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Emma Macdonald to fight Shetland in Scottish Parliament election

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 6th July 2025 - 6:11 pm

Earlier this year, Beatrice Wishart announced that she wouldn’t seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament to the Shetland seat she won in the 2019 by-election and defended in 2021.

This week, Shetland Liberal Democrats announced that Emma Macdonald will stand for the seat at the Scottish Parliament elections in May.

Emma Macdonald has lived in Shetland most of her life after moving over as a child. Emma now lives in Voe and is married with two children and a grandson. In recent years she has owned and operated Emma-Louise’s The Coffee Shop and worked in social care.

She first joined Shetland Islands Council in 2017 as member for Shetland North, becoming deputy leader a year later. During her first term as a councillor Emma also chaired the Integration Joint Board. In 2022 she was re-elected and appointed Leader, also taking on membership of the Health Board for the Council.

In 2024, she won LGIU’s Cllr Award for Leader of the Year. During her time on the council she has worked on a number of key issues including funding for ferries, making the case for fixed links, reliable broadband and the challenges facing the community over the higher cost of living.

Emma Macdonald said:

I would like to thank local party members for selecting me to be their candidate for the Scottish Parliament election. I would also like to wish Moraig well and offer my commiserations, but I know she will continue to deliver for Shetland in her role in the council.

In my time as council leader, people have seen that I can make a real difference. As your prospective next MSP, I want to ensure that Shetland is at the front of the queue and I will be a strong voice standing up for the issues that matter the most, like replacing the Gilbert Bain hospital and delivering on the promise of fixed links.

Delivering tunnels for Shetland is, ultimately, about future-proofing our island population. Transport connectivity is central to creating sustainable islands which provide good homes and good jobs for our people, and which can reverse decades of depopulation.

I hope that you will lend me your vote in next year’s election and look forward to speaking to as many of you as possible on the campaign trail.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

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Posted in News | Tagged 2026 holyrood elections, emma macdonald and shetland | 1 Comment

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Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election – 30 years on

By Howard Sykes | Sun 6th July 2025 - 4:02 pm

In 1995, literally thousands of Liberal Democrats came to help Chris Davies win a parliamentary by-election that was seen as a test as to whether the party could sustain a determined attack from Tony Blair’s New Labour.

The political skills of our campaign manager, Chris Rennard, were pitted against those of Labour’s Peter Mandelson, and we triumphed. The victory paved the way for the number of elected Lib Dem MPs to more than double at the general election that followed less than two years later.

The Littleborough & Saddleworth constituency disappeared then, but Chris Davies was soon after elected to represent the North West of England in the European Parliament. At the time of Brexit in 2020 he was the last British (male) MEP to be chair of a major European Parliament committee.

By way of thanks to those who have given their support over the years, on Sunday, 27 July 2025, Chris and Carol Davies will be hosting from 5.00-8.00pm a gathering for supper at their home in Saddleworth, Oldham.

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Posted in News | Tagged littleborough and saddleworth by-election | 3 Comments

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 6th July 2025 - 10:05 am

Donald Trump

It has been a great week for Donald Trump. Perhaps his best ever. His “Big Beautiful Bill” has passed Congress. There is nil blowback from Trump’s decision to bomb Iran and the US Supreme Court has handed him another useful decision.

But within his success could be the seeds of failure. Starting with the “Big Beautiful Bill” which, among others, cuts MedicAid to an estimated 10-15 million Americans. These are the least financially advantaged (aka poor) members of society who cannot private health insurance. Many of them voted for Trump.

These voters will not be entirely cut off from hospitals. All hospitals are required to treat emergency cases such as a broken arm. But if you have cancer or a chronic condition which requires regular hospital attention and you don’t have private health insurance, then you will be in trouble without MedicAid.

But the MedicAid cuts will affect not only America’s indigent. Someone will have to cover the increased use of accident and emergency clinics. This will have to come out of either local taxes or increased health insurance premiums for the middle classes. So everyone loses and it won’t take long for them to figure out who is responsible.

As for Iran, there has been virtually nil reaction from Tehran. They bombed a US base in Qatar but warned the Americans of the incoming missiles. Then they accepted a ceasefire. There were no more attacks on Israel. No terrorist attacks on Europe or the US. No closure of the Straits of Hormuz.

Trump’s strategy of attack hard and fast, exit quickly and propose a ceasefire appears to have worked—for now. It is still early days. We don’t know how much enriched uranium the Iranians rescued, or what they will do with it and they are certainly aren’t about to tell anyone. So Iran could still blow up into a “forever war” of the type that Trump has pledged to end.

Finally, there is the Supreme Court which ruled that the lower American courts cannot block Trump’s executive orders as they have been doing. On the surface, this is a major triumph for the president. But one needs to read the written opinion of Trump-appointed Justice Amy Comey Barrett to realise otherwise.

Justice Barrett supported the majority which ruled against the lower courts. Then she laid out a blueprint of how Trump’s opponents could block him without using the courts. Furthermore, the Supreme Court made a deal with the White House than it would accept without question any future rulings of the court.

Ukraine

Good news and bad news for Ukraine. First the bad news. The US is cutting back its supply of weaponry. The reason? Because America has supplied so many howitzer shells and patriot missiles that its own arsenal is dangerously low. It is true. The US does need to replenish stocks.

The Europeans will be able to pick up some of the slack, especially Germany. But not all.

Now the good news. The Russian summer offensive appears to be faltering. Not only that, but 50,000 Russian troops are trapped in Sumy Oblast by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian summer offensive started at the beginning of May and concentrated on north and northeast regions. It was initially successful, capturing some 173 square miles of Ukrainian territory.

But then the Ukrainian counter offensive came. The country’s top general reported this week: “Based on the results of May June, we can say that this year’s wave of the enemy’s summer offensive has failed.” He added that the Ukrainian forces had not only stopped the Russians but were now attacking and had isolated an estimated 50,000 Russian troops.

In other Ukrainian news, Russian and Ukrainian diplomats meeting in Istanbul negotiated another POW swap which took place this week. Most of the Ukrainians that were released had been in Russian captivity since 2022. All of them were severely wounded or seriously ill.

Finally, according to the South Koreans, the North Koreans will be sending another tranche of troops to help the Russians.

Israel

It is clear that Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping for an Iran bounce. After all, he has been calling for an attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities since 1993 and the American attack is clearly popular with Israeli voters.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged benjamin netanyahu, donald trump, israel and ukraine | 9 Comments

Observations of an Expat: Scary Thoughts

By Tom Arms | Sat 5th July 2025 - 9:19 am

JD Vance is the bookie’s choice to be the next president of the United States. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel is the all-important money man behind JD Vance.

But just as important as the money behind the cash are ideas. Vance may be the political cart wagon. Money from Thiel and other Silicon Valley Billionaires provide the dogged mule to pull it. But the wagon needs to filled with ideas if the journey is to have any meaning. And the fresher the better.

The ideas are coming from 51-year-old American Curtis Yarvin and 63-year-old British Academic Nick Land. Their political plans are truly scary.

The two men cloak their thinking in a convoluted jargon which includes phrases such as “accelerationism,” “dark enlightenment,” and “speculative realism.”

But basically they reject the ideas of the 18th century Age of Enlightenment which are the philosophical bedrock of the US constitution and current liberal Western democracies. They are also racists, ultra-capitalists and autocrats.

They advocate using technology to “accelerate” capitalism in such a way that destabilises existing social and political structures and creates a new strong man rule guided by a handful of technocrats. Democratic equality, in their opinion, is a parasitical brake on world order.

So far the philosophy of Land and Yarvin has been confined mainly to America, and US-based Yarvin has become the more prominent advocate of the Dark Enlightenment. Through his work as a blogger (under the pseudonym of Mencius Moldbug), he has influenced not only Thiele and Vance but is also said to be the guiding inspiration behind Michael Anton, Trump’s Director of Policy Planning.

Yarvin is particularly controversial on the subject of race. He claims that he is not a racist but insists that White people have a higher IQ than Blacks. “IQ is real,” he wrote. “Race is real. Their correlation is real. Deal with it.”

Yarvin also goes out of his way to defend the slavery of America’s Ante Bellum South. “It was neither cruel nor inefficient,” he wrote. “In fact it may have worked well in its time. Certainly the slaves were treated better than industrial workers in the industrial north.”

As for the abolitionist movement, Yarvin says it was not “a moral crusade but a self-righteous liberal crusade which was less about justice and more about power and ideological control.”

Perhaps more controversial are Yarvin’s views on liberal democracy and how to deal with it. He argues that democracy is “inherently corrupt, inefficient and prone to decay. Public opinion is shaped by the media and academia (A combination which he and Land call the “Cathedral”) which creates an illusion of consent.”

Countries should not be governed as states responsible to their citizens but as a private company headed by an all-powerful CEO. “A country” writes Yarvin,”is not a family. It is a business.”

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged jd vance | 13 Comments

4 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 4th July 2025 - 11:47 pm

One in five GPs nearing retirement in some areas as Government’s 10 year plan risks “not touching the sides”
Lib Dem Bill passes in Commons – MP says animal welfare will be “transformed”, bill will end pet mutilation
Jardine secures government progress on supporting bereaved children
Chamberlain: Vote Lib Dem peach to get Scotland back to its best
Greene warns investment needed after litany of failures at Ferguson Marine

One in five GPs nearing retirement in some areas as Government’s 10 year plan risks “not touching the sides”

Thousands of GPs are nearing retirement age with some areas seeing close to a quarter aged over 55, research by the House of Commons Library commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The party has said that the Government’s 10 year NHS plan risks “not touching the sides”.

The Government’s 10 year plan for the NHS includes the recruitment of thousands more GPs in the coming years but the analysis shows that this may not be enough to replace the number of GPs set to retire over the next decade.

The data shows that 5,717 GPs are aged over 55 at the end of 2024/25 with that number having risen by 150 since March 2023. It represents around one in seven of the full time equivalent GPs in England, including trainees.

The analysis also found that in some areas almost one in four GPs are approaching retirement. In North West London and Mid and South Essex, 24% of the GP workforce is aged over 55, the highest rates in the country. They were followed by North East London on 21%. Overall, 17 of the 42 Integrated Care Boards had seen a rise in the proportion of GPs nearing retirement age.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to boost GP numbers by 8,000 through incentivising more experienced GPs and nurses to return, including more opportunities for junior doctors and increasing training facilities.

This would be geared towards giving patients a legal right to see their GP within seven days or 24-hours if in urgent need.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Government’s plans for GP recruitment risk not touching the sides in the face of this retirement ticking time bomb. With an ageing population and many GP practices already at breaking point these plans could simply be treading water rather than delivering the change that people are desperately crying out for.

Botched IT roll outs under the Conservatives have dashed people’s faith in the Government’s ability to actually deliver on these kinds of projects and Labour has provided little detail on how they can actually make this happen.

These plans also risk putting up barriers to digitally-excluded older and vulnerable people accessing the health care they need, if there is no additional appropriate support made available to them.

By plonking the social care crisis in the too hard basket once again, this is not a plan to save the NHS, instead it is the most expensive sticking plaster in history.

Lib Dem Bill passes in Commons – MP says animal welfare will be “transformed”, bill will end pet mutilation

Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers’ Private Members’ Bill has passed through the Commons today , with the Government backing the Bill. The vet MP said the move will “eradicate” dangerous puppy smuggling and end “serious public health worries” about the spread of disease associated with imported pets.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged animal welfare, child bereavement, christine jardine, daisy cooper, danny chambers, GP shortage, industrial policy, jamie greene, shipbuilding and wendy chamberlain | 1 Comment

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ALDC by-election report, 3rd July

By Liam Yip | Fri 4th July 2025 - 4:34 pm

This week, there were two Wednesday by-elections, both in North Tyneside. Reform UK secured a seat from Labour in Killingworth, whilst the other by-election saw Labour hold their seat in Longbenton & Benton. Thank you to Emma Vinton, David Nisbet and the team for flying the Lib Dem flag.

North Tyneside MBC, Longbenton & Benton
Labour: 739 (39.6%, -16.8)
Reform UK: 602 (32.3%, +19.3)
Green Party: 259 (13.9%, -7.8)
Liberal Democrats (David Nisbet): 183 (9.8%, new)
Conservative: 83 (4.4%, new)

Labour HOLD

North Tyneside MBC, Killingworth
Reform UK: 771 (38.5%, new)
Labour: 639 (31.9%, -22.7)
Conservative: 441 (21.4%, -3.5)
Green Party: 85 (4.2%, -16.3)
Liberal Democrats (Emma Vinton): 81 (4.0%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

In Consett, we managed to secure victory against Reform UK, after their previous councillor was forced to resign due to his undeclared council employment. Well done to Terry Rooney and the local Liberal Democrat team for ensuring victory and gaining another seat in Durham.

Durham County Council, Benfieldside
Liberal Democrats (Terry Rooney): 824 (28.3%, +17.3)
Labour: 800 (27.4%, +0.8)
Reform UK: 747 (25.6%, -6.6)
Independent: 459 (15.7%, -8.0)
Conservative: 76 (1.6%, -5.0)
Green Party: 40 (1.4%, new)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform UK

In Powys, there was a missed opportunity for Reform UK in a closely-fought fight against us. Well done to Fleur Frantz-Mogans and the local team for ensuring we were able to hold the seat and remain the largest party in Powys.

Powys, Llanidloes
Liberal Democrats (Fleur Frantz-Mogans): 557 (35.5%, +5.2)
Reform UK: 551 (35.1%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 225 (14.3%, +1.9)
Conservative: 118 (7.5%, -7.7)
Labour: 112 (7.1%, -4.8)
Independent: 6 (0.4%, new)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

In Somerset, we were able to hold onto our seat with an overwhelming victory. Well done to Simon McCombe and the local team for ensuring victory and remain the largest party on Bath and NES council.

Bath and North East Somerset Council, Mendip
Liberal Democrats (Simon McCombe): 496 (57.1%, -18.2)
Reform UK: 191 (22.0%, new)
Conservative: 84 (9.7%, +6.7)
Green Party: 57 (6.6%, +2.0)
Labour: 40 (4.6%, +0.9)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

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Posted in News | Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 3 Comments

A great way to celebrate your first anniversary as MP

By The Voice | Fri 4th July 2025 - 2:43 pm

Today, most of our MPs celebrate the first anniversary of the General Election which saw them elected to Parliament.

For one of them, Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester, it was a double celebration as his bill to ban the import of puppies, kittens and ferrets cleared all its Commons stages with Government backing. It now heads to the Lords. The Bill bans the import of animals younger than six months old and also heavily pregnant animals who may be shipped back and forth, at great harm to their welfare.

Danny said:

I’m so proud that this Bill has passed in the Commons. It will stop pet mutilation in Britain once and for all. This legislation will transform animal welfare in the UK and eradicate cruel practices that should have been wiped out years ago.

We are now one crucial step closer to closing the loopholes that allow that kind of animal abuse to happen in this country. Mutilated animals can face horrendous injuries, infections, and psychological issues, which vets like myself see each and every day.

Even more worryingly, the illegal smuggling of puppies has long caused serious public health worries that dangerous diseases could be brought back into the UK. This bill will curb those concerns – stamping out savage practices that endanger animals everywhere.

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Posted in News | Tagged animal welfare, danny chambers and private members bills | 1 Comment

We can both sympathise with Reeves and not excuse the cuts

By Jack Meredith | Fri 4th July 2025 - 12:41 pm

On Wednesday, 2nd July, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves was seen crying during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Reeves has stated that the reason for her tears was a personal issue, which she would rather not discuss in public. A perfectly reasonable request that I’m sure everyone can relate to.

I’ve had people close to me mock the Chancellor for displaying her emotions, calling it “unprofessional” and, in some cases, question whether Reeves is up for the job. These same people, to my knowledge, did not say anything when DUP politician Jim Shannon cried when questioning then Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street parties during lockdown.

These situations are markedly different, presumably, but the fact remains that there is a disparity in the treatment of politicians here, despite both displaying emotion.

I’m prefacing my article with this statement as I want to stress a rather important point that I’m seeing being written off on social media: you can feel empathy for someone, even a public figure, and still hold them accountable.

The government’s welfare reforms, as I previously covered, are set to plunge 430,000 people into poverty by removing their access to Personal Independence Payments (PIP). It is a cruel policy that was meant to save £5.5 billion, which has now been shown not to be the case.

And Rachel Reeves, along with many other Labour MPs, has supported this policy, with Reeves arguably being a driving force behind it due to her strict self-imposed financial rules, which require government departments to make savings wherever possible.

But that leaves us with the question: SHOULD we feel bad for Rachel Reeves? Some have argued that this is not the case, as she is in a position of power and has used those powers to approve cuts to welfare for those who need it most. I struggle to abide by this view.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged disability, emotion, empathy, pip and rachel reeves | 1 Comment

Hina Bokhari urges London mayor to do more to tackle Islamophobia

By Mary Reid | Fri 4th July 2025 - 8:53 am

A couple of weeks ago Hina Bokhari AM (our Leader on the London Assembly) wrote: “Britain is a tinderbox and our efforts to confront Islamophobia are not good enough“.

She has now followed that up with a letter to the Mayor Of London, which has caught the attention of the BBC: “London mayor urged to do more to tackle Islamophobia“. In her letter she wrote:

The threats we face as Muslim Londoners are not abstract or hypothetical – they are immediate, real, and growing.

For many of us, this is not merely about perception or politics. It is about safety. Muslims today live in legitimate fear. Whether walking down the street, engaging online, or simply existing visibly as Muslims, we find ourselves bracing for abuse, harassment or worse.

Hina calls on Sadiq Khan to set up training on Islamophobia.

We need to eradicate Islamophobia, and that will only happen through training. I don’t think people really understand what Islamophobia is, or believe it exists. Some of the attacks I’ve been getting online have been about the fact that people think there is no such thing as Islamophobia.

If we had training then at least people would know what we mean by Islamophobia.

She has been doing the rounds of the TV studios highlighting the issue, even though it is obviously difficult for her.

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A post shared by BBC London (@bbclondon)

Some of the reactions to this on social media have been disgusting and totally prove her point.

Hina Bokhari is a hero and needs all the support and love we can give her.

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Posted in News | Tagged hina bokhari | 5 Comments

Three Lib Dem MPs nominated for Political Purpose Awards

By The Voice | Wed 2nd July 2025 - 5:30 pm

Three Lib Dem MPs have been shortlisted in the Political Purpose Awards.

From the Nature 2030 website:

The Political Purpose Awards recognise the efforts of UK politicians who have supported and championed environmental causes over the last year, incentivising more MPs to devote their time to protecting nature.

The awards return for their third edition in 2025, in partnership with Ecotricity. This year’s awards celebrate eight categories, including two new awards: Wildlife Crime Prevention and Rewilding and Restoring Nature.

This year’s shortlist was judged by an esteemed panel of campaigners, NGOs, and journalists, all of whom are deeply involved in environmental causes and are therefore exposed to the very best (and the worst) work by our elected representatives.

So, who are the three Lib Dem nominees:

Danny Chambers

Up for the Animal Welfare award, because of his Bill to restrict the import of puppies and other small animals, including ferrets. His citation says:

Danny Chambers has been a vocal supporter of legislation to combat puppy smuggling and improve animal welfare. In November 2024, Chambers supported the Puppy Smuggling Bill, which aims to strengthen regulations on dog imports to prevent illegal trading and improve welfare standards. The bill includes measures to raise the minimum age for imported puppies from 15 to 24 weeks, introduce stricter requirements for rabies testing, and limit the number of dogs that can be transported by a single person.

Tim Farron

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Posted in News | Tagged nature, political purpose awards 2025, roz savage danny chambers and tim farron | Leave a comment

Jo Swinson talks to the Observer about a new approach to economics

By NewsHound | Wed 2nd July 2025 - 3:30 pm

Jo Swinson has long been interested in challenging the conventional way of determining economic success. She’s a graduate of the London School of Economics and when she was a Lib Dem MP, and leader, she promoted the idea of measuring wellbeing and not just GDP.

She has spent the past five years as the Director of Partners for a New Economy. This week she was interviewed about the work of PANE in the Observer.

She had some important observations to make about the timidity of some centre-left governments:

We are in this moment of rupture, where the old economic consensus around neoliberalism has lost credibility and is going away but the new economic paradigm has not yet become clear,” says Jo Swinson.

“The irony is that the defenders of the neoliberal status quo seem to be centre-left governments in different parts of the world.” That, she argues, is one reason the left is struggling: “People have sussed out that this economic system doesn’t work.” By contrast, “the part of the right that is being successful has stopped defending neoliberalism, because they know that it’s not popular and that defending it is not going to win them votes.”

She was positive about the direction Mark Carney might take in Canada:

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Posted in News | Tagged economics, Jo Swinson, partners for a new economy and wellbeing economics | 7 Comments

Diary of a Returning Officer: Week 2 – some thoughts about diversity…

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd July 2025 - 9:05 am

So, having asked a bunch of questions designed to smooth the selection process, a Returning Officer’s mind turns to what the various parts of the Party want to see.

And that’s a particularly relevant consideration given the debates we’ve had about candidate selection this year. The debate in Harrogate revolved around two core themes:

Diversity – by including the Vice President responsible for working with ethnic minority communities, this would be built into the process and made a key priority. In addition, action would be taken to encourage greater representation of women amongst the candidate pool.

Scheduling – a co-ordinated, planned timetable for selections would enable better use of volunteer time to help run them, enable more action to be taken to improve the diversity of our candidates and better planning for and provision of training for newly selected candidates.

I admit that the detail was a bit vague – I may be being a bit diplomatic here – but the basic premises were pretty unarguable. The catch is that the new structures designed to deliver these things have no authority yet, given that only the Welsh Party have ratified the required constitutional changes.

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Posted in Op-eds, Party policy and internal matters and Selection news | Tagged ppc selections | 10 Comments

1 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st July 2025 - 10:30 pm

FIRS scheme has a “China-shaped hole”, say Lib Dems
Welfare concessions: Govt should “put this bill out of its misery”
Davey: Welfare Bill “no way to run a country”
Carmichael challenges EDF on imposed inferior tariffs for RTS customers
Cole-Hamilton: Delayed discharges another SNP broken promise
Operations activity stagnating below pre-pandemic levels

FIRS scheme has a “China-shaped hole”, say Lib Dems

Responding to the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS)’s publication today, Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, said:

It’s clear that there’s a China-shaped hole in today’s FIRS announcement. Labour’s failure to include China on the enhanced tier sends a terrible signal to pro-democracy Hong Kongers and Chinese activists living in the UK, and undermines our security.

The government has offered no reasons why China – which poses similar threats to our interests and ideals – is excluded when Iran and Russia are rightly on the enhanced tier.

As we mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover today, it’s astonishing the Government has chosen now to broadcast its lax approach to Chinese interference here at home.

With reports also that the Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ is about to be greenlit, the Government needs to get serious about the threat posed by China – or risk mirroring the Conservatives’ utterly incoherent response to Beijing while in power.

Welfare concessions: Govt should “put this bill out of its misery”

Responding to reports that the Government is offering further concessions on the welfare bill to the Labour rebels, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Government should stop tying themselves in endless knots and put this bill out of its misery.

This has been a mess from start to finish and it’s clear that this legislation is not fit for purpose. Ministers are asking MPs to vote on a bill on which the ink hasn’t dried before it is blotted out once again.

The Government needs to go back to the drawing board and pull this bill. The Liberal Democrats are clear we cannot support this legislation that puts up more barriers to work and strips away vital support from disabled people and those who care for them.

Davey: Welfare Bill “no way to run a country”

Following the news that the Government’s Welfare Reform Bill has passed, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

This is no way to run a country.

The Government should scrap this failed bill altogether and work cross-party to actually bring down the welfare bill by getting people into work.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, Alistair Carmichael, calum miller, china, daisy cooper, discharge delays, ed davey, nhs operations, radio teleswitch service and welfare reform bill | 2 Comments

30 June 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st July 2025 - 9:25 pm

Davey: welfare review must listen to the voice of carers
Lib Dems call for COBRA meeting as Britain braces for second heatwave
Lib Dems reveal 100,000 meters still to be replaced as RTS switch-off begins
SNP’s solution to NHS crisis could be delayed or cancelled
Greene secures island support fund but questions exclusions

Davey: welfare review must listen to the voice of carers

Ahead of the statement on the welfare bill later today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has said the Government’s review of the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) must listen to groups representing family carers, as well as disability charities.

Under the Government’s plans, those caring for someone who doesn’t qualify for PIP in future will lose their Carer’s Allowance.

The Liberal Democrats said the Government’s welfare bill should be pulled until the full impact on disabled people and carers has been assessed and published.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

I remain deeply worried about the future impact of these cuts on family carers and the vulnerable people they look after.

Ministers must ensure that this review listens carefully to carers’ charities to understand the impact these changes will have, on family carers themselves, on the NHS and social care.

Carers have been ignored by the Government throughout this whole debacle, their voice must now be heard loud and clear.

Liberal Democrats are clear that we cannot vote for anything that strips disabled people and those who care for them of vital support. The Government needs to go back to the drawing board and pull this bill until they have consulted carers and properly set out the full impacts of these changes.

Lib Dems call for COBRA meeting as Britain braces for second heatwave

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to hold an urgent COBRA meeting on this week’s soaring temperatures.

The party is calling on the Government to ensure proper resilience measures are in place to protect the health service and key national infrastructure which can be acutely affected by heat, with rising hospital admissions and travel delays potentially impacting large areas of the country.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, beatrice wishart, carers, compensation, ed davey, ferry service, heatwave, jamie greene, liam mcarthur, nhs plan, radio teleswitch service and sarah olney | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrats should oppose the proscription of Palestine Action

By Paul Walter | Tue 1st July 2025 - 8:55 am

Liberal Democrat parliamentarians should vote against the proscription of Palestine Action.

Yes, members of that group should take responsibility for illegal actions that they take. The law is already quite draconian – especially with the invocation of the Terrorism Act. However, the organisation should not, as a whole, be made illegal in a liberal society where protest is tolerated. Making Palestine Action supporters open to imprisonment is simply unconscionable in modern Britain (and Northern Ireland).

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged civil liberties, Palestine action and protest | 44 Comments

Mathew on Monday: Glastonbury, the Catholic Church, free speech and the boundaries of Liberalism

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 30th June 2025 - 4:50 pm

Well, that was quite a weekend wasn’t it?

Firstly let me say that I’m no fan of Glastonbury. I don’t own a pair of wellies, and the idea of spending hours in a muddy, potentially damp field fills me with dread.

When I saw Elton John at Grace Road in Leicester almost a decade ago, I did so from the comfort of a VIP box and I watched Sting live at the very posh Atlantis Palm in Dubai. I’m far from posh (I’m a proud Working Class lad… honest) but I’ll admit to preferring comfort over muddy fields and camping.

But I know lots of people enjoy Glastonbury, whether in person or via TV and Radio. And I know that it’s always had a bit of an edge. It attempts to do mainstream (Dame Shirley Bassey, Rod Stewart etc) alongside the very alternative (this year including the controversial Kneecap and Bob Vylan) and that’s a potentially very tricky tightrope to walk… especially when you throw in that it’s being covered live (or, at least, as live) by good old Auntie, on BBC TV and BBC Radio Two (and you don’t get much more middle England than that).

BBC management tied itself up in knots about what to broadcast and what not to. It decided not to stream Kneecap live, for fear of in-PC outburst but did carry Vylan live which proved to be, well, depending on your point of view I suppose, not exactly the best decision ever made by the Beeb.

A number of very controversial things were said, including the apparent incitement of death against the Israeli Defence Force.

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Posted in Op-eds | 10 Comments

Some thoughts on Men’s Health Month

By Michal Siewniak | Mon 30th June 2025 - 1:30 pm

I absolutely love my Sunday routine. Waking up, as always, at 6:30am and going for a long walk. My routine started during the pandemic and luckily, it has never stopped. I really value this “me” time, which is combined with an opportunity to clear my head, slow down and simply breathe without having to think about my next move.

The other aspect of my Sunday walk is that it also provides a fantastic occasion to deepen my relationship with some of my friends, who don’t mind starting a day when most people are still fast asleep!

June is often dedicated to Men’s …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged men’s health | Leave a comment

On the frontline for freedom – Budapest Pride 2025

By Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett | Mon 30th June 2025 - 7:33 am

Flying out to Budapest on Friday, there was some trepidation about this trip – and my fears were confirmed at the first meeting at the Town Hall on Friday evening. As a political representative, I was given a yellow wristband, given to all VIPs on the basis that, if we were arrested, the yellow band should signify status. I’m not sure if that would have worked, but it was an indication of how worried the organisers were, and put the entire weekend into context.

On the Friday night, we gathered at Budapest Town Hall and listened to the Mayor of Budapest, who had bravely confronted Orban and insisted that the Pride protest would indeed go ahead, and that the law that Orban brought in to ban Prides would be overridden by the Mayor’s prerogative as that had precedence. Other significant mayors from major cities – Athens and Amsterdam – spoke of their hope that the March would be peaceful and safe, and the presence of large parliamentary delegations of MEPs and MPs from many countries would make Orban look bad if anything occurred.

Sadly, there were, to the best of my knowledge no British MPs at all – of any party – and the only two attending in a political capacity were Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing from the GLA, and myself. I stand corrected if anyone else did attend from a UK political delegation – but perhaps that says a lot about the current crisis we are facing here.

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Posted in Europe / International and Events | Tagged hungary and pride | 2 Comments

28-29 June 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 29th June 2025 - 11:30 pm

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip
Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society
Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending
Greene responds to proposed Greenfold redundancies
Cole-Hamilton: Disease burden shows NHS needs vision and foresight
Cramond among 12 sites with dangerous dry weather sewage dumping
Lib Dems secure U-turn from Scottish Government on sewage dumping guidance

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip

Responding to reports that Conservative MP George Freeman has referred himself to the parliamentary watchdog over cash for questions claims, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

This looks like the same old sleaze and scandal people have come to expect from the Conservative Party.

Kemi Badenoch should immediately suspend the whip from George Freeman while this is investigated.

Failure to act would confirm that even after being booted out of government, the Conservatives are still hopelessly out of touch.

Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society

Responding to Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury on Saturday, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

Bob Vylan’s chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.

Everyone has a responsibility to use language and public platforms carefully.

Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending

To mark Armed Forces Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has written to the Deputy First Minister urging her to ensure the Scottish Government realises the economic potential of increases in the defence budget.

In June, the UK Chancellor announced that UK defence spending would rise to 2.6% by April 2027.

The increase comes after Liberal Democrat calls in January for a clear roadmap to 3% defence spending, as well as for the government to commit to a full reversal of the Conservatives’ cut of 10,000 troops.

The UK Government’s defence spending increase includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland. It also includes a £4.5 billion munitions investment in several sites across the UK, including Glasgow.

It has also been reported that billions of pounds will need to be invested with established Scottish tech companies to develop drones, satellites, battlefield communications systems, missiles and guidance systems over the next decade.

The text of Mr Greene’s letter to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, is as follows:

Dear Kate,

I am writing to you following the UK Government’s Spending Review, which has allocated a significant portion of increases in defence spending to Scotland. This includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland.

Scotland’s defence industry currently supports more than 14,000 jobs and generated £1bn for the economy in 2023 alone. It is a critical source of employment not only in my own region along the Clyde, but also in areas like Prestwick, Edinburgh and Dundee amongst others.

If those communities are to reap the benefits of this spending increase, and I believe they should, the Scottish Government must also play its part in realising that economic potential. That means creating the right environment for jobs and investment as well as tackling obstacles that could otherwise dampen those opportunities.

At the moment there are worrying gaps in Scotland’s skills pipeline. The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly raised the issue of teacher shortages in key subjects including maths, chemistry, physics, biology and computer sciences, all of which are vital to developing the skills which will be required by the defence sector.

That situation has been made no easier by the somewhat confused stance the Scottish Government takes on matters of national security and its support for the defence industry in Scotland, by way of example Scottish Enterprise declining to support the proposed Rolls-Royce ‘welding skills’ centre in Glasgow. There is also an increasingly anti-sector narrative being used in the language of politics, and sadly government.

Like many others, I am concerned this creates an unwelcome environment for businesses who might otherwise invest in our defence industry here, as well as for those considering a career in it.

In light of this can I ask for:

An update on what exactly the Scottish Government is doing to facilitate and encourage businesses to invest in the Scotland’s defence industry,

An outline as to what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the current lack of teachers in key STEM subjects across Scotland and,

Clarity on whether or the not the Scottish Government believes that there should be an ongoing and thriving defence sector in Scotland.

It is incumbent on the Scottish Government to use its available powers to foster a conducive environment for employment, investment and growth.

The defence sector, coupled with our armed forces presence, contributes financially, educationally and socially in the communities they operate in. I hope on that point we have agreement as to their importance and in making them feel welcome in Scotland.

Yours sincerely,

Jamie Greene MSP

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, daisy cooper, defence industry, hate speech, health care, industrial strategy, jamie greene, max wilkinson, sewage dumping and tory sleaze | 10 Comments

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 29th June 2025 - 8:30 am

Iran

The Mullahs have brought Iran to the brink of disaster. Their theocratic Islamic anti-Israeli, anti-American crusading state has sown the seeds which its people are now reaping.

The string of proxies which comprised Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” has collapsed. Syria’s President Assad has fled to Moscow. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been militarily and politically castrated. Defense experts believe that the regime has already fired half of its ballistic missiles.

Whether or not the regime’s enriched uranium was rescued from Trump’s “bunker-busting bombs” is irrelevant. The important point is that Israel now controls Iranian airspace and American bombers could attack unmolested.

The first responsibility of any government is to provide protection against attack. The Mullahs have signally failed in that primary task.

On top of that economic sanctions have brought the country to its financial knees and women and young people have refused to accept the strict codes of Sharia law. Their rebellion against imposed social norms is demonstrated by the fact that Iran is one of the world’s major consumers of pop culture.

The country is therefore ripe for regime change. In fact, it has been headed gradually in that direction for years as successive elections have seen “progressive” candidates garner an increasing share of the vote. A good example was last year’s victory in presidential elections of Masoud Pezeshkian over the Islamic candidate.

Exactly what might replace the clerics is unknown. The Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has offered himself as a transitional leader until democratic elections can be held. The exiled women’s rights leader Masih Alinejad has also been mentioned as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. Other possibilities are leading technocrats from the Katami or Rouhani Administration and, of course, any military leader who has not been assassinated by the Israelis.

Opportunity awaits all of above—and more.

Iranian regime change would be disastrous for the cause of global Jihad. It would also be very bad news for Russia and China.

Vladimir Putin already suffered one Middle East setback with the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A collapse of the Mullahs would be even worse as Russia shares a maritime border (the Caspian Sea) with Iran and has a long history of involvement in Persian affairs.

The Russians have been carefully cultivating relations with Israel for decades. Moscow advised Tehran are how to evade Western sanctions and the two countries have been beefing up their respective infrastructures to improve north-south trade through Eurasia.

After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Iran became a major supplier to Moscow of Shahed drones which are now being produced under license in Russia. In January of this year the two countries signed a major security partnership which included the sharing of intelligence and military technology. It, however, stopped well short of a military alliance.

Iran is essential to China’s policy in the Middle East. To demonstrate this, Beijing in 2021 signed a 25-year strategic partnership with Tehran and agreed to invest $400 billion in the country.

China is almost totally dependent on oil from the Gulf for its oil and gas energy needs. To guarantee the flow of oil it must diversify away from the pro-American suppliers of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. Iran enables them to do this. As a result, China ignores western sanctions and imports 20 percent of its oil and gas requirement from Iran.

Iran is also the Middle East link in China’s ambitious Belt/Road trade network.

Its staunch anti-Americanism is also useful to Beijing at international forums such as the UN. China reckons that Iran could be important in re-shaping international institutions so that they have a pro-China bias instead of the current pro-Western bias.

Finally, China’s brokering of a diplomatic rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has allowed Beijing to protect itself as a peaceful player in the region in contrast to America’s military-based power.

An upset in New York

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged iran, kenya, new york and tom arms world review | 15 Comments

27 June 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sat 28th June 2025 - 12:58 pm

Welfare concessions: Government should pull the bill that still “risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance”
Scot Lib Dems win from 5th place in ultra-competitive Edinburgh bellwether

Welfare concessions: Government should pull the bill that still “risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance”

Responding to the Government announcing concessions on the welfare bill, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:

It should not have taken a major rebellion for the Government to realise that these cuts would cause immense damage to some of the most vulnerable and risk creating a false economy by actually forcing some people out of work.

The Government should still pull this bill before the vote on Tuesday and go back to the drawing board. In the absence of any impact assessment, MPs still do not have the full facts and those who are affected have still not been consulted on these changes.

Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose this bill that risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance and leaving some of the most vulnerable without support.

Scot Lib Dems win from 5th place in ultra-competitive Edinburgh bellwether

Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate Kevin McKay has won the highly contested Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election, a ward in which the party finished in fifth place at the 2022 election.

On first preferences, Labour got 20.8%, the Liberal Democrats 20.4% (almost trebling their vote share), Scottish Greens 18.2%, SNP 14.5% (losing more than a third of their vote share), the Conservatives 13.8% (losing almost half their vote share), while Reform UK polled just 7.9%.

However, once second preferences had been redistributed, the Lib Dems secured 2316 votes while Labour got 2219 votes.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, local government by-elections, steve darling and welfare cuts | 3 Comments

Observations of an ex pat: A new era

By Tom Arms | Sat 28th June 2025 - 9:28 am

Trump’s bombing of Iran and the NATO summit mark the beginning of a new era in international relations.

They were both a political success for the American president.

They were also both a disaster for international law and the rules-based order that has underpinned the longest period of peace and prosperity in world history.

We have now entered an age of strong man politics where laws and political outcomes are determined not by legal precedence and a sense of equality and justice, but by the strength of the political leader and the country they lead. In short, might is right.

Many argue that it has always been thus. To a large degree they are right. But since the end of World War Two the establishment of international structures, law, alliances, global trade and treaties have acted as a brake on unfettered power. Trump has dismantled—or is in the process of dismantling—the post-war world order and removing the brake.

Let’s start with the bombing of Iran. Depriving Iran of the ability to have a nuclear bomb is a good thing. Iran is a dangerous ideologically-driven rogue state. However, the way in which the bombing was organized was another nail in the coffin of international law.

There was no attempt to secure international backing for the attack. There was no attempt to even secure domestic or congressional or bipartisan backing for the attack.

Donald Trump did not try for a UN Security Council resolution. He did not consult with his NATO allies. It is debatable whether or not he should have sought a declaration of war from Congress as the constitution stipulates. But he should have at least conferred with the senior members of both parties in the House of Representatives and Senate. He didn’t.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged observations of an ex pat | 13 Comments

ALDC by-election Report, 19th June

By Liam Yip | Fri 27th June 2025 - 3:35 pm

In Scotland, we won another council seat after ranked preferences were accounted for. Well done to Kevin McKay and the team for securing another Liberal Democrat councillor in Edinburgh.

City of Edinburgh Council, Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart
1st Preferences:
Labour: 1,293 (20.8%, -1.7)
Liberal Democrats (Kevin McKay): 1,269 (20.4%, +13.3)
Scottish Greens: 1,133 (18.2%, -1.7)
SNP: 905 (14.5%, -8.2)
Conservative: 857 (13.8%, -12.8)
Reform UK: 489 (7.9%, new)
Independent: 111 (0.6%, new)
Independent: 99 (0.6%, new)
SFP: 34 (0.5%, -0.2)
LBT: 25 (0.4%, -0.1)
Independent: 25 (0.4%, new)
Independent: 9 (0.1%, new)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Labour

We secured an overwhelming victory, with almost 65% of votes, for a seat on Mid Devon District Council. Well done to Tim Stanford and the team for ensuring that this council seat remains with the Liberal Democrats.

Mid Devon DC, Crediton Lawrence
Liberal Democrats (Tim Stanford): 540 (64.9%, +12.8)
Reform UK: 226 (27.2%, new)
Labour: 66 (7.9%, -18.3)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Despite our vote share percentage decreasing by over 10%, we still managed to hold our seat on Rother District Council. Well done to Nicola Mclaren and the team for their efforts in ensuring this council seat remains Liberal Democrat.

Rother District Council, Catsfield & Crowhurst
Liberal Democrats (Nicola Mclaren): 267 (36.6%, -11.9)
Reform UK: 200 (27.4%, new)
Conservative: 162 (22.2%, -10.9)
Labour: 101 (13.8%, -4.7)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

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Posted in News | Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 4 Comments

26 June 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 26th June 2025 - 10:30 pm

Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face
“Bungling Badenoch” urgently needs to clarify Conservative position on PM attending major summits after Pritchard criticism
Married couple Yi-pei Chou Turvey and Michael Turvey top North East list
Wendy Chamberlain MP and People’s Postcode Lottery respond to Government not lifting Charity Lottery Cap
Cole-Hamilton: Cancer patients deserve better than SNP failures

Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the Government to pull their controversial welfare reforms before a vote next week saying that “even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers” can see the damage these reforms could do to unpaid family carers and those they look after.

Davey made the call as the Liberal Democrats have tabled their own Reasoned Amendment aimed at killing the Bill. It highlights the plight of unpaid family carers as a result of these cuts and instead urges the Government to fix the crisis in the NHS and social care, to get people off waiting lists and back into work to get the welfare bill down.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Government needs to pull this Bill and go back to the drawing board. Even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers can see the damage these cuts will do by leaving some of the most vulnerable without support and putting thousands of unpaid carers in impossible situations.

The Conservatives made a complete mess of our welfare system, but the way to bring the benefits bill down is not through cutting support for disabled people and those who care for them. It is by tackling the crisis in our NHS and social care, to get millions of people off waiting lists and back to work.

Family carers do tremendous work in often the most challenging of circumstances, taking huge pressures off our health services and helping loved ones. Taking support away from our nation’s carers is the worst kind of false economy.

I hope the Prime Minister listens and pulls this Bill instead of cutting vital support from thousands of vulnerable people.

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Selection news | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, cancer care, charity lotteries, daisy cooper, ed davey, Kemi Badenoch, michael turvey, welfare bill, wendy chamberlain and yi-pei chou turvey | Leave a comment

Facing the harrowing facts: it’s time for bold action on Gaza and the West Bank

By Judi Conner | Thu 26th June 2025 - 12:37 pm

After more than a year and a half of bombardment, siege, and systematic starvation in Gaza, it is becoming harder than ever to grasp the true scale of Israel’s atrocities there. Not because the evidence is lacking, but because the horrors have become so appallingly routine.

Since March, when Netanyahu abrogated the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, and effectively curtailed the further release of Israeli hostages, the Israeli military has killed almost 6,000 Palestinians, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 56,000. Day after day, dozens of Palestinians are killed by Israeli soldiers while in their homes, in shelters, or in the queue for aid. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed, attacks on medics, aid workers and journalists have become commonplace, and famine is no longer a looming threat but a pervasive reality.

This week, Defence for Children International and Doctors Against Genocide co-published a report that gives a harrowing account of Israel’s weaponisation of starvation against Palestinian children in Gaza. It documents in unflinching detail 33 cases of child starvation, nine of them fatal, caused by Israel’s systematic obstruction of humanitarian access to the Strip. Newborns, infants and children with chronic illnesses were found to be especially vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition and dehydration, and the report concludes that Israel is using child starvation as a method of genocide, with catastrophic consequences for existing and future generations.

These findings come alongside near-daily massacres at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s food distribution sites. More than 450 Palestinians have now been killed while attempting to access lifesaving supplies. Desperate, hungry civilians are being forced to choose between starvation or Israeli gunfire. These are clear war crimes, as the UN human rights office recognised this week, and the UK should be using every lever available to stop them.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged gaza, israel and palestine | 29 Comments

Starmer’s safety net shredded

By Jack Meredith | Thu 26th June 2025 - 9:05 am

Both highs and lows have marked Keir Starmer’s premiership.

With achievements such as beginning the process of renationalising railway services, committing more funding to securing Britain’s defence capabilities, and the slow march towards renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU, you could be forgiven for assuming Labour’s period in power has so far been a success.

That is, of course, until we consider the more harmful decisions this government has made.

The government had, for the longest time, defended cutting the Winter Fuel Allowance for millions of pensioners, until mounting backlash forced them to reverse their decision. Most recently, it has decided to make one of the most significant cuts to welfare since the 2010 Coalition government took office. The decision, as analysed by the government, will result in the removal of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) benefits for 800,000 people. This is despite numerous charities, including The Big Issue and Scope, along with Martin Lewis’ Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, calling on the government to rethink its strategy and avoid what they call “catastrophic impacts”.

And it seems it’s not only charities that oppose the government’s decision, with more than 120 Labour MPs set to rebel against the vote, and one of its whips, Vicky Foxcroft, resigning over the reforms. Despite these setbacks, Keir Starmer has vowed to press on with his plans to cut welfare, stating that the current system is “unsustainable” and that “1,000 people a day going on PIP”.

The question remains: how will Starmer get his reforms through? The answer might present itself in the form of an unlikely alliance: the Conservative Party. Speaking to Sky News, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that her party would be willing to vote in favour of the reforms if the government met three key commitments: reducing the welfare budget, increasing employment, and not raising taxes.

Will Starmer accept the support of Labour’s longtime political rivals to get his reforms through? That remains to be seen. But what is a sure bet is the possibility of rebelling Labour MPs calling for a vote of no confidence in their leader if he does.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged keir starmer | 2 Comments

25 June 2025 – today’s Scottish and Welsh press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th June 2025 - 11:30 pm

Rennie secures major overhaul of qualifications quality assurance after history exam row
Greene: Nationalists failing to deliver as Scottish economy shrinks
Dozens of pro-independence accounts go dark after Israeli strikes on Iran
National Insurance rise leaves Welsh universities with a £18 million a year bill
SNP financial strategy is late, incompetent and unsustainable

Rennie secures major overhaul of qualifications quality assurance after history exam row

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie has secured a series of significant reforms to the Scottish Government’s Education Bill to strengthen the oversight and quality of national qualifications, following widespread concern over this year’s Higher History exam and the lack of external scrutiny within the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The changes, agreed with the Cabinet Secretary and passed at Stage 3 of the Bill, will ensure greater transparency, external accountability, and a clear pathway to further reform of accreditation functions across Scotland’s education system.

The package of amendments includes:

Immediate improvements to how Qualifications Scotland assures quality, including an independent review, an annual compliance report, and a new independent expert group to advise on standards.
A statutory review of the scope and location of the SQA’s current accreditation function, which covers mainly post-school vocational qualifications.
Timetables and mechanisms to ensure that if ministers conclude that further legislation is needed, they must bring forward changes within a year or explain to Parliament why they are not acting.

Willie Rennie said:

The scandal over this year’s Higher History exam showed how unsatisfactory it is that the SQA inspects itself with its quality assurance arrangements. I’ve worked constructively with the Cabinet Secretary to build a stronger system that fixes this and lays the groundwork for lasting reform.

There was no consensus on quality assurance and accreditation changes but I am clear that the current set-up just isn’t good enough. My amendments deliver immediate improvements and a structured, evidence-based route to deeper reform.

The SQA and its replacement, Qualifications Scotland, are under new leadership and will have an big opportunity to change. These amendments give them that chance, but make clear that if further reform is needed, it will be delivered.

Greene: Nationalists failing to deliver as Scottish economy shrinks

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has today said that the SNP are out of time to turn the Scottish economy around as new figures showed that Scotland’s GDP contracted in April and revised figures showed that it contracted by more than previously expected in March.

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged christine jardine, cyber warfare, david chadwick, examinations, jamie greene, scottish economy, university finances and willie rennie | 3 Comments

25 June 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 25th June 2025 - 10:30 pm

PAC Covid loans report: unacceptable still no sign of the billions “mugged from taxpayers”
Lib Dems demand mandatory vote in Parliament before any British forces sent to conflict zones as nearly 60% of Britons back a vote ahead of any UK action in Iran
Trade Strategy has “missed the mark” and shows a Government “cowering in the corner” – Lib Dems

PAC Covid loans report: unacceptable still no sign of the billions “mugged from taxpayers”

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report which states that the Government has been “dangerously-flat footed” in recovering taxpayer losses from fraudulent Covid loans, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Nearly a year after the Government announced its Covid corruption czar, it’s unacceptable that there’s still no sign of the billions of pounds that were mugged from taxpayers.

The Conservative Party oversaw awful abuse of the public finances, essentially allowing a dodgy get rich quick scheme to operate at the expense of people struggling with the catastrophe of the Covid pandemic. But now under this Government, those people seem to be getting off scot free.

Ministers cannot allow this situation to drift any longer. We must see real focus at the top of Government so that these people have to bear the full force of the law and these billions are returned to taxpayers pockets.

Lib Dems demand mandatory vote in Parliament before any British forces sent to conflict zones as nearly 60% of Britons back a vote ahead of any UK action in Iran

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a bill to legally require a Parliamentary vote ahead of the Government deploying British soldiers abroad, as compelling polling commissioned by the party shows that nearly 6 in 10 Britons (57%) believe Parliament should vote on any UK military action taken in Iran.

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Posted in News and Press releases | Tagged calum miller, covid fraud, daisy cooper, trade policy and us attack on iran | 1 Comment