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Top lawyers challenge the government on Gaza

By Andy Daer | Thu 29th May 2025 - 2:54 pm

Today, a letter signed by 828 lawyers was sent to the British government. UK Judges’ and Lawyers’ Open Letter Concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory – May 2025 – UK lawyers’ open letter concerning Gaza

As has been noted previously in Lib Dem Voice, and as the lawyers who signed the letter have now stated, the British government needs to take action, not merely voice concern, or issue threats of “concrete” action which so far have come to nothing. Keir Starmer and David Lammy both suddenly sounded statesman-like when they unveiled those threats, prompted, it appears, not by the nearly 20 months of disproportionate reaction to the October 7 attack by Hamas, but more likely by the televised images of starving babies which might be prompting the British electorate to ask why we are still supplying arms to Israel, and why we haven’t imposed sanctions.

The call from such a huge number of top lawyers and legal experts for positive action is something the government can’t ignore, and indeed it’s hard to see why the Attorney General, Lord Richard Hermer, hasn’t either demanded a change of course, or resigned. Not long ago David Lammy refused to comment on whether Genocide was taking place in Gaza, saying that wasn’t for a matter for the Foreign Secretary, and was for lawyers to decide. Lammy graduated from Harvard Law School in 1997, and may have forgotten that he is a lawyer himself, but it seems astonishing that he didn’t seek guidance from the Attorney General, or that if he did, Lord Hermer’s opinion has been kept secret from Parliament and the British public. No doubt the Labour government, exactly like the Conservatives who preceded them, regards embarrassing legal advice as best kept secret.

The Israeli/American plan to distribute food in Gaza, by-passing normal aid agencies

This has failed to achieve its own very limited objectives, to no-one’s surprise. Meanwhile the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us there are 171,000 tons of food embargoed by the Israelis, which could be safely delivered by humanitarian agencies, and which would feed the entire population of Gaza for three to four months. Instead there is a botched attempt by distrusted private security firms, amid fear that the plan is to kettle Palestinians in the south of Gaza using food as bait, or worse, to lure people known or thought to be associated with Hamas into the arms of the IDF.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged gaza and israel | 9 Comments

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The economic performance gap in Scotland

By Jamie Greene | Thu 29th May 2025 - 11:50 am

To paraphrase a famous election campaign, what do the Scottish Liberal Democrats do for a working-class boy from Greenock?

Well, in my case they make him their Economy and Finance spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament.

I’m delighted to be able to speak for us on this portfolio at Holyrood and honoured by the trust I’ve been shown as our newest Lib Dem MSP. I’m also aware there is a lot of hard work to do.

In nearly two decades in power, the SNP have failed to deliver. They have preferred bureaucracy and constitutional bickering over supporting Scottish businesses, particularly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

As deputy convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit committee, I see what has gone wrong on a weekly basis.

Figures from the Auditor General lay bare the SNP’s economic mismanagement.

While the tax powers of the Scottish Government have brought in an extra £3,367 billion, a startling £2,738 billion has effectively been lost due to policy decisions taken in Scotland, leaving just £629 million available to use. In layman’s terms, just 20p in the pound of additional tax paid due to divergent policies is available to spend.

This has been labelled the “economic performance gap” by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission and it should worry us all.

The gap is a direct result of Scottish Government decisions and is a creation of the SNP in government. “Pay More, Get Less”, should feature on every SNP leaflet at next year’s election.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged economy and scottish parliament | 5 Comments

Tribute: HRH Nana Gyamera-Gyechie I (Godfried Eugene Gyechie)

By The Voice | Thu 29th May 2025 - 9:39 am

Back in 2016 Lib Dem Voice published a unique post in which we announced that a former Lib Dem councillor had been enthroned as a prince in Ghana. Sadly we have recently heard that he died on 22nd April. His funeral will be held on Monday 2nd June at 11.30am at Perry Rise Baptist Church.

We have received this tribute from some of his friends and colleagues.

Prince and Chief Advisor in Ghana
Former Lib Dem Councillor
Ethnic Minority Lib Dems Treasurer

We wish to pay tribute to the life and work of his HRH Nana Gyamera-Gyechie I, commonly known as Godfried Eugene Gyechie.

Godfried was the first black Lib Dem councillor to represent Blackheath ward in Lewisham, from 2006-2010.

Michael Bukola writes:

It can be difficult being one of Francis Urquhart’s “backroom boys”, but as we know, it takes all types to make a political party and Godfried was a quiet warrior who met life’s storms with strength and left this world far too soon. He endured at times periods of ill health with grace, humour, and an unwavering positivity that inspired everyone who knew him.

Godfried was a model professional, his dedication to his work, to his constituents is a credit to his unwavering focus, the time, and effort he poured into his work as an accountant and as a politician. This was epitomised by his contribution during the 2010 General Election during “Cleggmania” where the infamous Yellow Battle bus arrived in Blackheath during the final days of the campaign. This was where I first met Godfried on the ‘heath’ literally for the first time, amongst the screams of “I agree with Nick”.

Julliet Makhapila writes:

He spoke about the importance of better representation in UK Politics from amongst underrepresented Ethnic Communities. He also cared about education, and promoting the Arts and Cultural heritage of the African Ghana communities.

From BLAC Lib Dems and LDCRE:

We send our condolences, thoughts and prayers to Godfried’s family.

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Posted in Obituaries | Tagged Godfried Gyechie | 1 Comment

28 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 28th May 2025 - 10:30 pm

Thames Water must be turned into a public benefit company
Prepayment Meters: victims must see compensation before the winter and debts fully written off
Defra cuts: Government treating rural communities with “gobsmacking contempt”
Police chiefs letter: police and criminal justice systems need “real leadership” say Lib Dems
Scot Lib Dems call for new treatment pathways for neurodiversity
McArthur writes to MSPs as France backs assisted dying
Jardine calls for the scrapping of the Two Child Cap

Thames Water must be turned into a public benefit company

Speaking on the £122.7m fine handed down to Thames Water, Lib Dem Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

This is shocking but hardly surprising. Thames Water has been failing for years; failing to invest, failing to maintain, and failing to deliver, and all the while it has been dumping sewage in our rivers and waterways. It has saddled customers with its debts and provided them with shoddy service in the meantime.

This should be the final nail in the coffin for Thames Water. It needs to be turned into a public benefit company and Ofwat needs to be scrapped and replaced with a real regulator with teeth.

Prepayment Meters: victims must see compensation before the winter and debts fully written off

Responding to the announcement that thousands of energy customers are set to receive payouts of up to £1,000 each in response to the prepayment meters scandal, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and long-time campaigner on this issue Wera Hobhouse said:

It is high-time that the victims of this scandal are recognised and properly compensated after energy companies rode rough-shod over them in this disgraceful way. Those affected have already waited too long for justice. Pay outs now need to be made in time for the winter months, when we know energy costs are higher.

The Conservative Party neglected these victims and ignored Liberal Democrat attempts to prevent more people suffering forced installations. Today they should feel ashamed of their failures.

And to think that some may still not have all their debt written off is simply not right. These companies need to write off the debts they forced upon the people who bore the brunt of this scandal.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, assisted dying bill, child benefit, christine jardine, crime and policing, criminal justice, defra, josh babarinde, liam mcarthur, neurodiversity, prepayment meters, thames water, tim farron and wera hobhouse | 1 Comment

In Defence of Nick

By Adam Robertson | Wed 28th May 2025 - 2:01 pm

Nick Clegg, is arguably the best modern Liberal Democrat British Politician by virtue through taking the party into power in 2010. You may be thinking why does he need defending within our own party? That is a good question considering if he was in the Conservative and Labour Parties, he would be feted (apart from Tony Blair due to Iraq) for taking the party into Government for the first time since the Second World War. Yet Mathew Hulbert suggests it would be wise for him to make fewer public interventions as possible, despite being a former Deputy Prime Minister.

Why do some members of our party feel this way about Nick Clegg, considering the Coalition was ten years ago? The British public seem to have reluctantly accepted that the Coalition cuts were necessary compared to the current Labour Government ones. As Mathew says in his article, Nick did help to bring in Equal Marriage with Lynne Featherstone, but Nick also helped to bring in the Pupil Premium, lifted three million people out of Income Tax, and restored the link between pensions and earnings. I can go on, but the main achievements can be found here.

Admittedly, I accept that the Party lost 49 seats at the 2015 General Election. It is clear that the negotiating team could have got a better deal from the Conservatives, particularly on constitutional and political reform, and on the issue of Europe. Let us not get started on the issue of tuition fees, which should have been handled better especially the politics of it, although I think Nick is not completely to blame here.

However, it is only fair to assess the legacy of the Coalition, when both constituent parts are out of Government completely. The Financial Times has pointed out that we could benefit from the coalition legacy, as Labour faces the reality of governing.

Nick may not have broken the mould’ in challenging the Conservative and Labour dominance within our electoral system during his time as Leader, although I argue even more important was that he could see that the political axis was changing from the traditional economic axis of redistribution v tax cuts, to a cultural axis of liberalism v authoritarianism.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged coalition, nick clegg and political strategy | 68 Comments

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William Wallace writes: How should we play five party politics?

By Lord William Wallace | Wed 28th May 2025 - 12:00 pm

May’s local elections confirmed what opinion polls had been indicating for several months: that England now has five political parties attracting between 10% and 30% of voters. Nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales make six serious parties: an even more crowded field.

Of course it’s possible that over the next four years UK politics might return to its traditional two-party model. But that doesn’t look likely. Neither Labour nor the Conservatives any longer command the automatic support of a large proportion of voters, nor the mass membership that used to provide local organisations throughout the country. Other divides apart from class and wealth cut across old loyalties: young versus old, graduates versus school leavers, libertarians versus socially-engaged. The old dream that a ‘realignment of the left’ might enable us to replace Labour, and the more recent hope that we might push the Conservatives out of contention as one of the two main parties both look illusory. The result of the 2029 election may largely depend on how effectively different parties target specific constituencies, and whether the Conservatives and Reform can construct a formal or informal electoral pact. And it might then require more than two parties to form a majoritarian government.

After our experience between 2010 and 2015, many Liberal Democrats will groan at the prospect of any form of participation in a government in which we were not the largest party. But we can’t dictate what election outcome we would prefer, and we need to be prepared to make the best of a different pattern of politics as it emerges. Established party systems have withered in most other democratic states, as similar social and economic changes have transformed their electorates. Say that we double our number of MPs in 2029, to become a major player in any post-election scenario, perhaps with more MPs than one of the two ‘established’ parties: what would we do then? We’ve just seen an opinion poll put us ahead of the Tories. We HAVE to think ahead.

I suggest some themes that ought to feed into our thinking and campaigning if the current pattern of disillusion with Labour and the Tories persists.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged featured, hung parliament, party strategy and uk politics | 9 Comments

How should the Welsh Liberal Democrats approach the Senedd elections?

By Jack Meredith | Wed 28th May 2025 - 8:55 am

In just under a year, Wales will go to the polls to vote in the Senedd elections.

These elections will determine the composition of the new 96-member Senedd, with polls currently indicating either a Labour minority government (Survation and Nation Cymru) or a Plaid Cymru minority government (YouGov). Regardless of which party becomes the senior partner in government, every poll positions Reform just single digits away from forming a minority government themselves. Survation and Nation Cymru place them joint-second with Plaid, while YouGov ranks them outright second, only 5% behind Plaid; the party’s prospects appear promising.

Each poll also suggests that the Welsh Liberal Democrats will secure only 4-7% of the overall vote, indicating a significantly weakened position.

With the rise of Reform, it would be easy to argue that the Welsh Lib Dems should “play the Reform game,” as some within the Labour Party have advocated for their own party’s future. While this position might seem alluring to some, the notion of embracing xenophobic populism turns my stomach. I regard myself as a liberal internationalist, a progressive who supports the spread of human rights globally, and holds the belief that if you seek a better life for yourself and your family, and you’re willing to work hard and contribute to society, then you’re more than welcome in the UK; THAT is why I am a member of the Liberal Democrats.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2026 senedd elections and Wales | 8 Comments

26-27 May 2025 – two days of press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 27th May 2025 - 10:45 pm

Nearly 2 million to be hit by £9 billion “stealth tax bombshell” by the end of the decade
Labour needs to “learn to u-turn faster” on two-child benefit cap
Davey on Farage speech: “Trussonomics on steroids”
Triple lock: from privatising the NHS now Farage “wants to come after people’s pensions”
Badenoch must rule out Rupert Lowe joining Conservatives
9,523 Scots waiting on social care assessment or care package

Nearly 2 million to be hit by £9 billion “stealth tax bombshell” by the end of the decade

The Labour government’s plans to maintain the income tax threshold freezes introduced by the Conservatives mean that an estimated additional 1.9 million people will be hit, forcing them to shell out close to an estimated £9 billion in additional tax receipts by the end of the decade, House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, has revealed.

The Labour government has said that income tax threshold freezes for both the Personal Allowance and the higher rate of income tax will be maintained until April 2028. The impact means that between 2025/26 and 2029/30 an estimated 1.9 million people will be forced to pay a higher rate of tax due to these threshold freezes.

It means for those millions impacted, they will be forced to shell out an estimated £8.9 billion in additional tax as a result of the freezes by the end of the decade.

It follows on from the previous Conservatives government’s decision to freeze tax thresholds in April 2021. The House of Commons Library research says the impact of that 2021 freeze combined with the Labour government’s decision to maintain the freeze means that an estimated additional 7.625 million people will have been dragged into higher tax bands by the end of the decade. That is the equivalent to one in nine of the current UK population.

The total additional tax bill since the 2021 freeze will reach roughly £33.2 billion by 2029/30, rising from £24.3 billion this year.

The hardest hit areas will be London and the South East, where people in both regions hit by the stealth tax will pay out an estimated £3 billion in additional tax from now until the end of the decade. In total, London and the South East will have paid out £11.3 billion in additional taxes by the end of the decade since the April 2021 freeze.

The Liberal Democrats said that the “Conservative economic vandalism led us into this mess, but this Labour government has proven clueless in generating the growth needed to break this stagnation”. The party added that the only way to bring down the tax bill was through meaningful growth and that needed to come from the Government scrapping its jobs tax and negotiating a bespoke UK-EU customs union.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

During the midst of the worst cost of living crisis for a generation, people are now set to be hammered once again by this stealth tax bombshell.

People should be rewarded for their hard-work, not seeing earnings ripped away through these punitive measures.

The Conservatives’ economic vandalism led us into this mess, but this Labour government has proven clueless in generating the growth needed to break this stagnation.

The only way we can bring the tax bill down, protect family finances and rebuild public services is through meaningful economic growth. That has to come from scrapping the Government’s jobs tax and negotiating a bespoke UK-EU customs union to free our businesses from a Gordian Knot of red tape.

Labour needs to “learn to u-turn faster” on two-child benefit cap

Responding to Bridget Phillipson telling the Today programme that scrapping the two-child benefit cap is “on the table”, Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson and Deputy Leader, said:

The heartless two-child limit has to go – no ifs, no buts.

Dangling hope in front of desperate parents is inexcusable. Continuing to punish children just for being born is unforgivable.

The public is fed up of a government failing to deliver change – Labour needs to learn to u-turn faster.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, child benefit, daisy cooper, ed davey, fantasy economics, reform uk, social care, taxation policy and triple lock | 4 Comments

The need for intermediate housing

By David Murray | Tue 27th May 2025 - 5:00 pm

The Lib Dems recognise the need for more council/social housing for families, but little is done about the many young people who are forced to live with their parents until well into their 30s. There is inadequate provision of suitable affordable accommodation, either to rent or buy, for young people with limited resources, particularly when they have first left care, school, college, university or the armed forces.

Single people do not get priority for social housing, and can remain on councils’ Band 5 waiting lists for years, limiting their opportunities and social mobility to move where the jobs might be. Young …

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Posted in Op-eds | 4 Comments

Mark Pack’s May report to members

By Mark Pack | Tue 27th May 2025 - 3:48 pm

Thank you…

It is always good to start with thanking colleagues, and this month marked the final full council for Gareth Morgan. He has served an amazing 52 (!) years as a councillor, having been first elected to then Montgomery County Council in 1973 as a Liberal.

Given all the political ups and downs for our party and its predecessors in the years since, that is a particularly impressive run. It is also a run that enabled Gareth to do so much good for local residents’ and for promoting our values.

Thank you, Gareth.

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Posted in News | Tagged Mark Pack | 1 Comment

The Liberal Moment

By Mark Paine | Tue 27th May 2025 - 9:00 am

Recently, I joined the Liberal Democrats; or rather rejoined as I was briefly a member a few years ago. I have been politically active since I was a teenager, for the majority of that time as a member of the Labour Party. My return came after a long period of reading and reflection. For some time, I had been aware of my growing unease at the culture within the Labour Party (which is exceptionalist, toxic and tribalistic), and the Party’s underlying philosophical basis (which is authoritarian). Eventually the cognitive dissonance required to be a Labour Party member was too tiring, so I left. Now at the age of 55, I have found (hopefully) my political home.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged liberalism | 16 Comments

Mathew on Monday – Will we nail the final nail into the Tory coffin?

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 26th May 2025 - 4:32 pm

Here lies the deceased. The Conservative Party, 1834-2025.

Or, to borrow from a certain former Prime Minister who encouraged the use of a handbag in less than diplomatic negotiations,

This is an ex-parrot. It is not merely stunned. It has ceased to be, expired, and gone to meet its maker. It is a parrot no more. It has run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is a late parrot.

That of course was Margaret Thatcher speaking to the Tory Party conference, about the Lib Dems and our then new party symbol, “a bird of some kind” as she described it, in 1990.

Of course ironically it would in fact be herself who was (politically) defenestrated just a few weeks later when her own Cabinet turned on her and she stood down as Conservative leader and Prime Minister. Be careful what you wish for, some might say.

If any party knows about coming very close to its own political death it is the Lib Dems and our predecessor parties, sometimes reduced to just a handful of MPs. But, as our former leader Tim Farron likes to say, we Lib Dems are like cockroaches… almost impossible to kill us off.

It’s taken a decade since we were given a right royal kick in 2015 after our first time in UK-wide government since Liberal leader Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair served as the Secretary of State for Air in Churchill’s war time national Cabinet, but under Ed Davey’s steady leadership, punctuated by the occasional cringeworthy stunt to garner attention from a Westminster press pack who seem to have permanently forgotten that we even exist, we are back in a strong position on which we can and must build.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged bank holidays, conservative party and nick clegg | 21 Comments

Welcome (belatedly) to my day: 26 May 2025 – what if, like Bielefeld, I don’t actually exist?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 26th May 2025 - 1:32 pm

One of the increasingly troubling trends in modern life is the use of AI as a tool to gather and utilise information. Now, this might merely be the concern of a late middle-aged bureaucrat whose caution is inevitable. On the other hand, it may reflect an entirely reasonable fear that people are too trusting of the information presented to them by unaccountable algorithms. But what if those algorithms are being used to surreptitiously influence what we think and how we perceive the world around us?

We’ve already seen X turn from an entertaining, and occasionally useful, social media platform into a hot mess as Elon Musk openly manipulates its working algorithm to promote those views he supports and punish those who puncture his fragile ego. And now the legal system is facing a challenge from plaintiffs using AI-generated false case precedents to support their arguments in court.

The kneejerk solution is to legislate to address these concerns but the pace of technological change and jurisdictional challenges make any attempts to do so complex and probably futile. Parliamentarians lack the tools, and often the skills, to design a set of principles which might be effective.

I am, clearly, not the only person wondering about this. Nick Clegg has been in the news this week, having made a speech suggesting that the Liberal Democrats should be willing to go into a coalition in future (good luck with that campaign, Nick!). He’s got a book out in the Autumn, “How to Save the Internet”, which should be intriguing.

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Posted in Op-eds | 1 Comment

26 May 2025 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 26th May 2025 - 10:24 am

Patients “left in the lurch” as month long waits for last minute cancelled ops to be rearranged more than double
Scot Lib Dems to lead debate calling for immediate teacher workforce plan

Patients “left in the lurch” as month long waits for last minute cancelled ops to be rearranged more than double

Close to 20,000 operations cancelled at the last minute took more than 28-days to rearrange last year, in breach of the NHS’s own standard, research by the House of Commons Library commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

It means that 23% of the 85,400 elective operations cancelled at the last minute in 2024/25 took longer than a month to rearrange. This represents a three-fold increase on 2015/16’s figure of 7%.

The Liberal Democrats said the figures showed patients being “left in the lurch” as they waited for “potentially life altering operations”. The party called on the Government to end its “embrace of dither and delay” and take action on rebuilding crumbling hospitals and end the crisis in social care “so crucial to fixing the underlying problem in the health service”.

The data also shows that the number of last minute cancellations breaching the health service’s 28-day standard has also risen significantly from 9,000 in 2015/16 to 19,400 last year. That represents an 115% increase on the waits for rescheduled last minute cancellations a decade ago. In the past year alone the number of these breaches has jumped by around 1,500, up 8% to the highest level post the pandemic.

The data also revealed a breakdown on NHS Trusts with the most breaches of the 28-day standard. The Trust with the highest number of breaches that had not experienced a recent merger was University Hospitals Leicester with 942 and then followed by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare with 710.

Of the 108 NHS Trusts that reported full data for each year since 2015/16, 73 saw a rise in the number of breaches.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

Patients are being left in the lurch, forced to wait in pain and distress for potentially life altering operations. Each of these delays represents an extra month that someone’s misery is prolonged.

This is the devastating legacy of the Conservatives neglect of this NHS, but the Labour government is proving aimless in how to turn this around with ill-thought through reforms and kicking vital projects into the long-grass.

This embrace of dither and delay on building new hospitals or fixing the crisis in social care, so crucial to fixing the underlying problem in the health service, is failing patients. It is time Ministers realised this and showed real ambition in ending these unacceptable delays and getting patients the care they deserve.

Scot Lib Dems to lead debate calling for immediate teacher workforce plan

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie will lead a Scottish Parliament debate on Wednesday afternoon in which his party will call for an immediate teacher workforce plan to counter declines in key subjects like Maths and Physics and a lack of permanent contracts for teaching staff.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged helen morgan, nhs crisis, teachers and willie rennie | 1 Comment

24-25 May 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 25th May 2025 - 11:00 pm

Number of lung cancer patients not treated within two-month standard rises by 40% with some waiting more than a year
Winter Fuel Payments: Govt needs to complete world’s slowest u-turn
Cole-Hamilton reveals constituencies with most sewage spills and those with no monitoring
Greene urges government to keep a record of online sextortion offences

Number of lung cancer patients not treated within two-month standard rises by 40% with some waiting more than a year

The number of lung cancer patients not treated within the 62-day standard from a referral has risen by 40% since 2019 to 3,750 last year

One patient waited 481 days to begin treatment following a referral for lung cancer with hundreds waiting longer than four months for care in 2024

Liberal Democrat MP Clive Jones, a cancer campaigner and cancer survivor himself, has now written to the Health Secretary following the closure of the call to evidence for the National Cancer Plan demanding a target for 100% of patients beginning treatment within 62-days

The number of lung cancer patients waiting longer than the 62-day referral to treatment standard has risen by 41% since 2019, with 3,750 patients enduring waits of at least two-months last year, Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) by Lib Dem MP Clive Jones’ office have revealed.

Jones’ office received responses from 65 of the 144 NHS Trusts meaning the true number of lung cancer patients not treated within the 62-day standard is likely far higher. From those Trusts that did respond, it showed that those treated outside of the 62-days rose from 2,660 in 2019, to 3,750 last year, a rise of 41%.

The data also revealed the number of people waiting more than four-months to receive treatment, more than double the time expected for the standard. It showed 717 people last year waiting at least four-months, double 2019’s figure of 356. Trusts also responded with the longest time that someone had waited to begin lung cancer treatment with Bedfordshire Hospitals reporting a wait of 481 days.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, clive jones, daisy cooper, jamie greene, lung cancer, nhs waiting times, sewage dumping, sextortion and winter fuel payment | 1 Comment

Stillbirth surveillance shows why we must decriminalise abortion

By Janey Little and Eleanor Kelly | Sun 25th May 2025 - 7:24 pm

Stillbirth surveillance is the next chapter of our dystopian and dangerous abortion laws. Our parliaments must legislate to decriminalise.

We were chilled to read about the new stillbirth surveillance guidance from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). This NPCC guidance on “child death investigations” includes the seizure of mobile phones and accessing data from menstrual tracking apps in order to understand people’s “intentions” with the pregnancy. You would think this was a news story in Trump’s America, not right on our doorstep.

This development is part of a wider picture: one of an incremental and dystopian attack on women’s rights, both at home and across the globe. Anti-abortion activism in the UK is on the rise, with the UK branch of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) receiving over £1.1 million in 2024 from the US parent body. Last year, Nigel Farage said that rolling back the 24-week abortion limit was “worthy of a debate in parliament”. Meanwhile, misogyny is increasingly becoming mainstream globally, while nearly a quarter of governments reported backlash on gender equality in 2024.

Reform to abortion law in England and Wales is long overdue. Currently, abortion is a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, unless it is carried out according to the requirements of the Abortion Act 1967. Over the last 10 years we’ve seen an increase in police suspicion with dozens of investigations and six women in England charged in the past two years alone.

In 2021, a 15-year-old girl was investigated for a year for an unexplained stillbirth, which was dropped after they concluded that it was due to natural causes. In 2024, a case against Bethany Cox was dropped after a three-year investigation where she was charged with abortion as a teenager. A psychiatric examination found that this had a “profound” impact on Cox. Mothers have been prevented from caring for their children.

People who are already suffering from trauma relating to stillbirth, miscarriage, and the ending of a pregnancy have been subjected to lengthy invasive investigations and emotional turmoil, while stripped of their support network at a time of vulnerability. Women denied access to their premature babies, their devices seized by police, having to hand over breastmilk to hospital receptionists because they previously considered an abortion. This cannot go on.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged abortion law, eleanor kelly, featured, janey little, policing, stillbirth surveillance and women | 5 Comments

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 25th May 2025 - 9:49 am

Romania, Poland, Portugal

On the surface, this week’s elections in Poland, Romania and Portugal were a victory for Europe’s political centre. But look an inch or two below and a different, darker story emerges.

Let’s start with Romania. A few week ago the country was looking into a political abyss after the first-round of presidential elections was won by Calin Georgescu. The far-right, ultra-nationalist, pro-Putin, anti-Ukraine, anti-NATO, agronomist was a political unknown before the December vote. Yet he managed to top the first round of a two-part elections. A quick investigation revealed Russia skulduggery. The election was annulled and Georgescu barred from running for office.

So, the Romanian far-right put up another candidate—George Simion—who adopted many of the same policies of the barred Georgescu. He lost this week’s election. The centrist Nicursor Dan can claim a solid victory with 53.6 percent of the vote but Simion was close enough—at 46.4 percent of the vote—to be a future threat.

A bit further to the north the first round of the Polish presidential elections were much, much closer. Centrist candidate Rafal Trzaskowski narrowly topped the poll with 30.8 percent of the vote while far-right candidate Karol Nawrocki’s slice was 29.1 percent. The two men will face-off in a final round on June 1st.

A far-right Polish president could easily undermine the country’s centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk who has been in the forefront of world leaders supporting Ukraine. The president’s role is largely ceremonial except for the power to veto any legislation passed by the Polish parliament (Sejm) and to appoint the judiciary.

Further to the West, on the edge of the European continent, Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won enough seats to form a government, although it fell short of a majority.

AD’s success, however, was not the big news of the night. The big news was the triumph of the far-right Chega Party which more or less tied with the established centre-left Social Democrats with 23 percent of the vote. Three years ago Chega polled only seven percent.

The Chega Party joins Vox in Spain, Reform in the UK, AfD in Germany, AU in Romania, Sweden Democrats in Sweden, Freedom Party in Austria, National Rally in France….All of these parties have risen on the backs of inflation, a housing crisis and general uncertainty about the future. They are waiting for the established political parties to mis-step, or, fail to deliver.

United States

Gold is Donald Trump’s favourite colour. It is also expensive. These two factors could explain why the American president is calling his proposed missile defense shield the “Golden Dome.”

The wished-for shield is loosely modelled on Israel’s highly successful “Iron Dome” which has successfully rebuffed missile attacks from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.

I say, loosely, because Israel’s Iron Dome is 15 mobile Patriot missile batteries which are moved around the country to the best sites for intercepting incoming missiles. The batteries are all land-based and cover an area of 8,550 square miles.

Trump’s Golden Dome would be based on sea, land and in space and would cover an area of 7,650,000 square miles. It would also be designed to detect and destroy missiles before they are launched as well as after they are launched.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged poland, portugal, romania and United states of America | 6 Comments

“International Day of Democracy” for the Polish community in the UK

By Michal Siewniak | Sat 24th May 2025 - 11:53 am

Tired, in actual fact exhausted. Almost no sleep for 24 hours, however it was worth it! There is no better way to enable people to vote in any elections so that they can actively shape the future of their communities, towns, cities and countries, especially when you live abroad.

It might have been a small event, however it was a significant and historic moment for the Polish community in Hertfordshire. For the very first time, a polling station for the Polish presidential elections was opened in Welwyn Garden City on Sunday, 18 May. It really felt like a wonderful “democratic celebration”.

Organising the station was a significant logistical challenge. It required cooperation with consular officials and the assembly of a trained and reliable election team. It is quite incredible, given that many more people expressed their willingness to vote, 108 polling stations have been set up across the UK. Moreover, more than 509,000 Poles living abroad had an opportunity to cast their vote and choose the next President.

In comparison with London or Manchester, Welwyn Garden City is a small town, however it was great to see that voters travelled not only from nearby towns such as Hatfield, Stevenage, St Albans, Barnet, Hitchin, Hoddesdon, Waltham Abbey, Ware, Cheshunt and Harlow, but also from further afield – including Portsmouth and Leyland. Many commented on how grateful they were not to have to travel far, and praised both the organisation and the charm of Welwyn Garden City itself. Their warm feedback confirmed to us that this initiative was truly worthwhile. The members of the commission (13 in total) created a welcoming and supportive environment, filled with a true sense of community.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged international and poland | 2 Comments

Observations of an Expat: South African farmers

By Tom Arms | Sat 24th May 2025 - 9:44 am

South Africa’s White farmers—and, face it, most of South Africa’s farmers are White Afrikaners—are facing difficulties.

Are they being subjected to a government-orchestrated genocide? No, that is a Trumpist calumny of the first order.

Are they being buried in their thousands along the road as show in one of the videos that Trump showed in the Oval Office? No, that was a five year-old video showing a temporary memorial to two Boer farmers.

What about all the newspaper cuttings that Trump produced in his ambush of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa? Those were all about fighting in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How about Julius Malema singing “Kill the Boers.” He is leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters which won 9.5 percent of the vote in the last election. Describing him—as Trump did—as representative of South African politics is akin to saying that Nigel Farage and the Reform Party determine British government policy.

In short, Trump’s attempted trap was riddled with obvious lies. Except one, President Ramaphosa in February signed a bill allowing for the confiscation of farmland.

Mind you, it is more nuanced than that. The bill allows for expropriation in “circumstances where it is just and equitable and in the public interest to do so.” And defines the just and equitable circumstances as when the land is not being used and stipulates that there should be no intention to either develop the land, resell it at profit or to use it such a way to pose a risk to other people.

This may sound fair, but it is also vague enough to worry the banks who are expressing concern about loans to South African farmers. And Boer farmers, like farmers everywhere, live from bank loan to harvest to bank loan.

Actual implementation of the new law is being held up by a legal challenge from the Democratic Alliance Party which is actually a member of the ruling coalition. The DA claim that the law breaches the constitutional provision protecting private property and is preparing its case for South Africa’s Supreme Court.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged donald trump and south africa | 6 Comments

23 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 23rd May 2025 - 11:40 pm

Telegraph deal: stake promised to UAE before legislation approved “puts the cart before the horse”
With just weeks to go, 125,000 meters still need replaced
UK Government admits it doesn’t know how much Welsh Rail electrification would cost

Telegraph deal: stake promised to UAE before legislation approved “puts the cart before the horse”

Responding to reports that the Telegraph has agreed a deal with a US private equity firm but that the UAE will retain a 15% stake, Chris Fox, Liberal Democrat Lords’ Spokesperson for Business and sponsor of the fatal motion to block the legislation allowing foreign state stakes in British papers, said:

Promising a stake in the Telegraph to the UAE before Nandy’s legislation has passed Parliament puts the cart before the horse.

We don’t believe in letting overseas states buy their way in to influencing the news we read. We’ll move to block the law as soon as it reaches the Lords – and can win the vote if the Conservatives do the right thing and stand with us.

The new permissions for foreign ownership of newspapers simply don’t exist yet, and there’s many lawmakers who don’t believe they should.

Of course we want to see our iconic British papers survive, but editorial independence must be shielded from foreign sway – not just in the current case, but for all future deals cut on UK newspaper ownership as the media landscape continues to change beyond recognition.

With just weeks to go, 125,000 meters still need replaced

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart has called for urgent action to prepare for the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off as she highlighted figures showing that with just weeks to go there are just under 125,000 meters still to be replaced but just 5,000 per fortnight are being replaced.

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged beatrice wishart, chris fox, david chadwick, media, radio teleswitch service and rail electrification | 1 Comment

From working in Greggs to becoming a Deputy Mayor

By Michal Siewniak | Fri 23rd May 2025 - 5:53 pm

“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style”.

If someone told me exactly 20 years ago that I would become a Deputy Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, I wouldn’t have believed. Although I completed my MA Degree in History in Poland and Croatia, which included learning about the UK Parliament and its democratic processes, I don’t think that I understood the function of Mayor as well as the role of the Local Authorities. Starting in Greggs, then moving to a well-known retailer, Hertfordshire Council, Secondary School and eventually, landing in the Community and Voluntary Sector, which played a huge part in enabling me to fall in love with charities, local groups and grassroots organisation on issues such as engagement, community participation and capacity building.

Moreover, for purely political reasons and democratic composition of our Council, it would not be possible for me to even contemplate the possibility of putting myself forward and actually winning the contest.

It was quite a privilege to be appointed as the Deputy Mayor at the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s AGM on Monday, 19^th May. It was equally amazing to be elected as the first Polish and European national to this role. It was wonderful to see a group of 30 people, to my surprise, who joined the meeting. The quiet Chamber has suddenly become a bit noisier! It was so uplifting to receive a number of encouraging messages, since my appointment.

Am I excited? Yes? A bit nervous? Yes? However, I am hugely looking forward to the opportunity that presents itself. The chain itself helps, however I am so keen, as a passionate activist, to ensure that this role enables me to inspire others to make a difference. I will work my hardest to build bridges, connect people, and challenge negative attitudes and misconceptions. So, none of it is about me but about bringing residents of Welwyn Hatfield together in order to create a sense of fraternity and belonging. It is so important, especially today, when we seem to be often separated and far away from each other.

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Posted in News | 7 Comments

ALDC by-election report, 22nd May

By Chris Ward | Fri 23rd May 2025 - 3:55 pm

Three by-elections on Thursday 22nd May, and a trio of Liberal Democrat defences.

In Horsham, there was a by-election to fill the seat vacated by new Liberal Democrat MP John Milne. Congratulations to Cllr Louise Potter and the team on a good hold!

West Sussex County Council, Horsham Riverside
Liberal Democrats (Louise Potter): 1193 (45.7%)
Conservative: 569 (21.8%)
Reform UK: 547 (21.0%)
Labour: 181 (6.9%)
Green Party: 118 (4.5%)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

A successful defence too on Eastleigh Council, where Cllr John Shepherd was elected to be Lib Dem group leader Keith House’s latest ward colleague. Congratulations!

Eastleigh Borough Council, Hedge End South
Liberal Democrats (John Shepherd): 1266 (44.4%, -8.7)
Conservative: 735 (25.8%, -3.8)
Reform UK: 728 (25.5%, new)
Labour: 122 (4.3%, -6.6)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

Congratulations too, in Sutton, where a potentially tricky by-election defence in a Conservative / Lib Dem split ward was emphatically won by Cllr Lisa Webster.

Sutton London Borough Council, Carshalton South & Clockhouse
Liberal Democrats (Lisa Webster):1674 (52.2%, +12.1)
Conservative: 767 (23.9%, -18.2)
Reform UK: 573 (17.9%, new)
Labour: 89 (2.8%, -5.4)
Green Party: 79 (25.5%, -7.1)
CPA: 23 (0.7%, new)

Liberal Democrats HOLD

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Posted in News | Tagged aldc local government by-elections | 2 Comments

Technocracy vs populism

By Jim Coupland | Fri 23rd May 2025 - 1:51 pm

The Labour government have announced a U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts. Pondering over Sir Keir’s leadership of Labour and now his current premiership, I’ve noticed that he is fighting a battle which I feel is being overlooked. What I currently find is that there is a polarising divide for politicians where they seem to try and find a balance between technocracy and populism.

What do I mean by these terms? Well, for us political nerds, I think we all know what populist politics is. It can come in many forms, from the Corbyn era to the MAGA movement, it is there to serve as an alternative to the status quo of politics. More than just a technical opposition in parliament, populists aim to change the system altogether. What do I mean by technocracy? Well, that is what I would define as the ‘establishment’. Politicians and civil servants who create legislation and policy that makes minimal change to the institutions.

Looking at the government, the Prime Minister is a technocrat at heart. A pragmatist. What I have learned, being a former Labour member under his leadership, is that ideology is not what he is interested in. He cares about details and prides himself on preservation of institutions. That has been Labour’s weakness since their election victory in 2024; Labour campaigned on ‘change’ but have shown through their actions that there will be no meaningful change. For example, a key educational policy in their 2024 manifesto is to recruit 6,500 teachers. That sounds like a lot; however, figures have shown that in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, nearly 40,000 teachers left the profession. 6,500 new teachers will not solve the retention crisis of school staff.

Labour can point to raising wages, which I support, but that policy alone does not solve poverty or wealth inequality. In my personal position, the wage rise only amounted to me having roughly £6 extra onto my day rates in one of my jobs. I don’t live in poverty but as a working-class person, that policy hasn’t eased the financial pressures we all face.

Looking at the numbers, I understand why Labour made their decision of the winter fuel cuts. There are plenty of pensioners that, in my view, were going to suffer as a direct result of the policy and be pushed into poverty. However, there are pensioners that were receiving the payment when they were quite well off. Rory Stewart recently spoke of how his mother received the payment when she didn’t need to. With an ageing population, the winter fuel payment is extremely costly to the taxpayer. This is the technocratic argument.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged conservatives and labour | 5 Comments

22 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 22nd May 2025 - 11:35 pm

Government borrowing figures: “warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury” – Lib Dems
Government back Lib Dem campaigns protecting victims of domestic abuse and sexual offence
Teachers’ pay award: Government “building castles in the sky” if they think schools can fund rise
First Minister misses two-year NHS waiting times target

Government borrowing figures: “warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury” – Lib Dems

Responding to the latest figures showing that Government borrowing in April was at its fourth-highest since records began, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

The warning lights must be flashing in the Treasury this morning.

Rachel Reeves has failed to get a grip on the mess left by the Conservatives, making a series of blunders whilst avoiding taking the bold action that would set us on the right path.

It is time for the Labour government to change course. The first steps must be scrapping the damaging jobs tax, reforming business rates and being much more ambitious in negotiations with the EU, pushing for a customs union that would create the growth we desperately need to rebuild public services and protect family finances. Short-sighted red lines will only doom Rachel to failure.

Government back Lib Dem campaigns protecting victims of domestic abuse and sexual offence

Today, the Government has agreed to act on two Lib Dem campaign priorities as part of their response to the Gauke Review.

In response to Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde’s campaign to formally recognise domestic abuse crimes in the law, the Government has announced it will create a specific, new categorisation that will enable judges to officially register offences as crimes of domestic abuse.

This would enable the Government to finally be able to exclude domestic abusers from its SDS40 early release scheme – which has so far allowed many domestic abusers to leave prison early in the absence of such a categorisation – putting victims at risk.

It will also mean the Government will now be able to track the number and reoffending rate of domestic abusers offenders. Josh Babarinde uncovered via a Written Parliamentary Question that currently, in the absence of a categorisation, the Government doesn’t know how many domestic abusers are in prison.

Sarah Olney’s longstanding campaign to enable victims of rape and sexual offences to request a transcript of sentencing remarks free of charge has also been included in the Government’s review.

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Posted in News, Press releases and Wales | Tagged daisy cooper, domestic abuse, government borrowing, jane dodds, josh babarinde, munira wilson, nhs waiting times, sarah olney and teacher pay | 1 Comment

Words have power: London must champion migration, not demonise it

By Hina Bokhari | Thu 22nd May 2025 - 4:12 pm

Migration is not a threat – it is the very foundation of London life. From the Romans and Anglo-Saxons to the Windrush generation and Ukrainians fleeing war today, migrants have always shaped this city into a dynamic, diverse capital. That should be a source of collective pride, not a target for political attack.

Yet when the Prime Minister dismisses immigration as a “squalid chapter” or warns of an “island of strangers” and “incalculable damage,” more than disappointing, it is downright dangerous.

Such rhetoric dehumanises communities and deepens division. In a climate of rising hate crime and attacks on asylum seekers – including the horrifying attempt last year to burn down a hotel with people still inside – the Prime Minister’s words are worse than insensitive: they are recklessly incendiary.

Words have power. They shape opinion, policy, and lives. In moments like this, we need leaders who speak with care, clarity, and courage – who choose unity over fear, and hope over hate.

Instead, the language from Number 10 echoes the darkest chapters of our political past, more suited to Enoch Powell than a modern leader. And while Sadiq Khan has said these are not words he would use, that’s not good enough from London’s Mayor.

When I pressed him directly today at Mayor’s Question Time about whether he considered the Prime Minister’s language dangerous, he refused to answer, instead deflecting repeatedly. Our diverse capital demands more than quiet disapproval and political evasion. London needs bold leadership willing to vocally reject divisive rhetoric – even when it comes from a Labour government – and to defend a simple truth: migration is not a crisis to contain, but a core part of who we are.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged london assembly and migration | 11 Comments

On capitalisation

By Mary Reid | Thu 22nd May 2025 - 1:21 pm

This is not a treatise on economics, but a minor rant about the use of capital letters.

American media often like to capitalise every word in their headlines. For example: Trump Lectures South African President in Televised Oval Office Confrontation (New York Times) and Trump Claimed This Photo Proved ‘Genocide’ Of White South Africans, But There’s 1 Big Problem (HuffPost)

There are some exceptions to this practice in the US: see Trump confronts South African president, pushing claims of genocide (Washington Post). However in the UK none of our media capitalise headlines. For example: Trump ambushes South African president with video and false claims of anti-white racism (The Guardian) and Trump makes South African president squirm by playing ‘white genocide’ video montage during astonishing Oval Office moment (Daily Mail).

Being a kind of language nerd, on my editorial days I tend to carefully remove unnecessary capitals from the headlines of posts submitted to Lib Dem Voice.

I am equally strict about American spellings of words when the context does not justify it. “Defense” written instead of “defence” is a common error, and don’t get me started on “gotten”.

There is one exception to my rules – our wonderful contributor Tom Arms. Tom is an American, hence the Ex-Pat. I do leave his spelling intact, but I still can’t resist removing capital letters from headlines.

In his day as editor on Lib Dem Voice Mark Pack campaigned about the use of spaces after full stops – only one allowed, not two. For my part, I have been known to have a prolonged discussion with one of our academic contributors on the correct use of single and double speech marks, to the amusement of the other members of the LDV team. Mark and I are both published authors so we have had the experience of justifying our writing style and use of terminology to copyeditors and proof readers, which does help us to consolidate our position on these rather esoteric issues.

We don’t expect that level of linguistic nit-pickery in our contributors – but I would ask you, please, to avoid assigning random capital letters in your headings and general text. And do not use American spellings for good English words.

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Posted in Op-eds | 19 Comments

Action on Gaza at last – but is it fast and far-reaching enough?

By Jonathan Brown | Thu 22nd May 2025 - 10:14 am

This week, as Israel intensifies its ground operation in Gaza and aid agencies warn of impending famine, the UK government seems to be finally taking a stand. On Tuesday, the UK joined France and Canada in issuing a joint statement condemning Israel’s ongoing aid blockade and military escalation and warning of “concrete actions” if the Israeli government fails to change course. The following day, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a series of new measures, including a formal pause on UK-Israel trade negotiations, targeted sanctions on illegal settlers, and the summoning of the Israeli Ambassador to the UK – a rare diplomatic move not taken since the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in April 2024.

These are important and long-overdue steps, signalling a shift in government rhetoric and a new willingness to intervene after months of equivocation. But in the face of daily mass atrocities in Gaza, tougher and more comprehensive measures are required to compel urgent, on-the-ground change and pave the way to just and lasting solutions.

The need for decisive international action could not be clearer. After eleven weeks of total blockade, at least 500,000 people in Gaza face a critical risk of famine. Following mounting international pressure, Israel is now allowing a “basic amount of food” to enter, but this is a fig leaf, nothing more, certainly nowhere near enough to avert mass death from starvation. The UN’s humanitarian chief has warned that 14,000 babies could die within days without immediate help. At the same time, Israel has launched a fresh ground offensive aimed at seizing yet more Palestinian territory and forcibly displacing the population, killing at least 500 Palestinians since the offensive began last week. In the West Bank, illegal settlement building, land seizures and settler violence continue to surge, with senior minister Smotrich vowing that Israel will “apply sovereignty” i.e. illegally annex the land before the current government’s term ends in 2026.

For too long, the UK government has enabled these atrocities through inaction, evasion, and quiet complicity. Even as international legal bodies have made clear that the Israeli government is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza and that its occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, UK ministers have carefully avoided directly acknowledging Israel’s breaches of international law, preferring instead to reference “risks” of breaches. Rather than using its leverage to press for compliance with international law, the UK has consistently sent a dangerous message: that Israel is free to violate international law with impunity.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged gaza | 18 Comments

22 May 2025 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 22nd May 2025 - 7:30 am

Accounts Commission report shows councils face “titanic gulf”
Welsh Lib Dems Respond to Bevan Foundation Report on Impact of Disability Benefit Reforms on Wales

Accounts Commission report shows councils face “titanic gulf”

Responding to the embargoed Accounts Commission report into Scotland’s council finances, which warns that despite the average council tax rising by 9.6%, local government continues to face recurring pressures in excess of funding uplifts, with councils identifying a difference of £647 million between anticipated expenditure and the funding and income they receive, Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesperson Jamie Greene said:

Local authorities have had a raw deal from the SNP over many

…

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged david chadwick, disability benefits, jamie greene and local government finance | 2 Comments

21 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 21st May 2025 - 10:30 pm

Inflation: High time the Government put in place a proper plan to boost our economy
Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers
Winter Fuel Payments: the “world’s longest u-turn continues”
Winter Fuel Payments: Serious proposal from the Prime Minister Needed
Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Gov Business Rates Consultation
Carmichael challenges Prime Minister to pause family farm tax

Inflation: High time the Government put in place a proper plan to boost our economy

Responding to inflation rising to 3.5%, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Today’s grim figures reveal a triple whammy on Britain’s households – resulting from the Government’s disastrous jobs tax, Donald Trump’s devastating tariffs and April’s damaging business rates bill rises.

Ministers cannot allow inflation to spiral as it did under the Conservatives, but they risk repeating their record for as long as the employer’s National Insurance hike remains in place.

It’s high time the Government saw sense and put in place a proper plan to boost our economy: scrapping the jobs tax, standing with our allies to end Trump’s trade war, and urgently negotiating a new customs union with the EU. We must see bold action to deliver relief for millions of hard-pressed households.

Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers

Responding to reports that Thames Water has halted their bosses bonus scheme, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Environment, Tim Farron MP said:

This will hardly be cause to celebrate for the millions of Thames Water customers who continue to face eye-watering bills.

The public are rightly fed-up with having Thames Water’s mess dumped on them.

The Government must act now and replace Ofwat with a new regulator with real power that can properly hold water companies to account on environmental pollution and unjustifiable bonuses.

Winter Fuel Payments: the “world’s longest u-turn continues”

Responding to the Prime Minister saying that more pensioners will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments next winter, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The world’s longest u-turn continues.

The Prime Minister has today announced the ‘concepts of a plan’ that have come far too late for the millions of pensioners forced to freeze in their own homes over the winter.

The least those people deserve is an apology for this punitive policy and a serious proposal from the Prime Minister on how he will begin to pick up the pieces from his Government’s disastrous decision. Not vague words that will take months to materialise into something meaningful.

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Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, business rates, daisy cooper, david chadwick, ed davey, family farm tax, inflation, jane dodds, thames water, tim farron and winter fuel payment | Leave a comment

In service of the common good

By Graham Garvie | Wed 21st May 2025 - 12:41 pm

Retirement offers many opportunities the most important of which is time to enjoy some pursuits which employment rarely allows. Reading more books is one of these. And, in parallel with reading goes the opportunity to write.

As you may know, I have written previously about my time working in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Recently, I have tackled a much bigger writing task – that of an autobiography. This has been a laborious but a hugely enjoyable exercise – digging out diaries, documents, photographs, press cuttings and perusing and choosing which to use.

Core to the book In Service of the Common Good is the fundamental importance to humankind of the common good, empathy and kindness especially in today’s increasingly dangerous and selfish world. Interspersed with reflection and humour, there are naturally strong liberal themes throughout; professional advice on councillor/officer relationships and the pitfalls and opportunities of political coalitions.

The book has now been published and is on sale for £10 and £5 p and p. All proceeds will go to that excellent charity The Samaritans which has a branch in Selkirk.

To give you a flavour of the book which has 126 pages, the chapter headings are as follows:

Musings from the Second Top Diving Board

An Edinburgh Foothold

2.Path-Finding

An Unexpected Diversion
Making Waves
The World as Workplace

Land of the Long White Cloud
Democratic Aspirations
And Iraq
Not Brexit

A United Kingdom
Art is the Heart of Things
Influence and Encounter
A Royal Salute

10. And More Besides

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged books, featured and in service of the common good | Leave a comment