Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: Foreign Policy Impact of US elections

By Tom Arms | Sat 2nd November 2024 - 10:02 am

A Kamala Harris win this week is not good news for the UK and Europe. A Trump win is much, much worse.

Trump’s “America First” campaigns has fed a latent US isolationism which has forced the Democrats to adopt some of his policies, because, like it or not, America is a democracy and the president elected to represent all Americans.

According to one poll, only 22 percent of young Americans support involvement in the Middle East. Half of Republicans think that the US is supplying too much aid to Ukraine and only 44 percent of Republicans think that the US should play a leading role in the world. Democrats are more internationally minded with 65 percent in favour of an active foreign policy. The good news is that NATO has popular support with a bipartisan 70 percent approval rating. The fact is, however, that America is moving into its shell at one of the most dangerous periods for the world since the end of World War Two.

America’s diplomatic corps would be hard put to meet expectations even if there was a swell of opinion in favour of increased global involvement. It is still reeling from the Trump years when budgets were cut by 30 percent, ambassadorial posts were left empty and 60% of the diplomatic corps left either in protest or cutbacks. Biden has increased budgets but the damage done by Donald Trump will take years to repair.

Trump, of course, regularly threatens to withdraw from NATO. Biden and Kamala Harris have recommitted to the alliance but it was a Democratic president—Barack Obama—who first attacked NATO allies for failing to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense. He also unveiled the “Asia Pivot” which shifts the military focus from Europe and the Middle East to East Asia. Trump, Biden and Harris have embraced the Asia Pivot.

Defense costs money and the policies of Trump, Biden and Harris are undermining the economies of UK and Europe. Trump, again is the worst. His tariffs on all imports—possibly as much as 20 percent on British and EU exports will hit exports. It will, of course, also lead to a tit for tat tariff war in which everybody loses—especially the consumer.

Kamala Harris will continue Biden’s $738 billion Inflation Reduction Act” which is peppered with isolationist policies. The IRA includes such things as a $7,500 handout for the purchase of US-made-only electric vehicles, and tax credits only for products made in America. The EU has protested and threatened to take America to the World Trade Organisation. But the WTO has been rendered useless by America’s 7-year refusal to agree to new judges for its appellate body.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 3 Comments
Advert
Mark Valladares

1 November 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 1st November 2024 - 11:58 pm
  • GP and care home tax hike: Govt must not make same mistakes as Conservatives
  • Ed Davey warns inheritance tax change could create ‘lost generation’ of farmers
  • Conservative Leadership: contest has shown refusal to take responsibility for the damage they did
  • NICs hike: Govt must scrap “GP penalty” immediately
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to Edinburgh Halloween disorder
  • Cole-Hamilton: Next UK Conservative leader will not stand up for Scotland

GP and care home tax hike: Govt must not make same mistakes as Conservatives

Commenting on reports that GPs and care homes have voiced concerns about the rise in employer National Insurance Contributions announced in the budget, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

After years of mismanagement by the former Conservative government, this budget was an opportunity to rescue GP surgeries from years of neglect.

We are urging the Chancellor to change course, and exempt GPs from a tax hike. This new government must not make the same mistakes as the Conservatives, fixing the GP crisis is crucial for saving the NHS.

If people can be checked quicker, fewer will end up in hospital for treatment. That’s better for patients, better for the NHS and better for taxpayers.

Ed Davey warns inheritance tax change could create ‘lost generation’ of farmers

  • Davey calls on the Chancellor to reverse changes made to farmers’ inheritance tax
  • The party has raised the alarm over concerns of a ‘lost generation’ of farmers
  • Around 70,000 farms will be impacted by the changes to the Agricultural Property Relief scheme
  • Lib Dem analysis of the Autumn Budget points to a £70m cut to DEFRA’s food and farming budget

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has raised concerns over the Autumn Budget creating a ‘lost generation’ of farmers with a double hammer blow to rural communities. It comes as he visits an agricultural college in Maidenhead today with Lib Dem MP Joshua Reynolds.

Analysis by the party raised fears of a £70 million cut to DEFRA’s food and farming budget hidden in the fine print of the Chancellor’s plans, meaning even less government support for farmers who are already struggling after years of chaos and uncertainty caused by the Conservative Party.

In the Budget, the Chancellor also announced sweeping changes to the Agricultural Property Relief scheme which will impact around 70,000 farms. The Liberal Democrats have raised serious concerns that the changes will force many to sell up small family-owned farms – with young people in rural communities across the country robbed of a future in farming as a result.

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , and | 10 Comments
Matthew Ma

ALDC By-Election Report, 31st October

By Matthew Ma | Fri 1st November 2024 - 7:45 pm

It’s an England exclusive week for by-elections as 7 are held on Halloween, with the Conservatives being the biggest losers on the spooky day. The Lib Dems gained 2 seats and lost 1 from and to the Tories, a net double of seats. A variety of parties also gained or held their seats this week: both the Green Party, Labour, and independents held onto 1, while Reform gained a seat from Labour.

The headline win for the Lib Dems this week was once again in Westmorland & Furness Council. In the Kirkby & Tebay ward, Cllr Adrian Waite gained the seat from the Conservatives with over 82.7% of the votes, more than double what the Lib Dems had last time around. Well done and congrats to Adrian and the team for getting a second overwhelming win in the council in two weeks!

Westmorland & Furness Council, Krikby Stephen & Tebay
Liberal Democrat (Adrian Waite): 887 (82.7%, +48.7%)
Conservative: 186 (17.3%, -24.6%)

The other gain of the Lib Dems, also from the Conservatives, belongs to Hampshire CC, Bishops Waltham ward. Similarly, Cllr Jonathan Williams also more than doubled the Lib Dem vote share to 52.2%, while the Conservative vote collapsed from over 50% to under 35%. Congratulations to Jonathan and the local team for the work put into flipping this ward yellow.

Hampshire CC, Bishops Waltham
Liberal Democrat (Jonathan Williams): 2210 (52.2%, +28.6%)
Conservative: 1431 (33.8%, -23.1%)
Green Party: 477 (11.3% -2.0%)
Labour: 115 (2.7%, -2.6%)

The final battleground ward between the two parties this week sees a Tories gain from the Lib Dems, the only Conservative representation in Stockport MBC as of present. In the Bramhall South & Woodford ward, Sandeep Kashyap kept the Lib Dem vote steady, falling short of first place by less than 200 votes. Thank you and well done to Sandeep and the team for fighting the good fight, it won’t be long until we’re back.

Stockport MBC, Bramhall South & Woodford
Conservative: 1909 (47.9%, +4.6%)
Liberal Democrat (Sandeep Kashyap): 1733 (43.5%, -1.4%)
Reform: 133 (3.3%, new)
Labour: 115 (2.9%, -4.2%)
Green Party: 95 (2.4%, -2.4%)

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 4 Comments
Jack Wilkin

A fairer budget is needed to protect family farms and keep them out of the hands of corporations

By Jack Wilkin | Fri 1st November 2024 - 2:21 pm

I want to start on a positive. The new budget has some good stuff. The cut to draft duty on beers in pubs, the implication of 10-year financial forecasts to end short-termism, boast to defence spending and support for Ukraine against a fascist invasion, and more small businesses are now exempt from NI will help rejuvenate the economy. Likewise, many of the proposals in Rayner’s worker’s rights bill are positive.

However, I do have some concerns regarding the budget and its potential impact on farming communities.

I understand that large corporations and wealthy individuals purchase farmland to avoid taxes, which is an issue that needs addressing. However, Reeve’s comment about setting a £1 million limit to protect small farmers may be effective in areas with lower agricultural land prices. Unfortunately, farmland in Cornwall, especially in the Truro-Falmouth area, is very expensive. Implementing this price limit based on a “federal” standard will significantly harm rural communities where land prices are higher.

I believe a fairer solution would be to redefine what constitutes a “small farm.” Instead of basing this definition on land value, which is influenced by geography and external market forces beyond the control of individual agribusinesses, it should focus on the amount of money the farm/business makes. For example, a farm that earned an average of £1.5 million in profits (some of the larger corporate-owned ones do) over the previous 5 years could pay 20% above £1million. At least then you’ll be protecting genuine small businesses.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 14 Comments
Mark Pack

Mark Pack’s October report: Putting our plans in place for this Parliament

By Mark Pack | Fri 1st November 2024 - 12:06 pm

The benefit of more MPs, part 1

Who gets to present a Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons with enough debating time to have a decent chance of passing is all down to luck. There is a literal ballot of MPs to see who gets to go first, who second and so on… All luck – except each party makes its own luck, because the more MPs it has, the more of its MPs can enter the ballot and the better the chances of some of your team coming up high in the ballot.

So it was both luck and election winning leaflets festooned with bar charts that meant two Lib Dem MPs came out very high up in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills in the House of Commons.

We now know what they are going to use their slots for. Max Wilkinson, who came second, is going to promote solar power. Roz Savage, who came third, is also promoting an environmental measure by reviving the Climate and Nature Bill.

The two other Lib Dems in the top twenty are Danny Chambers, with an animal welfare bill, and Wendy Chamberlain, previously successful with her Carer’s Leave Act, with a bill to lift the limits on fundraising through charity lotteries.

Good luck to them all.

The benefit of more MPs, part 2

Whatever the timing, it would always have been welcome news that the government is commissioning an independent review into the scandal of draconian penalties imposed on carers for innocent errors in benefit claims.

But it is no coincidence that it came the day before the Liberal Democrat instigated debate on this very topic in Parliament.

How many such opportunities we get – whether it is opposition day debates, questions at Prime Minister’s Questions or similar – is very closely and formulaically linked to how many MPs we have.

More MPs, more opportunities.

Budget and strategy

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 3 Comments
Advert
Mo Waqas

A Vision for Change: embracing the political middle ground

By Mo Waqas | Fri 1st November 2024 - 9:52 am

In today’s political landscape, many feel disillusioned. Labour seems unable to fulfill its promises, while the Conservative Party’s long tenure has left a bitter taste. This climate presents a unique opportunity for the Liberal Democrats to step forward and appeal to those who feel politically homeless.

Our approach must prioritize practical, common-sense policies that harness the power of logic over divisive rhetoric. We must address the pressing concerns facing the UK today—ones that impact the everyday lives of the working class. From the increasing cost of living to the scarcity of high-quality jobs, we need to offer solutions that resonate with those who feel left behind by the political establishment. It’s crucial that we don’t simply offer critiques of other parties but provide a grounded, realistic alternative that people can truly believe in.

Addressing the Rise of Far-Right Sentiment

Across Europe and the US, we’ve seen the dangers of far-right movements gaining traction by preying on people’s frustrations. Far-right ideologies often thrive in environments where individuals feel their voices aren’t heard, especially as they contend with economic hardship or lack of opportunities. In the UK, recent protests and social movements indicate a rising frustration and a void in representation for moderate and rational perspectives.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 20 Comments
Mark Valladares

31 October 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st October 2024 - 11:30 pm
  • Ed Davey: Exempt social care from National Insurance tax hike
  • Budget: online gambling tax “a missed opportunity” for fairer NHS and care funding
  • Govt makes new commitment to create a ‘national cancer plan’ at Lib Dem led debate
  • Scot Lib Dems respond to government ditching pilot of juryless trials

Ed Davey: Exempt social care from National Insurance tax hike

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the government to exempt social care from the employer’s National Insurance tax rise.

The Chancellor has provided extra funding for the NHS and other public sector organisations to cover the cost of the tax rise. However, the vast majority of care providers are private and so won’t benefit from this help.

98% of care providers – 18,000 organisations – are small employers. The Liberal Democrats have said care providers including care homes and those providing care in people’s homes should be exempt from the National Insurance tax hike.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Hammering small businesses with a tax hike is the wrong choice. It will hit people’s wages and jobs, but it also risks worsening the NHS crisis by hiking costs for care providers and pushing some to the brink.

It just shows that yet again the government seems to have forgotten about care. At the very least, the Chancellor should be exempting social care from this costly jobs tax.

Budget: online gambling tax “a missed opportunity” for fairer NHS and care funding

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey is calling on the Government to double the tax on online gambling firms as a “much fairer” way to raise money for the NHS and social care.

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , and | 1 Comment
Callum Robertson

Who are our representatives on Select Committees in the new Parliament?

By Callum Robertson | Thu 31st October 2024 - 5:01 pm

This post updates our earlier one here.

The wonderful aspect of being a parliamentary party that is substantial in size is that we have had to have a set of internal appointments that matter greatly in terms of parliament and what our parliament prioritises over the next 5 years.

These appointments fit into two categories; select committee appointments, and front bench (spokesperson) appointments.

Now completed, the two sets of appointments will make a crucial difference to how we form a constructive opposition to the new government. You can view our spokesperson team here.

What are parliamentary committees?

Parliamentary Committees are committees with specific remits, challenged with the task of holding the government to account.

So who is who on the committees?

Committee on Standards

Remit: oversee the role of the Parliamentary Commissioner on Standards

  1. Anna Sabine

Committee on Privileges

Remit: to oversee parliamentary privilege. An example of their work was their investigation into the conduct of Boris Johnson

  1. Anna Sabine

Administration  Committee

Remit: how services provided to MPs and their staff work and how they are offered.

  1. Tessa Munt
  2. Max Wilkinson

Backbench Business Committee

Remit: deciding the business of the commons for roughly a day a week.

No Lib Dem nominations

Business and Trade Select Committee

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

Is Angela Rayner talking about a revolution… in hyper-local government?

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st October 2024 - 2:25 pm

There are times, few and far between perhaps, when you suddenly find that you might get a bunch of things that you’ve been campaigning for a long time to get. You lobby Ministers and opposition politicians and you keep at it, even if the responses aren’t at all positive. And then, something changes…

Angela Rayner’s speech to the Local Government Association Conference last week was, perhaps unexpectedly, one of those moments for the sector I now hold a leadership role in, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC). In her speech, she announced a plethora of changes which, if genuine, will give powers back to local government that have been grabbed by the centre over nearly a decade of Conservative administrations.

Multi-year funding settlements, better support for local authorities in financial difficulties, it all sounds very promising, even if the proof of the pudding might have to wait until Wednesday’s Budget.

Continue reading »
Posted in Local government | Tagged and | 2 Comments
John Armah

The Commonwealth, reparations and a Liberal Democrat approach

By John Armah | Thu 31st October 2024 - 12:00 pm

As we come to the end of Black History Month, it seems an appropriate time to discuss our party’s policy on the Commonwealth, reparations and the Climate Emergency. With the election of Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as the new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth,the subject of reparations has risen to the top of the agenda. We should take this time to think about what a Liberal Democrat policy should be.

We should vigorously and vociferously make the case for the Commonwealth.This is personal, my late father served as Ghana’s High Commissioner (Ambassador) to the UK and was charged with removing the newly declared republic from the Commonwealth. He like many others then and now viewed it as a colonial hangover. However, he was persuaded by the Indian Prime Minister and Pakistani President that the body was the only forum where the West and Global South met as equals.

He was persuaded and went on to persuade newly independent countries across the West Indies, Asia and Africa of the merits of joining. He became a leading advocate, opening the Commonwealth Institute in London with the late Queen and co-founding the Africa Centre. It influenced his thinking when he helped establish the African Union. If a man born in a British Colony, who’s grandparents could remember being subjects of an Asante and then a British Emperor believed in the potential of the Commonwealth, we need to think about what it should look like in the twenty-first century.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 14 Comments
Ken Westmoreland

Falling between two stools: the British Overseas Territories

By Ken Westmoreland | Thu 31st October 2024 - 9:59 am

Unlike the Conservatives and Labour, which both made mention of the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) in their recent election manifestos, the Liberal Democrats made none at all in theirs.

The last time they were mentioned in any detail in a policy document was in 2019, and only then as two pages in ‘Modernising the relationship between Britain and its citizens living abroad’, a symptom of how they fall between two stools, under British sovereignty, unlike the wider British diaspora, but outside the United Kingdom, despite often being called a part of a ‘UK family’.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 4 Comments
Mark Valladares

30 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 31st October 2024 - 7:30 am
  • Budget: Family farm tax will hit rural communities
  • Welsh Liberal Democrats comment in advance of Budget
  • Scot Lib Dems respond to UK budget
  • Budget: Family farm tax will be utterly devastating for rural Scotland

Budget: Family farm tax will hit rural communities

Responding to the Government’s changes to Agricultural Property Relief, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

This is a family farm tax which risks ringing the death knell for local farmers and the small businesses who rely on them. Small family-owned farms will also be hit by this and will be forced to sell up, with young people robbed of their opportunity to farm.

After years of the Conservatives taking rural communities for granted, it is deeply disappointing to see more of the same from this new government.

We’ll be fighting tooth and nail to protect family farms from these changes. Liberal Democrats backed British farmers by demanding an extra £1bn to support them during the election, and we’ll keep being a strong voice for our rural communities.

Welsh Liberal Democrats comment in advance of Budget

Commenting ahead of the 2024 UK Government budget, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

The UK Government have the perfect opportunity to begin fixing the mess created by their Conservative predecessors.

Sky-high waiting lists are currently preventing thousands from receiving urgently needed healthcare, while out of control business rates are placing unnecessary pressures on our local businesses.

We want more money for our struggling NHS and social care services, so that the people of Wales are able to access healthcare services when and wherever they’re needed.

We want to see burden of any tax rises fall on the big banks, fossil fuel industries and big tech, not on our small local businesses.

By delivering a budget that works for the people of Wales, one which will support our public services and economy, we can begin to rebuild our economy for a brighter future.

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Tagged , , , , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

29 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 30th October 2024 - 11:20 pm
  • Social Care Crisis: We need cross party talks now
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP have left A&E in permanent crisis
  • Cole-Hamilton comments as thousands wait on social care support
  • More than a quarter of kids have tooth decay

Social Care Crisis: We need cross party talks now

Responding to Wes Streeting’s comments on the morning round about the social care crisis, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The Government must urgently start cross-party talks on social care before it is too late.

The previous Conservative Government turned a blind eye to the crisis for far too long, leaving the care sector in the gutter.

This must be a budget to save the NHS from the brink of collapse, and that cannot happen without a proper plan to fix social care.

Cole-Hamilton: SNP have left A&E in permanent crisis

Responding to new figures showing only 63% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 20th October, while 3,408 people waited over 8 hours and 1,546 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , and | 4 Comments
Mark Valladares

28 October 2024 – Monday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 30th October 2024 - 10:18 pm
  • NHS Budget announcement: “deafening silence” on social care cannot continue
  • Starmer speech: burden of fixing Conservative mess must not fall on families and small businesses
  • Lib Dems: Labour’s bus tax will hit communities
  • Jardine: UK Budget must help fix the NHS and care
  • Rennie responds to bizarre Findlay speech

NHS Budget announcement: “deafening silence” on social care cannot continue

Responding to the government’s announcement that there are funding plans to deliver two million extra NHS appointments, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The new funding is of course welcome but the deafening silence on social care cannot be allowed to continue.

Patients have

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , and | Leave a comment
The Voice

Maiden speeches: Ian Roome MP for North Devon

By The Voice | Wed 30th October 2024 - 4:00 pm

Ian Roome made his maiden speech on Wednesday 16th October in a debate on Access to Primary Healthcare:

Here is the full text of the speech:

I have spent most of my working life in the NHS, but speaking for the first time in the House, I must start with a confession: as some of the northerly Members will recognise from my voice, I was not born in the west country. It is now 35 years since I was posted to what was then RAF Chivenor on the beautiful north Devon coast, while serving in the Royal Air Force. At the time, my flight sergeant at RAF Laarbruch in Germany told me that going to north Devon would probably turn out to be an adventure. I confess to the House that I do not think this place is quite what he, or I, had in mind.

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Tagged | Leave a comment
The Voice

Budget Special: Rachel Reeves speaks…

By The Voice | Wed 30th October 2024 - 3:34 pm

And so we have the first Labour budget, the first from a female Chancellor of the Exchequer too. And there’s an awful lot to take in – both tax and spend, as well as borrow, obviously.

In terms of numbers, what are the highlights?

Revenue items

  • The increase in Employer National Insurance Contributions from 13.8% to 15% – raising £25.7 billion per annum by 2029/30
  • Increasing the rates of Capital Gains Tax from 10% and 20% to 18% and 24% – raising £2.5 billion by 2029/30.
  • More HMRC staff in compliance and debt recovery – raising £6.5 billion by 2029/30.

Spending

  • Investing in public services – an

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 23 Comments
The Voice

Maiden speeches: Martin Wrigley – MP for Newton Abbot

By The Voice | Tue 29th October 2024 - 5:40 pm

Martin Wrigley made his maiden speech on Wednesday 16th October in a debate on Access to Primary Healthcare:

Here is the full text of the speech:

I congratulate my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for North Devon (Ian Roome) on his maiden speech. I start by thanking my long-suffering family, especially my children Zoe, Sam and Emily, who have been truly supportive throughout everything to get me to this place. Let me express my thanks to the amazing team in the constituency who worked so hard to get me here as well.

It is an honour to have been elected to represent my constituency of Newton Abbot, an area that I have called home for some 25 years. I tend to find that people in Westminster either ask, “Where is Newton Abbot?” or they say that they know it well through personal experience. We are on the south coast of Devon between Exeter and Torbay, between the sea and the gateway to Dartmoor with the Rivers Teign and Exe. The constituency name reflects our largest market town, but it could add Dawlish, Teignmouth, Kingsteignton, let alone the many villages from Starcross, Kenton, Bishopsteignton, Abbotskerswell, Ogwell, Denbury, Ipplepen, Broadhempston and many more.

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Tagged | Leave a comment
The Voice

Maiden speeches: Tom Gordon MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough

By The Voice | Tue 29th October 2024 - 4:10 pm

Tom Gordon made his maiden speech on Wednesday 16th October in a debate on Access to Primary Care:

Here is the full text:

Let me begin by congratulating my Liberal Democrat colleagues on some fantastic maiden speeches, which have given me a lot to live up to. While I am on the subject of thanking people, let me confess that I committed a cardinal sin at my election count: I reeled off my Oscars award-style speech recognising everyone who had played a part in the previous 30 years of my life, but importantly forgot to acknowledge my agent—the worst thing that any political candidate or Member of Parliament could do. I have not yet lived that down.

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Tagged | 1 Comment
The Voice

Black History Month – a message from Christine Jardine MP

By The Voice | Tue 29th October 2024 - 2:36 pm


October is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of the Black British community and reflect on their stories. This year’s theme, “Reclaiming Narratives,” urges us to challenge historical perceptions and fight ongoing racism and inequality.

Our Women and Equalities Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP reflects on our commitment to racial equality and highlights the challenges that remain:

I’m proud that Liberal Democrats are committed to fighting for racial equality. That means unequivocally condemning racism in all its forms and tackling injustice wherever we see it.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | Leave a comment
Vince Cable

Vince Cable on the budget: manifesto folly

By Vince Cable | Tue 29th October 2024 - 10:59 am

Embed from Getty Images

‘Read my lips: no new taxes’; ‘we will reduce net immigration to the tens of thousands’; ‘we pledge not to increase tuition fees’. Promises easily made in an election campaign. A source of endless regret in government.

There will be endless regret from Labour’s manifesto commitment not to raise tax rates on taxes accounting for three quarters of tax revenue.  There is an urgent and compelling need to raise taxes in the coming budget for reasons of fiscal prudence and to stem the decline in public services. Yet, despite having an enormous parliamentary majority, the government has denied itself a mandate properly to address these fundamental problems.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 16 Comments
The Voice

Maiden Speeches: Steve Darling MP for Torbay

By The Voice | Tue 29th October 2024 - 9:00 am

Steve Darling made his maiden speech on Wednesday 16th October in a debate on the Carer’s Allowance:

Here is the full text of the speech:

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a great honour to stand here as the MP for Torbay. It is right and proper that I acknowledge the hard work of my predecessor, Kevin Foster. I also reflect on his predecessor, Adrian Sanders, with whom Toggle showing location ofColumn 867I worked for 18 years to support constituents in Torbay. I learned from Adrian how to put the community at the heart of all one does as a constituency MP. I look forward to building on that over this parliamentary term.

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Tagged | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

28-31 October 2024 – this week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 28th October 2024 - 3:04 pm

Having slightly altered the layout last week, let’s see if we can keep to it this week.

There are three Bills before their Lordships’ House this week:

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Tagged , , , , , , and | 4 Comments
Tom Sutton

It’s not about moving left or right; it’s about sticking to our Liberal values: A reply to Buddy Anderson

By Tom Sutton | Mon 28th October 2024 - 12:48 pm

As much as I disagreed with it, I actually read Buddy Anderson’s recent article with significant intrigue. I am glad that the conversation of “Where do we go now?” has appeared so suddenly after the election, cementing our position now rather than to fight the next election and all preceding contests in local government on the proverbial hop. I am also glad that we can do this with respect and candour, as it shows our better nature as a party. So, now I have had time to think about it, I wanted to respond with my opinion that a tacit suggestion of moving the fiscal dial one or two notches to the right would be a misstep, both nationally and locally for our party. It’s not what the electorate wants of us, and it would not do us much good, and I shall seek to explain why.

What led to the reward of 72 seats, mostly at Conservative expense, and most crucially how do we continue that into the future? That is the main question of this debate. Ultimately the 2024 manifesto was quite “economics-lite” to criticism from some quarters, but what was there was unquestionably progressive: shifting the tax burden from workers onto wealth and big business, meaningful action on the cost of living and the same on green investment. We are a party of market economics, yes. But I am reminded of something Tim Farron told John Harris from The Guardian in 2010: “No market is genuinely free unless it’s fair”. I don’t really see that as a centre-right statement, but it sums up the essence of our philosophy.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 13 Comments
Samuel Jackson

Could sortition help to address voter apathy and public distrust in politics?

By Samuel Jackson | Mon 28th October 2024 - 10:12 am

The theme of the 2024 General Election was meant to be change. Apart from the end of the chaotic Conservative government and its replacement by a Labour one, the course seems to have been stayed in many ways. Labour is pursuing austerity measures similar to those carried out by the Conservatives, and seems to have become mired in scandal, notably over freebies such as football and concert tickets. And Starmer has abandoned many positions which he endorsed as a Labour leadership candidate now that he is Prime Minister.

The 2024 General Election proved to be one of the most disproportionate in UK history. Voter turnout fell below 60%, Labour won over 400 seats with a lower share of the vote than they won at the two previous elections, and the two major parties won their lowest combined vote share since 1918. Such election outcomes and such behaviour by politicians have brought public trust in politics to record lows. This and resulting voter apathy can create a negative feedback loop where lower turnout can diminish the legitimacy of decision-making, leading to great distrust in politics.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 8 Comments
Mark Valladares

28 October 2024 – the overnight press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 28th October 2024 - 7:35 am
  • Record number of floods in NHS hospitals as trusts experience three fires a day
  • Rennie responds to Findlay speech trail

Record number of floods in NHS hospitals as trusts experience three fires a day

There has been a record number of floods recorded in NHS Trusts this year with the health service’s estate reporting three fires a day, analysis of the latest NHS data by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

In 2023/24, the NHS reported that there were 358 floods. That is a record number from when the data first started being recorded in 2021/22 when there were 176 and equates to a 28% …

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

25-27 October 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 27th October 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey: get rid of Carer’s Allowance cliff edge
  • Autumn Budget: NHS needs to be top priority to prevent winter crisis
  • Phillipson on Laura K: hospitals left to rot need funding for repairs
  • SNP ignore Parliament with hundreds of thousands of ‘Thatcherite’ P1 tests

Ed Davey: get rid of Carer’s Allowance cliff edge

Responding to news that the Government is set to increase the Carer’s Allowance threshold, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:

Raising the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance would be a good step forward, but I hope the Government will go further and get rid of the cliff edge altogether.

We need a full review of Carer’s Allowance to end the repayments scandal and give carers the proper support they deserve.

Autumn Budget: NHS needs to be top priority to prevent winter crisis

Ahead of the Autumn Budget on Wednesday, the Liberal Democrats are calling for a rescue package for the NHS to prevent a winter crisis.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Years of neglect by the Conservative Government have left our health and care services at breaking point. Bringing our NHS and care back from the brink needs to be the number one priority in this Budget.

Our NHS is already bracing itself for this year’s winter crisis, on top of the continuing pressures of long waiting lists, crumbling hospitals and a care system in crisis.

It’s clear that a robust rescue package for the NHS is vital for economic growth – we simply cannot repair our economy without repairing our health services.

In the Budget this week, we Liberal Democrats want to see a new fund to break the cycle of the annual winter crises, meaningful investment to overhaul crumbling NHS infrastructure and outdated equipment and the launch of cross-party talks to finally put social care on a sustainable footing.

Phillipson on Laura K: hospitals left to rot need funding for repairs

Responding to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announcing that the Government will commit to rebuilding crumbling schools during an interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Continue reading »
Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , and | 1 Comment
The Voice

WATCH: Josh Babarinde MP speaks in Black History Month debate

By The Voice | Sun 27th October 2024 - 3:28 pm

This week, our Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde spoke in the Debate for Black History Month. It is quite shocking, as he acknowledged himself, that it has taken until 2024 for us to elect a black MP. Britain, he said, was far more than than the divisive minorities in some parts of the country and even, he said, in the House itself:

The text is below:

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged | 2 Comments
The Voice

Who are the Lib Dem MPs on Select Committees?

By The Voice | Sun 27th October 2024 - 1:29 pm

It always takes a while to set up a new Parliament’s infrastructure and with this week’s publication of Select Committee memberships, some of the 72 Liberal Democrat MPs now have another avenue to exert influence.

Select Committees are an important avenue for scrutiny of the Government by questioning and by holiding enquiries into specific areas of policy or performance.

Our status as third party gives us three Select Committee Chairs who have already been announced: Layla Moran at Health and Social Care, Alistair Carmichael at Environment and Rural Affairs and Jamie Stone on the Petitions Committee.

So which Committees will have Liberal Democrat representation? Here are the ones announced so far and we’ll update as more news comes out.

Welsh Affairs Committee: David Chadwick MP

Defence Committee: Ian Roome MP

Women and Equalities Committee: Alex Brewer MP

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee: Lee Dillon MP

Business and Trade Committee: Joshua Reynolds MP

Home Affairs Committee: Ben Maguire MP, Paul Kohler MP

Public Accounts Committee: Rachel Gilmour MP

Culture, Media and Sport Committee: Liz Jarvis MP

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged and | 1 Comment
The Voice

Christine Jardine’s message for Black History Month

By The Voice | Sun 27th October 2024 - 11:25 am

Christine Jardine, the Party’s spokesperson for Women and Equalities, has posted a message for Black History Month whcih comes to an end on Thursday:

October is Black History Month – a chance to celebrate the Black British community, acknowledge their contributions and discover their stories.

It feels particularly timely given this year’s theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, which encourages us to challenge how we perceive history and the world around us. We owe an enormous amount to the Black British community for their contributions to our society – not least the Windrush generation’s key role in building the NHS.

But here in the UK, far too many people’s lives are still blighted by prejudice, discrimination, and inequality. As we saw in the riots this summer, racism is still far too prevalent in our society. We all have a responsibility to recognise this reality – but also the role that we can play in challenging this injustice.

I’m proud that Liberal Democrats are committed to fighting for racial equality. That means unequivocally condemning racism in all its forms and tackling injustice wherever we see it.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | Leave a comment
Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 27th October 2024 - 9:23 am

North Korea at al

China is unhappy. So is Belarus. Both countries are worried about North Korea sending troops to Russia in the middle of the Ukraine war.

President Xi Jinping is worried that the move will de-stabilise the Korean Peninsula, escalate and complicate the Ukraine War, increase Russian influence in the Far East and potentially drag China into a head-on conflict with NATO.

Alexander Lukashenko is concerned that the appearance of non-Russian troops in Ukraine will increase pressure on him to send Belarussian soldiers in support of the Kremlin.

Xi hates uncertainty. He likes his foreign policy to run along diplomatic railway lines painted bright red so that others know not to cross them. If there are going to be any spanners to be thrown, he wants to toss them and control their flight and consequences.

He does not like North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. He is uneasy about the hereditary communist dictator’s nuclear arsenal. He supplies the regime with just enough aid and trade to keep them going, but not enough to threaten the status quo. This is because for the past 74 years one of the chief aims of China is to keep Korea divided and to maintain North Korea as a buffer state between the Chinese border and 25,000 American soldiers in South Korea. Anything which threatens to disrupt that policy is bad news in Beijing.

The bromance between Vladimir Putin and Kim threatens to upset this delicately balanced apple cart. Kim will want something in return for his troops. It will almost certainly include Russian military help which will embolden the mercurial North Korean leader and increase the threat to South Korea and Japan.

Belarus is on the frontline in the Ukraine War. The initial attack in 2022 was launched from its territory. Lukashenko is closely allied with Russia and continues to provide bases and logistical support. But Lukashenko knows he is unpopular. He clings to power with the help of the Belarussian KGB (yes, they retained the name of the old Soviet organisation). Committing his small military force of 50,000 to the Ukraine War would be unpopular and threaten his rule.

By the way, just everyone else is also unhappy about North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine.  It adds a new and dangerous dimension by internationalising the conflict.

Russia

Russia is unhappy too. The recent referendum in Moldova on closer ties with the European Union did not go the way the Kremlin wanted. It was extremely close: 50.46 percent in favour of closer ties and 49.54 percent against.

The Russians did everything they could to push the vote the other way. They played fast and loose with bribery, intimidation and misinformation. A BBC reporter was filmed being approached by a voter asking for the payment she had been promised.

The misinformation focused on an expensive advertising campaign which claimed the EU planned to brainwash Moldovan children to turn gay or transgender. The gay community is generally unpopular throughout Eastern Europe.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , and | 5 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Alex Macfie
    Hopefully we remember the last time a successful Lib Dem leader was prematurely deposed with no plan for who should replace him. Charles Kennedy RIP....
  • Katharine Pindar
    The question remains, then, of how we can show a distinctive sense of what our party stands for to the public, to maintain if not increase the numbers of our el...
  • Katharine Pindar
    Prime Minister's Questions today saw our Leader calling for the promised cross-party talks on Social Care to be brought in quickly, and the PM agreeing they are...
  • expats
    Yeovil Yokel 14th Oct '26 - 7:54am......Well, after last night’s meeting of the parliamentary party in Westminster and the overwhelming endorsement of Ed’s ...
  • Mick Taylor
    @PaulBarker. And where are the Greens now? The jury is still out on Burnham. Both bounces were/are essentially short term.And Labour didn't have a contest at ...