Mark Pack

Mark Pack’s November 2024 report: A guaranteed way to lose votes

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th November 2024 - 1:32 pm

The importance of next May

A blessing and a curse of a democracy is that elections keep on coming around. So while this year has been an exhausting one of election campaigns already, we also need to be turning our eyes to the local elections coming up in May.

Most of the seats up in May were last contested when the Conservatives were still on an electoral high back in 2021. Therefore they provide us with an important opportunity to follow up on our major gains from the Conservatives at both local and Westminster level since 2021. They also provide us with an important opportunity to continue to grow our strength more broadly, especially in areas where, now with a Labour government in Westminster, new possibilities are opening up.

But there is one sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, rock-solid way of repelling voters from us, and it is one we use far too often.

It is not having a Liberal Democrat on the ballot paper. Zero votes for the party guaranteed.

Both Labour and the Conservatives, for example, get very close now to having a full slate of candidates in local elections. We do not.

The good news is that since in the last Parliament we have collectively started focusing on really raising our candidate numbers in council contests, we have made good progress, both for by-elections and for the May rounds of elections.

Standing candidates is not only about credibility and relevance. It is also the way to get more people into the habit of regularly voting for the Liberal Democrats – a crucial step in building the sort of larger core vote for the party that will help us succeed more often.

With us having regained our third place in the House of Commons, continuing that progress in candidate numbers to help further establish ourselves is even more important next May.

If you have local elections coming up in your area, there are great training materials and supporting documents on how to increase your candidate numbers, and how to run a proper approval process. Drop me a line if you need help finding the support you need.

Good luck!

A 15th century technology still reigns supreme

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Nick Baird

Lib Dem MPs are wrong to campaign against farming inheritance tax changes

By Nick Baird | Wed 20th November 2024 - 10:55 am

With the ‘Tractor Tax’ protests filling the news for several days, yesterday delivered an email from Lib Dem HQ informing me that our MPs are demanding that the tax be axed. I was both surprised and disappointed to see our MPs siding with some very wealthy vested interests on this issue. It is clear that investment in farmland is being used by some as a deliberate ploy to dodge inheritance tax, and beyond romanticising the “family farm” and way of life, I’ve yet to hear a convincing moral or economic argument as to why farmers uniquely deserve a better deal on inheritance tax than you or me. And even after Labour’s proposed changes, the IHT regime for farms still remains far better than that available to almost anyone else.

Ed Davey and Tim Farron tell us that farming is vital to the country, that rural communities have been taken for granted, and that Brexit and trade deals that undercut British farmers with food produced to lower standards is a disaster for them. All that is true, but it has absolutely nothing to do with inheritance tax, and even if Labour change their minds tomorrow, the very real challenges that British farmers face will remain. I find it curious (or perhaps not) that tax is the issue that has brought out farmers to protest, whipped up by some multi-millionaires and a right wing press that is ideologically opposed to all inheritance tax in principle.

If we accept that genuine farming families are deserving of special treatment to allow farms to be passed down tax-free within the family, there are ways that Labour’s plans could be amended to ease that, but Lib Dem MPs are siding with tax-dodging multi-millionaires to reverse the change entirely. They are wrong to do so.

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Caron Lindsay

New ideas at Scottish Conference

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 20th November 2024 - 8:28 am

Scottish Conference took place in Perth on Saturday. The 300 year old Salutation Inn near the river has been putting up weary travellers for over 300 years and has been holding Lib Dem events for just about as long. I don’t think the decor has changed in all the time I’ve been going there since we moved back to Scotland in 2000 so it’s a wee bit dated but it serves decent pub food and the staff can’t do enough to help you. And the big win for me is that they make the toast for you at breakfast. You don’t have to stand for ages and watch helplessly as the slow moving toast machine burns your bread.

I shall cover the controversial debates – and there were a couple where we disagreed really well with excellent speeches – in another post, but I wanted to tell you about an innovation or two.

You know how quite often we get motherhood and apple pie motions which state the obvious Lib Dem position on an issue and nobody is ever going to vote against? Rather than give them half an hour’s debate, they have a party spokesperson present them in a report, speak for five minutes or so about the ideas and then have Conference vote. Housing spokesperson Paul McGarry, also the Conference Convener, was the first to trial this. His policy proposals were:

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Adam Harley

Prisoner mentorship schemes are transformative for individuals and communities alike

By Adam Harley | Tue 19th November 2024 - 11:00 am

The Scottish Liberal Democrats conference this past weekend was quite something. It was fantastic to be in a room full of likeminded people and to play a part in some truly compelling debates.

We stayed true to that time honoured Lib Dem principle of disagreeing well, as shown by the thoughtful discussions on gender balance in selections and the policy motion, which I brought to conference, on further restrictions around smoking. Both motions were passed after fantastic input from both sides of the argument.

However, I wanted to reflect on something particularly close to my heart: the mini-motion I proposed, which was debated on Saturday morning. I called for mentorship schemes in every Scottish prison to help tackle the twin crises of reoffending and overcrowding.

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Paul Walter

Big Gay Wedding with Tom Allen – a great look back & celebration of equal marriage

By Paul Walter | Tue 19th November 2024 - 9:00 am

Embed from Getty Images

This BBC film came out in March to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the first UK equal marriage. So I am catching up a bit. I started watching it because it was re-shown on BBC1 on Sunday. If you haven’t seen it, it is very much worth watching.

It’s partly a reflection back on the history of the campaign for equal marriage in the UK, and partly an entertaining look at the planning and realisation of the wedding of Adam and Dan of Brighton.

Tom Allen is an amusing and articulate host. He traces the history of equal marriage with guests Peter Tatchell, Sandi Toksvig, David Cameron and Lynne Featherstone.

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Michal Siewniak

Is it time to remove party politics from local government?

By Michal Siewniak | Mon 18th November 2024 - 10:53 am

It was a very moving and poignant moment for all who attended the Remembrance Sunday services, which are held across the country in the last week or so. As an EU national, who has lived abroad for more than 20 years, it is quite an important month for us too as Poland celebrates re-gaining its independence on 11 November.

As I was walking back to my car, I bumped into a former Councillor, who stood down at the last elections. Although we sat at the opposite benches of the Council Chamber, I also had a lot of time for him. He was never confrontational, he always tried to put his views across well, in a constructive way, without a need to score cheap political points. When I asked him whether he misses his role as a Councillor, he said no. Some of the things that he mentioned were obvious and yet so hard to implement, even at the local level. In my experience, far too often, we have no ability to accept that our opponent or Council colleague might have equally good legislative ideas. We reject motions only because they come from the other side of the Chamber. Our former Welwyn Hatfield Councillor didn’t like this “democratic ping-pong”, which “empowers” party politics and doesn’t recognise our individual or collective contribution. Is this the fault of the system? Why is it so hard for elected members, Councillors or MP’s, to simply admit that someone might have a good point? Why is it so hard for us to listen to understand and not only listen to respond?

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The Voice

WATCH: Alex Cole-Hamilton’s speech to Scottish Conference

By The Voice | Mon 18th November 2024 - 9:25 am

Scottish Lib Dems met in Perth for their Autumn Conference on Saturday. Alex Cole-Hamilton was in buoyant mood after a stonking by-election win on Thursday in Colinton/Fairmilehead in Edinburgh. We took the seat of new Labour MP Scott Arthur, going from fourth to first place. Winning 36% of the vote was incredible. Alex also had another by-election win in Perthshire itself to gloat about. A few weeks ago, Alan Watt had a similar meteoric rise after a superb and intense campaign.

We will have more about the Conference later. There were some brilliant and highly controversial debates, possibly some of the best I have heard in my long history of attending Conference.

But first, here is Alex’s speech. He spoke in the same room where David Bowie once performed.

The audio is at best not great, so you will need the text below.

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The Voice

Christine Jardine’s message for Trans Awareness Week

By The Voice | Mon 18th November 2024 - 7:33 am

Lib Dem Women and Equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine has issued a message for Trans Awareness Week which runs until Thursday. She said:

Today is the beginning of Trans Awareness Week. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate trans people, acknowledge the challenges they face, and reflect on how we as a society can work together to improve trans people’s lives.

In decades past, the UK has led the world in advancing equality for all LGBT+ people – with the Liberal Democrats playing a particularly key role in driving that progress forward.

However, too many trans people still face discrimination and hostility simply for being who they are. Sadly, the fight for equality must go on.

The figures are stark. The number of hate crimes recorded against trans people have skyrocketed by 52% since 2020/21. Young trans people face the highest rates of homelessness among the LGBT+ community. Not to mention the shocking reality that on average, trans people are being forced to wait more than 7 years to get the specialist healthcare they deserve.

Let me be clear – Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the rights of everyone in the LGBT+ community, including trans people.

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Matthew Ma

ALDC by-election Report, 14th November

By Matthew Ma | Fri 15th November 2024 - 5:46 pm

This was an incredible by-election week for the Lib Dems, as we held both seats in Milton Keynes and have made gains from Labour in West Oxfordshire and Edinburgh. Labour held their other 7 seats and did not make gains; the Green Party failed to defend their only seat up for election this week, losing it to the Conservatives.

The headline win for Lib Dems this week goes to Cllr Louise Spence who stood in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward in Edinburgh Council. She came out ahead in the sea of candidates (there are in total 12!) and nearly tripled the previous first preference votes for the Lib Dems compared to the last election. Congratulations to Louise and the team for taking this win from where we originally placed fourth! This couldn’t have been easy.

Edinburgh Council, Colinton/Fairmilehead (1st preference votes, Liberal Democrat elected at stage 11)
Liberal Democrat (Louise Spence): 2683 (36.3%, +23.8%)
Conservative: 1454 (19.6%, -10.3%)
Labour: 1441 (19.5%, -13.9%)
SNP: 800 (10.8%, -6.4%)
Green Party: 393 (5.3%, -0.1%)
Reform: 268 (3.6%, new)
Independent: 173 (2.3%, new)
Independent: 57 (0.8%, new)
Scottish Family Party: 51 (0.7%, -0.9%)
Independent: 50 (0.7%, new)
Independent: 22 (0.3%, new)
Libertarian Party: 9 (0.1%, new)

In West Oxfordshire DC, the Lib Dems have also grown their support in Chipping Norton from fourth place to first, gaining the seat from Labour. Labour’s vote in the ward plummeted over half from 61.4% to 27.2%, while Cllr Mike Baggaley more than tripled the Lib Dem vote share. Congrats and well done to Mike and the team for running an amazing campaign and gaining the seat.

West Oxfordshire DC, Chipping Norton
Liberal Democrat (Mike Baggaley): 403 (31.3%, +24.6%)
Conservative: 383 (29.7%, +9.0%)
Labour: 350 (27.2%, -34.2%)
Green Party: 152 (11.8%, +0.5%)

The team in Milton Keynes City Council have also been working hard to defend the Bradwell and Broughton ward from by-election. Both Cllr Kerrie Bradburn and Cllr Clare Tevlin posted a massive vote share of over 50% and comfortably won their respective ward. Well done and congrats to Kerrie, Clare, and their teams for securing the seats for the Lib Dems!

Milton Keynes City Council, Bradwell
Liberal Democrat (Kerrie Bradburn): 1129 (56.1%, +2.3%)
Labour: 329 (16.3%, -8.6%)
Reform: 228 (11.3%, new)
Conservative: 226 (11.2%, -2.5%)
Green Party: 101 (5.0%, -2.5%)

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Mary Reid

Lib Dems migrating to Bluesky

By Mary Reid | Fri 15th November 2024 - 1:20 pm

A number of prominent (and not so prominent) Lib Dems have deserted Twitter/X for the alternative platform Bluesky.

The party itself can be found at https://bsky.app/profile/libdems.org.uk

Now more than ever, we must stand up for core liberal values—equality, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Join us in defending these values: http://libdems.org.uk/join

— Liberal Democrats (@libdems.org.uk) November 13, 2024 at 5:42 PM

Bluesky looks and feels very similar to the one we will not mention again. It has one very useful extra feature – starter packs – which are lists of related accounts. The official Lib Dem Starter Pack includes a growing number of MPs, plus the Party President, Mark Pack.

There is also a useful LibDem Starter Pack (note the subtle difference), run by Jennie Rigg, which includes lots of party members.

How can you tell that lots of Lib Dem MPs have started appearing on here?

By the fact that the Chief Whip has popped up to keep an eye on them 🙂

Welcome @wendychambld.bsky.social !

— Mark Pack (@markpackuk.bsky.social) November 14, 2024 at 2:57 PM

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Anne-Marie Simpson

Using the influence of the Liberal Network to push for peace: reviewing ties with Israel’s Yesh Atid

By Anne-Marie Simpson | Fri 15th November 2024 - 9:40 am

In September, Liberal Democrat Conference passed an emergency policy motion on Gaza and the wider Middle East conflict. We were proud to reaffirm our support for UNRWA, for international courts, and for our policies to suspend arms exports to Israel, cease trade with illegal settlements, and immediately recognise the state of Palestine.

There is, however, an unfortunate final clause in the emergency motion passed: “Conference further calls on Liberal Democrats to engage with all their ALDE and Liberal International sister parties to secure a two-state solution based on 1967 lines in the region, including Israel’s Yesh Atid party.”

Unfortunate, because Yesh Atid stands against almost everything the motion calls for.

Many Liberal Democrats will look to Gaza and think: ‘what difference can we make?’ But even in the absence of meaningful action by the government, and even from our position in opposition, there is something that we can do as an influential member of the family of liberal parties.

We can show that ‘business as usual’ cannot continue for and with those parties which completely disregard everything liberals believe in. We can and should begin moves to end Israel’s Yesh Atid party’s observer status within Liberal International.

In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed two Bills outlawing the operations in-Israel of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), responsible for the co-ordination of aid programmes for Palestinian refugees.

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Ken Westmoreland

The Timorese in Taunton: an unexpected migrant community

By Ken Westmoreland | Thu 14th November 2024 - 9:18 am

12 November in Timor Leste or East Timor, is National Youth Day, which commemorates the massacre of dozens of young pro-independence activists by Indonesian troops in the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili in 1991. Like Sharpeville in South Africa in 1960, during the struggle against apartheid, Santa Cruz was a pivotal event in highlighting atrocities in the former Portuguese colony, which Indonesia had invaded and occupied in 1975, declaring it the Republic’s 27th province.

Back then, I was in correspondence with Lord Avebury, previously the Liberal MP Eric Lubbock, a supporter of East Timor’s right to self-determination, in the years when it seemed a lost cause. Yet by 1999, things in Jakarta had changed, with it agreeing to a UN supervised referendum, in which 78 per cent voted for independence, though the backlash from Indonesian-backed militias saw most of the infrastructure destroyed. This led to the deployment of the Australian-led InterFET peacekeeping force, to which the UK contributed the HMS Glasgow and the Gurkha regiment in Brunei.

Many of the young activists I met living in exile in the UK and Ireland would return home after independence in 2002, becoming parliamentarians, ministers, diplomats or civil servants, with others joining NGOs. However, there was a flow of people out of the country, for economic reasons, just as there were in the Philippines, and even Indonesia; unlike citizens of those countries, however, the East Timorese had the advantage of being entitled to Portuguese, and hence EU, citizenship, which at the time, enabled them to live and work in the UK without needing work permits.

As a result, East Timorese migrant communities sprung up in towns around the UK, like Oxford, Peterborough and Crewe, as well as Dungannon in Northern Ireland, which I visited in 2006, nicknaming it ‘New Dili’. While the Republic was far more supportive of their homeland’s struggle for independence than the UK, as a small nation itself, it was Northern Ireland, or rather the Moy Park chicken factory in Dungannon, which proved a far greater pull than Dublin.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey “devastating” at PMQs

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 13th November 2024 - 8:57 pm

Ed Davey’s performance at PMQs today was described by New Statesman journalist Rachel Cunliffe as “devastating” to Keir Starmer. She compared and contrasted Kemi Badenoch’s mis-steps with Ed making Starmer “awkward” when faced with questions about the NI rise for GP practices.

At the very start of PMQs, Jardine set up the topic of the NI rise with a straightforward question on support for GP practices. Ed Davey then picked up the theme once Badenoch was finished, asking for a further commitment that GPs, pharmacies and other healthcare providers would be protected from the tax rise. His tone was mild, his question factual rather than aggressive. But it made Starmer more awkward than he had been at any point facing Badenoch. After the Prime Minister had answered, Davey said quietly: “I think patients and GPs listening to that will want more reassurance”. It was devastating.

Christine Jardine asked the very first question at PMQs today, on that NI rise, having spent last week meeting worried GP practices in her Edinburgh West constituency.

In the two weeks since the Budget, several GP practices in my constituency of Edinburgh West, including my own, have contacted me with their genuine fears that the impact of the changes to national insurance employer contributions will threaten their ability to continue to offer the public the same standard of health service that they currently receive. And they are far from the only ones struggling, particularly in the health and social care sectors. Can the Prime Minister explain to me—perhaps he and his Chancellor would like to come to my constituency and explain to GPs, charities and others—how they are meant to cope without extra support from the Government?

The Prime Minister
Because of the tough decisions that we took, we have put forward a Budget with an extra £25.6 billion for the NHS and for social care. That includes an increase to carers’ allowance and £600 million to deal with the pressures of adult social care. We will ensure that GP practices have the resources that they need, and the funding arrangements between the NHS and contractors will be set out in the usual way.

Ed followed up with his first question

His second was on the importance of working with European leaders to support Ukraine given the impending Trump administration:

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Caron Lindsay

Have you had trouble accessing LIb Dem Voice?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 13th November 2024 - 2:52 pm

In recent weeks, we’ve had a steady trickle of emails from people who have found themselves hit with a 403 error when they have tried to access Lib Dem Voice.

We are sympathetic to this, given that this has affected several members of the team, including me.

We’ve found that the solution is generally to clear out your cookies and cache. I’ve found that doing it for the last hour has got be back on the site quickly.

Our tech guru, Ryan, has been working hard to stop this happening. It’s not particularly easy to track down what is going on and he’s been trying various things to try to fix it.  We are really grateful to him for the time and effort he has put in to this.  We’re hopeful that he’s found the culprit and booted it into oblivion.

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The Voice

Welcome back Andrew George MP for St Ives

By The Voice | Tue 12th November 2024 - 8:00 pm

As companion pieces to our recent series of maiden speeches by new Liberal Democrat MPs, we are carrying speeches from our two returning MPs. Andrew George was MP for St Ives from 1997 to 2015. In the second half of this page, we re-publish Andrew’s original maiden speech from 1997. In July this year, Andrew was re-elected as MP for St Ives. At the top of this page, here is one of the first speeches made in this parliament by Andrew, when he opened a debate on Housing: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This is the text of his speech, including an intervention from another MP:

It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to raise the rather grave issue of providing affordable housing in the housing emergency-ridden communities of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. I am grateful to those engaged in business earlier this evening who have permitted us a little extra time to explore the issue. Perhaps that was done for good reason, so that the grave and important issues of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly could be properly and fully debated. I welcome the Minister to his place. Indeed, Liberal Democrat Members warmly welcome him and fully take on board the sincerity, intensity and determination of the Government to address the serious housing problems that exist across the country, and the housing emergencies that exist in many communities as well as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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The Voice

Welcome back Tessa Munt MP for Wells & Mendip Hills

By The Voice | Tue 12th November 2024 - 6:00 pm

As companion pieces to our recent series of maiden speeches by new Liberal Democrat MPs, we are carrying speeches from our two returning MPs. Tessa Munt was MP for Wells from 2010 to 2015. In the second half of this page, we re-publish Tessa Munt’s original maiden speech from 2010. In July this year, Tessa was elected as MP for Wells & Mendip Hills. At the top of this page, here is one of the first speeches made in this parliament by Tessa. This is the text of her speech from Wednesday October 9th in the debate on Proposed Salt Marshes: Pawlett Hams:

Thank you, Mr Twigg, for the opportunity to speak in the debate. I recognise that I have very little time, because I wish to ensure that the Minister has an opportunity to respond to my questions and those of the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir Ashley Fox).

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Paul Walter

Maiden speeches – every one a treat

By Paul Walter | Tue 12th November 2024 - 5:20 pm

We have now published all the maiden speeches of our new MPs.

Tessa Munt and Andrew George are returning MPs, so do not have formal “maiden” speeches. We will shortly publish their first speeches of this parliament with a “flashback” to their original maiden speeches.

Please let me know, in the comments below, if I have missed anyone from my “back of an envelope” calculations.

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Joe Harris

Will Labour scrap your local council?

By Joe Harris | Tue 12th November 2024 - 3:40 pm

There’s been much speculation recently, fuelled by leaks from within Government, about the new Labour Government’s upcoming English Devolution Bill. If the reports are accurate, the bill could bring significant changes to the way local government is structured in England. While Labour’s intentions may be aimed at decentralising power, there are worrying indications that some of these proposals could undermine local democracy rather than empower it.

As Liberal Democrats, we have always championed genuine devolution that puts real power in the hands of local communities. But while we welcome the opportunity to engage in a discussion about devolution, we need to tread carefully. If these leaked proposals are anything to go by, there are some aspects that should give us serious pause. Labour seems committed, for instance, to creating new regional mayors across the country—a model that doesn’t necessarily fit all communities and may lead to the abolition of district councils in the process.

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The Voice

Maiden speeches: Charlotte Cane MP for Ely & East Cambridgeshire

By The Voice | Tue 12th November 2024 - 2:07 pm

Charlotte Cane made her maiden speech on Wednesday 6th November during a debate on Budget Resolutions:

Here is the text of the speech in full:

I want to thank those who elected me as the first MP for the new Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency, although I follow in the Liberal footsteps of Clement Freud and others before him. I congratulate the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) on making her first speech to this House; her constituency sounds almost, but not quite, as beautiful as mine. I also congratulate the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (David Williams) on his first speech. My mum is a member of “the turnover club” and I became an honorary member when I came to this House because I felt I needed to check the saucers so that I could report back to her; so I understand where the hon. Gentleman is coming from.

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Mark Valladares

11 November 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 11th November 2024 - 11:10 pm
  • Almost 1 in 6 calls in NHS 24 go unanswered
  • Martin stretching climate credibility with watering down comments
  • Planning applications fall across almost every category

Almost 1 in 6 calls in NHS 24 go unanswered

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that every corner of our NHS is suffering under SNP mismanagement as he revealed that almost 1 in 6 calls to NHS 24 went unanswered last year.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request revealed that in 2023/24, 16.5% of calls to the NHS 24-111 service went unanswered.

The freedom of information request also shows that in 2023/24, the longest wait for a call to be answered was more than 3 hours in January 2024. The average wait for a call to be answered was almost 28 minutes in March 2024.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

As these figures show, too many calls are going unanswered and people are facing very long waits before they get through to someone who can help.

Under the SNP’s mismanagement, this is another part of our NHS that is crying out for help. From excruciating waits at A&E to record numbers of people stuck in hospital, patients are suffering and staff are beyond breaking point.

Scottish Liberal Democrats want a complete overhaul of the SNP’s failed NHS recovery plan. We need a new plan that will tackle burnout among staff and address core problems, such as the crises in mental health and social care. That’s how we can ease pressures across the rest of the health service and get everyone the care they desperately deserve.

Martin stretching climate credibility with watering down comments

Responding to Scotland’s Net Zero Secretary, Gillian Martin, telling the BBC that the SNP government haven’t been ‘watering down’ their climate targets, despite choosing to scrap key emissions goals just weeks ago, Scottish Liberal Democrat climate crisis spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

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The Voice

Maiden speeches: Adam Dance MP for Yeovil

By The Voice | Mon 11th November 2024 - 3:15 pm

Adam Dance made his maiden speech on Tuesday 5th November in a debate on Income Tax (Charge).

Here is the text of the speech in full:

I congratulate the hon. Members for Broxtowe (Juliet Campbell) and for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson) on their fantastic maiden speeches.

On this of all days, I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and your team, as well as all those who make Parliament work for the people and keep us safe. I hope our friends in the United States of America appreciate the task they have before them today, not only for America but for the rest of the world, to provide leadership in promoting opportunity and fairness for all, a theme to which I will return.

I thank my predecessor, Marcus Fysh, for his nine years of service to our community. While we certainly had our differences, I know we share a deep appreciation for the privilege of representing the place we proudly call home. When I arrived at Parliament, a member of staff greeted me with, “You’re the new Member for Yeovil, aren’t you?”. “Yes,” I nervously replied, and was promptly told, “You’ve got big boots to fill!” It was a proud moment, and one that I will strive to live up to.

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Mark Valladares

9-10 November 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 10th November 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Remembrance Sunday: we must never forget their sacrifice
  • Over two million GP appointments at risk due to National Insurance tax hike
  • NICs Rise: Govt must invest in healthcare
  • Rennie comments on primary school teacher training cut
  • Rennie: RAAC threatens to wreck college budgets
  • 1.3m school working days lost to mental ill health

Remembrance Sunday: we must never forget their sacrifice

Commenting on Remembrance Sunday, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Remembrance Sunday is such an important day for all of us. We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, for our peace and for the future we all share.

We must never forget their sacrifice nor can we forget the veterans, many of whom will march past the Cenotaph today. They still bear the scars, both mental and physical, from their service, and our country can and must do much more to support them.

Over two million GP appointments at risk due to National Insurance tax hike

The rise in employers’ National Insurance Contributions at the Budget could end up costing GP surgeries the equivalent of over two million appointments a year, Liberal Democrat analysis has revealed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to exempt GPs and other health and care providers from the rise, but so far ministers have refused to do so. The party is seeking to use amendments to upcoming legislation on the Budget to exempt GPs from the National Insurance tax rise.

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year. This could end up costing GPs an estimated £125.5 million a year in additional costs, for all 6,275 GP practices in England.

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Paul Hindley

Liberals Must Rediscover Working Class Politics

By Paul Hindley | Sun 10th November 2024 - 11:55 am

The world changed in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Like all Liberal Democrats, I was extremely hopeful the Kamala Harris would be elected as America’s next President. That did not happen. Donald Trump triumphed. Authoritarian nationalism triumphed. The far-right triumphed.

Central to Harris’ defeat was the loss of Latino and even white women voters. But most crucially, it was the loss of working class voters, especially in those vital “rust belt” swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden carried these states in 2020 and Obama carried them easily in 2008 and 2012. But the Harris campaign made a fatal error, they failed to realise that it was a cost of living election, they failed to realise the impact of inflation and they failed to realise the disconnect between the Democrats and their traditional working class base.

In 2020, Biden made a virtue out of being “Scranton Joe”. He worked tirelessly to connect with the traditional working class voters in the industrial swing states. And Biden never shied away from championing his support for trade unions. For all the strengths of the Harris campaign, they lost sight of an important political fact. It’s the economy that is always the defining issue of elections and it’s living standards that matter most.

What does all this mean for Liberal Democrats here in the UK? Firstly, we will have to contend with a destructive protectionist and fascistic US President. Secondly, we will need to be on our guard for Trump apologists in our own country that may seek to take Britain down a similar destructive far-right path. But most importantly of all, we need to understand that if progressive liberalism cannot offer an alternative to the injustices faced by working class people, then far-right nationalism will. This is regardless of the consequences that such nationalism poses to liberal democracy. Liberals in Britain and around the world need to reconnect with working class voters.

If liberalism is not strong at ending the injustices that fuel fascism, then fascism will be strong at ending liberalism. Recall the words of the great liberal US President Franklin D Roosevelt, speaking in 1944:

“We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”

Liberals need to be strong about confronting social hardships. We need to show working class voters and those people left behind by the economy of recent decades, that we are capable of improving their lives, and that we seek to build a democracy that represents them and works for them. We must offer a progressive anti-elitist politics, which is rooted in the liberal tradition, and that will work to offer an effective alternative to both far-right nationalism and far-left authoritarianism.

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The Voice

Lib Dems mark Remembrance Sunday

By The Voice | Sun 10th November 2024 - 10:20 am

It’s 10 years since the stunning and emotive display of ceramic poppies, one for each allied soldier killed in the First World War, at the Tower of London.

Today, the nation marks Remembrance Sunday, 110 years after the war broke out and almost 106 years since it ended.

Ed Davey said:

Remembrance Sunday is such an important day for all of us. We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, for our peace and for the future we all share.

We must never forget their sacrifice nor can we forget the veterans, many of whom will march past the Cenotaph today. They still bear the scars, both mental and physical, from their service, and our country can and must do much more to support them.

Alex Cole-Hamilton spoke at Holyrood this week and remembered not only those British soldiers who had died in conflict but Ukrainians who are fighting to protect our freedoms.

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 10th November 2024 - 8:30 am

Trump is bad news for NATO. 

He damaged it in his first term and again during his campaign when he repeatedly threatened to either withdraw from the alliance or refuse to defend members that failed to meet the target of defence spending of at least two percent of GDP.

“We have been treated badly,” he told a Wisconsin election rally in September, “so badly, mostly by our allies. Our allies treat us actually worse than our so-called enemies. In the military, we protect them, and then they screw us on trade. We’re not going to let it happen anymore.”

Trump has threatened tariffs of up to 20 percent on EU and British goods. The clear implication is that if they want those tariffs reduced or eliminated then Europe’s NATO members will have to accept to spend more on defence which will allow the US to reduce its commitment. It is called transactional diplomacy.

Of course, Trump’s policy does not take into account that by beggaring his allies he also reduces their ability to spend more on defence.

Trump’s policy towards NATO is unpopular with the wider American public. More than 70 percent say they are enthusiastic supporters of the Alliance. This position was mirrored in July 2023 when—in a rare moment bipartisanship—Congress passed legislation which required US withdrawal from NATO to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Senate, or through legislation which gives Congress a bigger say in overseeing alliances. The legislation was co-sponsored by Marco Rubio who has been tipped for the job of Trump’s Secretary of State.

The legislation, however, does not prevent Trump from closing bases, withdrawing troops or stopping investment or expenditure. Under the constitution, the president has wide powers to make and break treaties and order troops to occupy or withdraw from every part of the world. Trump, if he wanted, could hollow-out America’s commitment to defend Europe and leave America a semi-detached member of the alliance.

So European members of NATO remain NATO. But they sit easy compared to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky is terrified

The election of Donald Trump raises the real possibility that his country’s lifeline of American military aid will come to a shuddering halt and push Ukraine under the heel of the Russian boot.

Trump has repeatedly opposed the economic drain of aid to Ukraine. He has added that if elected he would end the Ukraine war “in a day.”

The president-elect refuses to go into specifics, but there was a possible hint in a paper written in May by two of Trump’s former security advisers, General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz.

They suggested that a Trump administration could propose immediate peace talks and a ceasefire based on current military positions. Ukraine would maintain its claim to territories currently occupied by Russia, leaving open the possibility of reunification at a later date. NATO membership—and possibly EU membership as well—would be taken off the table and pushed into an unknown future.

If Ukraine refused the American proposal then the Trump Administration would decrease American military aid. If Russia refused then the US would increase military aid to Ukraine.

Trump’s election could not have come at a worse time for Zelensky. The German government of Olof Scholz is on the verge of collapse. Europeans cannot continue the necessary support on their own and everyone is worried about the new international dimension created by the insertion of 10,000 North Korean troops.

At the same time the war on the ground is not going well. The Russians advance slowly but surely. They recently took the mining town of Selydove.

President Zelensky has ordered the call-up of 160,000 young men over the next three months, which has sent thousands into hiding. Without American support, Ukraine cannot withstand the Russian military steamroller.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is cock-a-hoop

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Mark Hofman

COP29 Petition: The time has come to end fossil fuel advertising

By Mark Hofman | Sat 9th November 2024 - 11:00 am

Just over 50 years ago, the last cigarette commercial aired on American television. It marked the end of an era where tobacco companies could freely advertise their products despite knowing the devastating health effects they caused. Today, we face a similar watershed moment with fossil fuel advertising.

As world leaders gather in Azerbaijan for COP29, we should be stressing the parallels between Big Tobacco’s marketing tactics and those of the fossil fuel industry are striking. Both industries have spent decades promoting products they knew were harmful, while simultaneously casting doubt on scientific evidence. Both have used sophisticated marketing to associate their products with freedom, success, and adventure. And both have targeted younger generations to secure future customers.

The tobacco advertising ban has saved countless lives. Research shows that restricting tobacco advertising and sponsorships has been one of the most effective tools in reducing smoking rates, particularly among young people. Now, as we face a climate emergency, isn’t it time we apply the same logic to fossil fuel advertising?

The Science is Clear

The scientific consensus on climate change is overwhelming. Fossil fuels are the primary driver of global warming, leading to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the disruption of ecosystems. The consequences are already evident and will only worsen if we continue on this path.

When you see an SUV commercial showing a vehicle powering through a sleek city centre or a family’s home being kept toasty by a gas boiler, consider the irony: the very products are being advertised are contributing to that areas poor air quality, smog stained buildings and premature deaths. These advertisements normalise and glorify the use of fossil fuels at a time when we need to be rapidly transitioning away from them.

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Tom Arms

Observations of an ex pat: Moral compass discarded

By Tom Arms | Sat 9th November 2024 - 8:30 am

The world’s liberal democracies suffered a major defeat this week. Its autocracies have chalked up a major win.

Illiberal populist demagogues have for the past few years scored a series of outright victories, or, at least significant advances in the world’s democracies—Hungary, Israel, Georgia, Slovakia, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden…. They have all swung their political barometers towards the far right.

And now, the biggest prize, the United States, has been secured by an angry misogynistic, racist, iconoclastic, divisive, narcissistic, nationalistic, vindictive, authoritarian, mercurial, dishonest, lying, corrupt convicted felon.

The impact of the re-election of Donald J. Trump will have a resounding impact on the world. It has already left a deep and damaging impression on America’s moral standing in the world.

In 1630, as the ship Arabella crossed the Atlantic towards the struggling Massachusetts Bay Colony, future colonial leader John Winthrop gave a sermon in which he expressed the hope that the colony would become a “Shining City on the Hill”—ie a moral example to the rest of the world.

That is how America has projected itself since before independence in 1776.  In reality manna has too often triumphed over morality. But through the centuries Americans have fervently clung to their shining self-image and many others around the world have bought into it—until now.

Americans are angry. On the domestic front they are angry at an amorphous “deep state” which has failed to deliver the perpetual prosperity they have come to expect. They are angry at the rest of the world for what they see as exploiting their better nature.

Americans are also scared. They are scared of losing their jobs to low-paid illegal immigrants. They are even more scared of losing their cultural identity. And on the international front, they are scared of being knocked off their plinth by the Chinese.

So Americans have elected an angry man who has successfully tapped into a rich political vein of fear. He will do well out of it. For a start, Donald J. Trump has avoided prison and will now undoubtedly use the presidency to augment his several billions.

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The Voice

Scottish Liberal Democrats post big vote share gain across autumn elections

By The Voice | Fri 8th November 2024 - 10:15 pm

Alex Cole-Hamilton has today hailed increases in Lib Dem vote share in Aberdeenshire and Moray as he set out how his party have been the big vote share winners in the autumn by-elections.

Since the general election in July, the Scot Lib Dems have gained more vote share than any other party (up 4.5%). Scottish Labour are up 3.8%, the Scottish Conservatives are down 2.6% and the SNP are down 3.7%,

In all four of the by-elections the party contested this week, it saw an increase in vote share including +15.2% in Mearns in Aberdeenshire, within 88 votes of overtaking the SNP …

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Matthew Ma

ALDC’s by-election report, 7 November 2024

By Matthew Ma | Fri 8th November 2024 - 7:29 pm

By-elections are slowly ramping up again as we see 9 principal council seats up for grabs this week. It was a SNP wipeout in Scotland as they lost all 4 seats they were defending to the Tories, and failed to gain 1 from a weak Labour. Other than their seat in Scotland, Labour also held another in England and gained one from an unorganised Conservative party. Green party held the only seat they were defending, and Reform won a seat from the Conservatives, the second reform gain in two weeks. The Lib Dems contested 6 of the 9 wards this time around and have made great gains in vote share in most.

In the Mearns ward in Aberdeenshire Council, the Lib Dems finished a strong third, only 77 votes away from SNP in the third stage of counting! The Tories won the seat. Well done and thank you to Isobel Knights and the team for almost quadrupling our vote here.

Aberdeenshire Council, Mearns (first preference results, Conservative elected at stage 4)
Conservative: 1347 (39.2%, +7.5%)
SNP: 832 (24.2%, -4.8%)
Liberal Democrat (Isobel Knights): 745 (21.7%, +15.2%)
Reform: 375 (10.9%, new)
Green Party: 136 (4.0%, +0.6%)

Another strong showing from the Lib Dems can be seen in Aberdeenshire Council in Central Buchan, where we also came third overall. The Conservatives also won this seat from the SNP. Thank you to Ian Bailey and the team for growing the Lib Dem vote.

Aberdeenshire Council, Central Buchan (first preference results, Conservative elected at stage 5)
Conservative: 1260 (41.3%, +8.0%)
SNP: 869 (28.5%, -2.6%)
Liberal Democrat (Ian Bailey): 435 (14.3%, +1.2%)
Reform: 331 (10.9%, new)
Scottish Family Party: 83 (2.7%, +1.3%)
Independent: 71 (2.3%, new)

The final by-election of Aberdeenshire Council this week in Fraserburgh & District saw the same result of a Conservative gain from SNP. Thank you to Sandy Leslie for flying the Scottish Lib Dem flag here.

Aberdeenshire Council, Fraserburgh & District
Conservative: 1145 (36.3%, +3.9%)
SNP: 895 (28.4%, +8.4%)
Reform: 817 (25.9%, new)
Liberal Democrat (Sandy Leslie): 222 (7.0%, +2.2%)
Scottish Family Party: 71 (2.3%, +1.3%)

Also in Scotland, Neil Alexander, the Lib Dem candidate for the Elgin City South ward in Moray Council, ran a good campaign and grew our vote five times over. Thank you to Neil and the local team for building a solid base for future elections in Moray.

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