a result, Chamberlain has written to the Minister asking that in this new Parliament, improving inter-governmental relations will assist.

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Mark Valladares

24 July 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 25th July 2024 - 7:30 am
  • Crime Stats: Conservative failures mean victims of crime don’t know if they will see justice
  • Conservative Leadership: a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches
  • Scot Lib Dems issue warning over worst hit rivers for sewage dumps
  • SNP Government dodges question of its backing for Heathrow third runway
  • Welsh Lib Dems call on new Welsh Labour leader to “restore trust in Welsh Politics”
  • Councils agree to seek meeting with Government over pay deals and bin strikes

Crime Stats: Conservative failures mean victims of crime don’t know if they will see justice

Responding to the latest crime statistics showing that an average of 5,829 crimes went unsolved every day in the year ending March 2024, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said:

Years of Conservative neglect and failure to give the police the resources they need and put bobbies on the beat mean that now victims do not know if they will ever see justice after facing these invasive crimes.

The former Home Secretary now wants to run for Conservative party leader, yet he couldn’t even get the basics of his last job right.

Cleverly’s crime catastrophe shows how utterly unfit the Conservatives were for government and why the country voted so decisively for change with a record number of Liberal Democrat MPs elected.

The new Labour government must now address these Conservative failures, put more police on the streets, make communities feel safe again and ensure victims get the justice they deserve.

Conservative Leadership: a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches

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Mark Valladares

23 July 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 24th July 2024 - 11:55 pm
  • Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote
  • NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS
  • EA Annual Report: public sick to the back teeth of polluting firms
  • Cleverly: A failed Conservative minister with a tarnished legacy
  • New figures show sewage dumping higher in 2023 than previously known

Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote

The Liberal Democrat amendment to the King’s Speech has been selected for a vote expected around 7pm this evening.

The amendment calls for a range of measures including free personal care in England, better support for carers and a cross-party commission on social care to provide the desperately needed long-term reforms to the sector. It also calls for the scrapping of the two child benefit cap.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

I am proud the Liberal Democrats have tabled this amendment to the King’s Speech to stand up for care and carers. We will be the voice of carers in this Parliament and work with others to find solutions to the big challenge of social care.”

Millions of people voted for the Liberal Democrats because they wanted us to deliver change and a fair deal. Now, from our plan to tackle the sewage scandal to more support to fix our NHS and care, Liberal Democrat MPs are making the case for just that in Parliament today.

NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS

Responding to the National Audit Office report which said that the ‘scale of the challenges facing the NHS today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented’, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

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Mark Valladares

22 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd July 2024 - 10:35 pm
  • Lib Dems table King’s Speech amendment to “rescue social care” as half of care homes lost in some areas
  • Lib Dems demand clarity on IT outage impact on patients
  • Rennie calls for Swinney to head off bin strikes

Lib Dems table King’s Speech amendment to “rescue social care” as half of care homes lost in some areas

  • Lib Dems have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech to rescue social care and call for a cross-party commission
  • Ed Davey says that “people and their loved ones simply cannot wait any longer” after the Conservative Party “broke social care”
  • Number of care homes in England has fallen

…

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Mark Valladares

19-21 July 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 21st July 2024 - 9:15 pm
  • IT outage: Government urged to call COBRA meeting
  • ICJ opinion: UK should recognise the independent state of Palestine
  • Incoming government must recognise Palestine and redouble efforts for peace
  • Rennie files parliamentary motion on schools’ access to Microsoft programs
  • Rennie presses government over implementation date for Children Care and Justice Act provisions
  • Mayor of London questioned over summer preparedness plans

IT outage: Government urged to call COBRA meeting

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to hold a COBRA meeting to coordinate an urgent response to the IT outage causing major disruption including to airlines, railways and GP surgeries.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:

The government must call an urgent COBRA meeting to address the chaos being caused by these IT outages across the country.

The public needs to be reassured that the disruption to their travel or their desperately needed GP appointments will be minimised.

Getting critical infrastructure up and running again must be priority number one. The National Cyber Security Centre should also be working with small businesses and other organisations to help them deal with the outage.”

This once again lays bare the need to improve our digital infrastructure and truly modernise our economy in order to prevent the incidents from happening again.

ICJ opinion: UK should recognise the independent state of Palestine

Responding to today’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

This decision is a wake-up call. Liberal Democrats have always championed international law and the independence of the courts.

The only way to give Palestinians and Israelis the security and dignity they deserve is through a peace process and a two-state solution.

The UK should lead that push by immediately recognising the independent state of Palestine.

Incoming government must recognise Palestine and redouble efforts for peace

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has backed calls for the incoming Labour government to uphold international law and support efforts towards a lasting peace in Israel and Palestine, including the recognition of a Palestinian state. Signing Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran’s parliamentary motion, Mr Carmichael warned that with the election past, now was the time to renew efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, while welcoming the government’s announcement today of the restoration of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the agency which supports aid for Palestinians.

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Mark Valladares

18 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 18th July 2024 - 11:55 pm
  • Covid Inquiry Report must be a moment for change
  • Chamberlain tables two child benefit cap parliamentary motion
  • Sadiq Khan refuses to back removing the two-child benefit cap
  • Cole-Hamilton: Scotland badly let down by SNP Government’s pandemic planning

Covid Inquiry Report must be a moment for change

Commenting on the first Covid Inquiry Report, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s damning findings confirm in black and white what we unfortunately already knew.

Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, yet sadly these findings of systematic and political failings will provide little comfort for thousands of grieving families.

Today must be a moment for change. The country was badly let down during the pandemic and this new government must ensure that lessons are learnt swiftly.

The Liberal Democrats called for an inquiry in 2020, and we will continue to demand that the full facts are known about every aspect of this catastrophic failure.

Chamberlain tables two child benefit cap parliamentary motion

Wendy Chamberlain MP for North East Fife, has tabled a Parliamentary motion calling on the Government to remove the two-child limit on social payments in the first Budget.

Statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions state that 1.6 million children are affected by the two-child benefit cap. The cap also imposed employment barriers on parents who have less income available for childcare costs as a result.

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Mark Valladares

17 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 17th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey on King’s Speech: Liberal Democrats will make the voice of carers heard
  • Child Poverty: Right that Government looks at how to tackle child poverty after economic damage by Conservatives
  • Chamberlain tables WASPI Parliamentary motion
  • London Lib Dems – King’s Speech – Extra Powers for Metro Mayors Welcome, but Need the Financial Powers to Back Them Up
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to King’s Speech
  • Renew Europe: End Orbán’s Council Presidency

Ed Davey on King’s Speech: Liberal Democrats will make the voice of carers heard

Responding to the King’s Speech, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

After years of crisis and chaos under the Conservative Party, it is clear our country faces enormous challenges. The Liberal Democrats will carefully scrutinise the Government’s plans, striving hard to stand up for our constituents.

We will continue campaigning to fix the NHS, boosting GP numbers, tackling delays to cancer treatment and improving access to dentists and pharmacists.

We will make sure the voice of carers is heard, from increasing the Carer’s Allowance to the big challenge of fixing social care – so that our loved ones can get the support they need.

Child Poverty: Right that Government looks at how to tackle child poverty after economic damage by Conservatives

Responding to news that the government has created a ministerial taskforce to tackle child poverty, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

It is right that the government is looking at how best to tackle the scourge of child poverty. Hundreds of thousands of children are trapped in poverty after years of chaos and economic damage by the Conservatives.

Scrapping the two child cap would be the quickest and most cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty and bring long-term benefits to our society and economy. We hope that ministers listen to the evidence and the many charities that their task force will meet and act accordingly.

Chamberlain tables WASPI Parliamentary motion

Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Work and Pensions, has today tabled a Parliamentary motion calling for the new Government to honour the recommendations of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s report first came out in July 2021 and stated that women born in the 1950s had suffered significant financial loss due to maladministration by the Department of Work and Pensions. The final report was published in May 2024 and recommended 1950s women are owed compensation.

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Mark Valladares

16 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 16th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • King’s Speech: Fixing NHS and care must be a priority
  • Welsh Lib Dems call for First Minister to go
  • Rennie: Scotland needs good governance, not SNP chaos
  • Rennie comments on ferry contract decision

King’s Speech: Fixing NHS and care must be a priority

Commenting ahead of the King’s Speech tomorrow, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Years of chaos under the Conservatives have left us with a stagnant economy and health services in a state of crisis. Millions of people are stuck on NHS waiting lists and struggling to get the care they need to return to work.

Fixing the NHS and care would put rocket boosters under economic growth in our country.

The Liberal Democrats will keep campaigning for our policies to tackle the health and care crisis and get our economy back on track. That is what millions of people voted for at the General Election, we will not let them down.

Welsh Lib Dems call for First Minister to go

Responding to the recent resignations from Vaughan Gethings cabinet, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

Vaughan Gething has now lost both the confidence of the Senedd and several members of his own Government; he must resign from his position as First Minister.

We cannot afford to allow internal fighting in Welsh labour to distract us any longer from the range of serious issues facing our country.

The Welsh people are sick and tired of constant political scandals and broken promises, they want to see a political system that works for them.

We as the Welsh Liberal Democrats will deliver that change.

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