Mark Valladares

31 July 2024 – today’s press releases

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

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

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

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

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

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The Liberator Collective

Liberator 424 post election special is out

By The Liberator Collective | Wed 31st July 2024 - 5:55 pm

You can download Liberator 424 for free here.

This issue is a bit different from usual as since the last Liberator came out the Liberal Democrats have won an unprecedented 72 MPs and moved into some remarkable new territory.

But what happens now, and what can they do? There’s a huge Labour majority, second places are scarce and there is concern that the gains were made at the expense of the party in the rest of the country.

Contributors analyse the results and where to look for success next, explain how the Lib Dems moved into (or didn’t) some new places and some old ones and what happened to overseas voters.

We also have a former insider’s view of how the Tory party became such a self-inflicted disaster zone, and let’s not forget there were important elections for the European and French parliaments too.

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The Voice

Vacancy: Party Representative on the Executive Committee of Liberal International

By The Voice | Wed 31st July 2024 - 4:25 pm

A vacancy has arisen for the Liberal Democrats representative to the Executive Committee of Liberal International. This Committee meets annually in person and is hosted by a Liberal International member party, so can take place almost anywhere worldwide. The next event will take place on 29th November 2024 in Santiago, Chile. The position is elected by the Federal International Relations Committee and the term will run until the end of 2025.

The post entails engaging fully with the work of Liberal International and working as a member of a team with the FIRC Chair and Liberal Democrat members of the Liberal International Bureau and other Liberal International Committees. This will require a commitment to fund your travel to the relevant meetings, noting that currently the party does not offer any travel expenses for this purpose. Between these meetings much of the work is undertaken online, but ad hoc meetings and events are possible.

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

  • A good basic knowledge of international relations and current global tensions.
  • Familiarity with Liberal International and some knowledge of its member parties around the world.
  • An understanding of the differing priorities of liberal sister parties in the varied social and economic climates of developed and developing countries.
  • Experience of building consensus in an international framework.
  • Alignment with the Liberal Democrat position on key international issues.

Please note that applicants must be members of the Liberal Democrats.

Application Details: To apply for the role please send a CV and covering letter describing your suitability to Mark Valladares at [email protected]

Application deadline: 28th August 2024

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Richard Kemp

A flashback from Southport 2024 to Toxteth 1981

By Richard Kemp | Wed 31st July 2024 - 2:58 pm

Last night I had a flashback to when I was relatively young councillor representing Dingle which was part of Liverpool 8. The media had turned remorselessly to focus on the so-called Toxteth riots and the “disgraceful and illegal behaviour” of the people who lived in that area. Well, that was the description from the right-wing press about what was happening there although that did not accord to reality.

Yesterday I visited Southport on behalf of the people and council of Liverpool to show solidarity with the people of Southport and Sefton Council.

On Monday three children died after the stabbings and five more plus two adults are on the critical list. The children are in one of the best children’s hospitals in the world at Alder Hey and we can only hope for a successful outcome to all the medical procedures. 

Over the years to come the parents and families of the children killed will always be thinking, “what would my child have been doing and shaping up into as they grew older”. In 12 short, short years perhaps the oldest of the children killed would have been celebrating their own University graduation, or A Levels, or GCSEs. How they would have developed nobody will ever know because those opportunities will never be available to them

As I attended the vigil it was clear that I could see a massive coming together of the people of Southport and further afield. People came to show their support for ‘their’ children and ‘their’ community. Many were a bit dazed and numbed as indeed we all were. How could you not be taken aback by such an event? However, there was no anger there.

No one was there to point fingers, assign blame or cause trouble. A couple of attempts by individuals to heckle and make points out of the proceedings were quickly hushed by the those surrounding them. There was a respectful silence as the Mayor of Sefton spoke and when I accompanied her to lay flowers in the Atkins Park outside the Town Hall.

We went from Liverpool to express our concern for the council of Sefton and the people of Southport as we have ourselves faced up to tragedies involving the death of young people, albeit it not at this scale. We have never had to face up to a situation where so many young lives have been taken or put at huge and continuing risk. 

But shortly after I left for home another tragedy occurred to scar the life of the people of Liverpool. The rumour was circulated that the killer was a Muslim immigrant from Rwanda. The police quite rightly have not issued much detail other than to say that he had been born in the UK of parents of a Rwandan background. I know the Rwandan community within Merseyside well. They are a peaceful hard-working community who put back into the community more than they take out. 

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Hina Bokhari

The Nasty Side of Labour and the Two Child Benefit Cap

By Hina Bokhari | Wed 31st July 2024 - 1:25 pm

“You are the co-architects of austerity” grimaced the Mayor of London, pointing his finger at me, when he responded to a simple question of asking him to write to the new government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. 

For many, it was shocking that the Mayor was so aggressive and angry in his response, which can be viewed here.

But for Liberal Democrats active in Labour facing areas like London, we have too often seen this nasty side of Labour Party where councillors, members or activists are attacked for daring to question Labour and daring to question what Labour see as their monopoly on progressive politics and government.

The response is too often entirely predictable, start shouting about the coalition as way to avoid them answering for their own actions. Well, they are in the driving seat of National Government now and have nowhere to hide. Rachel Reeves’ speech this week already outlined what will likely be Labour’s very own version of austerity. 

I’m really proud that the London Assembly started to raise the issue of the two-child benefit cap very early on, before it really came to national attention. 11 per cent of children in London are impacted by the two-child cap and a staggering 33% of children in the capital live in poverty. 

Various London Assembly committees heard evidence from expert panels on the extremely damaging nature of the two-child benefit cap, particularly on ethnic minority communities in London. A later cross-party report for the Cost-of-Living Working Group on the Assembly also made clear recommendations that removing the cap was one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce child poverty in London. 

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Wera Hobhouse MP and Daisy Cooper MP

Creating a fairer, greener future for all

By Wera Hobhouse MP and Daisy Cooper MP | Wed 31st July 2024 - 11:55 am

The climate-nature crisis remains an existential threat to the future prosperity, wellbeing and security of the UK. We can see its effects all around us—from last Monday being the hottest day ever recorded, to the deafening silence of birds and butterflies across our once wild isles. The recent Climate Change Committee report shows that the UK Government is off track to meet its 2030 target (to cut emissions by 68%) and that only a third of current plans are credible.

Our natural environment is being destroyed at pace. The last State of Nature report set out the drastic declines in our native biodiversity, stark reductions in our woodland cover, and the collapse of many of our precious species. Nature is deeply intertwined with our climate. They’re two sides of the same coin. When viewed holistically, it’s clear that we cannot solve the climate crisis without also solving the nature crisis, and vice versa. 

The science is crystal clear. We’re now operating on a knife edge of breaching our Paris Agreement obligations to do all we can to limit “global boiling”. With June marking the twelfth consecutive month of global temperatures of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it’s clearer than ever that the (already small) window for action is rapidly closing. We must act as fast and as fairly as possible to get the world on track for a liveable future.

The new Labour Government has inherited one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. A country where 75% of our rivers pose a serious risk to human health—a country where an ever changing climate is damaging our health, prosperity and security. But the mandate given by the British public on 4 July is clear. We need a new approach that puts climate-nature action at the heart of our decision-making. We Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for a fairer, greener future; a UK where everyone can benefit from—and help shape—the huge opportunities of the just transition to a zero carbon, nature positive future. 

Crucially, we recognise that our once world leading legislation no longer meets the challenges of today. The Climate Change Act was passed seven years before the 2015 Paris Agreement was agreed—and our biodiversity targets don’t align with the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework agreed in Montreal. As internationalists, we believe that the UK now needs to lock these global commitments into law. 

As MPs, we have a duty to send a strong message to the public, civil society and businesses that we’re serious about improving their lives and livelihoods. In the years ahead to 2030, we must reverse biodiversity loss and we must rapidly reduce our emissions via a new, joined-up approach. Small, incremental changes won’t cut it; especially given the last Government’s inaction, delays and U-turns.

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Callum Robertson

We are a major force in British politics again – let’s update elements of our support processes to reflect this

By Callum Robertson | Wed 31st July 2024 - 10:25 am

We have 72 Members of Parliament, it would be the easiest thing in the world to sit back and be a bit smug for six months. However, that would be a mistake – with the Conservatives hell bent on internal warfare and Labour in a honeymoon period, we are the de facto opposition. Consequently we have to start acting like it. To my mind we succeed where there is local leadership and being blunt, our selection process is unnecessarily slow in getting candidates in place.

Parliamentary Selections – including seats where we are third, should take place in the next 18 months.

The most effective way of electing MPs remains selecting early and embedding those candidates in as genuine local champions, ready to hold their local Member of Parliament to account.

We are second in 27 seats, selecting these seats early will allow us to bed in candidates ahead of time and give us a more realistic chance of building on the incredible gains next time.

However, there are also a large number of seats where we are a good third (15-25% of the vote) and should be challenging for second place in 2029. We know that in these seats, credibility can be a challenge – so equally building our vote in these seats is important too.

Understandably there needs to be some time for reflection – however post 2019 we were far too slow in selecting candidates. We can grow on our success if we have all our target seat candidates and most of our moving forward seat candidates, selected by December 2025.

Large Seat Selections – these should be treated as advanced seats are, or we will not be able to prove what we would do differently.

We have built clusters of victories in seats around Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Surrey. This concentration of parliamentary seats should help us win some larger seats such as Mayoralties and Police (Fire) and Crime Commissioners at the next election for those seats.

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Should Lib Dems rethink our new fiscal rules after our successful General Election campaign?

By Michael Berwick-Gooding and Katharine Pindar | Wed 31st July 2024 - 8:55 am

Following the announcement of the new (so-called) £22bn ‘Black Hole’ in the Government’s finances, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has announced over £3bn in departmental spending cuts, making the winter fuel allowance mean-tested, and scrapping the previous government’s social care reforms (which set a maximum of £86,000 on a person’s personal care costs) meant to be implemented eventually in October 2025.

During the General Election it was generally recognised that there would need to be cuts to the non-protected departmental budgets, which the Resolution Foundation said could be as much as £33bn and the IMF said could be about £30bn. During the General Election the Labour Party talked of less than £10bn in extra government spending.

In our Manifesto we suggested how £19bn more could be raised from increased and new taxes. These included  buy-backs, increased taxes on social media firms and tech giants and reforming capital gains tax, as well as including one copied by the Labour Party, higher taxes on the energy giants (but raising £900 million less than ours).

There is a way forward, which our pre-Manifesto passed in the Autumn Conference of 2023 proposed. We stated that we would  “safeguard the UK’s economic prosperity while making the investments our country needs. We will make sure that day-to-day spending does not exceed the amount of money raised in taxes over the medium term…”

However, in our Manifesto those words were replaced with, “Foster stability, certainty and confidence in managing the public finances responsibly to get the national debt falling as a share of the economy and ensure that day-to-day spending does not exceed the amount raised in taxes, while making the investments our country needs.”

Why make that change? It would leave us on the same horns of a dilemma as the new Chancellor has. You can’t simultaneously pledge to reduce the national debt AND pledge to make the investment the country needs, in one parliamentary term.

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Mark Valladares

30 July 2024 – today’s press releases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Voice

Maiden speech: Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton & Wellington

By The Voice | Tue 30th July 2024 - 7:30 pm

Yesterday, Gideon Amos made his maiden speech in a debate on Passenger Railway Services.

Here is the full text:

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The Voice

Maiden speech: Claire Young MP for Thornbury & Yate

By The Voice | Tue 30th July 2024 - 5:59 pm

Yesterday, Claire Young made her maiden speech in a debate on Passenger Railway Services.

Here is the full text:

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Paul Walter

Anorak’s corner – House of Commons Library research briefing on the 2024 general election

By Paul Walter | Tue 30th July 2024 - 11:31 am

Ever since I was in short trousers, I have spent a few weeks after each general election, poring over the results. Normally, I have managed to get a copy of the Telegraph printed pamphlet of the seat-by-seat results. This time, I’m going to need a lot longer to digest the tumultuous results (so far, winning Epsom and Ewell is taking a while to get my head round!) and I couldn’t find a Telegraph (or other newspaper) pamphlet. I just can’t do it online – I need to highlight and mark the text.

But never fear, the House of Commons library has come to the rescue with its “research briefing” on the 2024 general election results. This includes a colourful pdf (which I have had bound) and a range of spreadsheets.

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The Voice

LIbLink: Ed Davey – Lib Dems plan to ‘finish the job’ in Tory heartlands

By The Voice | Tue 30th July 2024 - 9:30 am

Embed from Getty Images

Over on the Guardian website, there’s an interview with Ed Davey in a buoyant mood:

Confirming that he intends to lead the party into the next election, Davey said the party would again ruthlessly target so-called blue wall seats, traditionally Conservative areas where the Lib Dems have taken advantage of perceived Tory complacency and disaffection with the party’s ideological direction.

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Mark Valladares

29 July 2024 – today’s press releases

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

Public spending audit: We must focus on NHS

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

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

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

…

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Daniel Duggan

What next for the Liberal Democrats?

By Daniel Duggan | Mon 29th July 2024 - 5:55 pm

Recently, I have been reading ‘Jo Grimond: Towards the Sound of Gunfire” by Michael McManus and, although there is much to be learnt from Grimond’s leadership of the Liberal party, it is his later years that most interested me. On Margaret Thatcher’s arrival in Downing Street, Grimond, “at first hoped that a restatement of liberalism, might come from that unlikeliest sources, a Conservative government”. Despite soon expressing his disappointment, writing, “there has been no serious assault on . . . excessive government”, Thatcher’s Conservatives, nevertheless, did in some ways successfully cannibalise a theme once strongly identified with the liberal tradition, namely, the idea of spreading ownership. Whereas Richard Cobden argued for greater peasant proprietorship, J.S Mill advocated for workers’ cooperatives, and Lloyd Geoge championed ‘three acres and a cow’, Thatcher introduced ‘Right to Buy’ and wider share ownership. Within such a context, it is, perhaps, no wonder that Grimond possessed a (very) qualified admiration for (aspects of) Thatcherism.

Now, however, with the Conservatives indulging in nativist and nationalistic tub thumping, Liberal Democrats are well positioned to replace the Conservatives as the second largest party by reclaiming our reputation as the advocates of ‘ownership for all’. This should inform our thinking at various levels, including the home, the workplace, and public services.

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Simon McGrath

Merton Lib Dems seek action on £118m of unclaimed benefits

By Simon McGrath | Mon 29th July 2024 - 3:00 pm

The amount of unclaimed benefits in the UK is estimated by Policy in Practice to be £22bn – the largest unclaimed benefits being Universal Credit (£8.3bn), Council Tax support (£3.4bn) and Carers Allowance (£2.3bn).

Councils have an important role to play in helping people claim benefits to which they are entitled but do not claim and so Merton Liberal Democrats proposed a motion at a recent council meeting to ask the Council to take some simple and inexpensive actions to ensure Merton residents claimed what they are due.

Proposing the motion, Cllr John Oliver highlighted an estimate of …

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NewsHound

The Right Honourable Jennie makes a media splash…

By NewsHound | Mon 29th July 2024 - 11:40 am

Yes, it’s the 73rd Liberal Democrat MP, Jennie, making the news once again.

Today’s Guardian picks up on the adventures of Steve Darling and Jennie as they work out life at Westminster. But it looks as though Jennie is finding things to her liking…

She will often be very keen to take me back to the chamber because she thinks ‘we always go here and I get to lie down for quite a period of time’. She likes banking as much rest in as possible, so the chamber is a good place to

…

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Mark Valladares

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Voice

Nominations open for ALDC’s Campaigner Awards

By The Voice | Sun 28th July 2024 - 12:30 pm

We’ve not been short of electoral success this year and the best of our campaigning will be recognised at Conference in September.

ALDC has opened nominations for its annual Local Campaigner awards.  You don’t have to be an ALDC member to nominate, though everyone should be an ALDC member because you get access to the very best in campaigning support.

The categories are:

Best literature – We’re looking for local parties’ examples of well-designed literature with strong messaging, photos and layout. We want to see your best.

Best local election campaign – We’re looking for local parties that have fought effective and strong 2024 local election campaigns. Tell us about your winning strategy. What innovative new ideas did you use? What great literature did you deliver? Did you develop a digital strategy and run a successful online campaign? How did you raise the funds to support your campaign?

Best by-election campaign – We want to hear from teams that have helped us have another great year of by-election gains. Tell us about your winning strategy. What innovative new ideas did you use? What great literature did you deliver? Did you develop a digital strategy run a successful online campaign? How did you raise the funds to support your campaign?

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 28th July 2024 - 10:30 am

Gaza

The world was presented with two alternative approaches to the Gaza War this week. The first was brokered by China. The second was outlined by Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to a Joint Session of the US Congress.

The first was supported by the feuding leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, 12 other Palestinian factions and a big chunk of the Global South. The second was received with a standing ovation by America’s Republican lawmakers but boycotted by dozens of Democrat Congressmen.

The Chinese-brokered deal is aimed at ending the schism between Fatah which rules the West Bank as the Palestinian Authority and Hamas which has governed Gaza since ejecting Fatah in 2007. The bitter split between the two has been one of the chief obstacles to implementing the much sought after two-state solution.

On Tuesday the Palestinian factions agreed to form an interim reconciliation government. They also agreed to jointly demand a ceasefire; a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the West Bank; elections and they established the bones of a reconstruction programme for Gaza.

On Thursday, Netanyahu denied that Israel was blocking aid to Gaza; claimed that only a few civilians had died; called for the total destruction of Hamas; made no reference to the two-state solution and insisted that a post-war Gaza should be a “demilitarised and de-radicalised” enclave under Israeli military control.

Among those boycotting Netanyahu’s address was former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She described his speech as “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honoured with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”

Ukraine

Another visitor to Beijing this week was Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. It was the first visit to China by a Ukrainian official since the Russian invasion, and indicates a Ukrainian shift in emphasis from the military to the diplomatic.

The Ukrainians see the Chinese as the only third party power with any leverage over Vladimir Putin. Kuleba told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Ukraine was ready to negotiate in good faith, but he added: “No such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.” Wang agreed that that the “conditions and timing are not yet ripe.”

Vladimir Putin, for his part, is sticking to his demands that Ukraine handover the four regions his troops have occupied in eastern Ukraine; promise not to join NATO and agree to demilitarisation.

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Mathew Hulbert

How should Ed handle PMQs?

By Mathew Hulbert | Sun 28th July 2024 - 8:30 am

Fantastic, wasn’t it?

Seeing Ed Davey rise on Wednesday lunchtime to ask the first of two questions to the Prime Minister, as the leader not only of the third largest Commons caucus but of the biggest third party presence in our Parliament’s elected chamber for a century.

The first time a Liberal leader has been able to do so since pre-Coalition Nick Clegg in the early months of 2010.

Ed, rightly, went on carers and social care; an issue personal to him and to countless families across the country. 

A serious leader asking about a serious issue.

But the question which appeared to get the most media attention after the session was actually asked by the SNP leader in Westminster, Stephen Flynn. 

Now reduced, as the leader of the fourth biggest group, with just nine MPs, to an occasional question (where we were just a few short weeks ago), Flynn-an accomplished media performer, whatever we may think of his politics-asked about the big domestic political issue of the week; the very controversial two child benefit cap.

It got me thinking. 

What should be the Lib Dems PMQs strategy?

What should our leader’s advisers be advising?

To stick to our own agenda each week, regardless of whatever is the political headlines/controversies of the day?

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: Kamala v. Donald

By Tom Arms | Sat 27th July 2024 - 10:01 am

Three days, to coin a phrase, is a long time in today’s Tik Tok politics. This time last week wounded and bandaged Donald Trump was basking in what the New York Times called his “mythical status.” He appeared unbeatable. Liberal democrats around the world were in despair.

Then 81-year-old stumbling, crumbling President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was dropping out of the White House race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

She in turn surprised pundits with a rousing Milwaukee speech and 40,000 Americans registered to vote in one day this week – a 700 percent increase on the daily average. What looked like a Republican walk-over has been transformed in an instant to a to-close-to-call fight to the finish.

Up until this week the age factor had been the major political issue, especially after Biden’s painful to watch performance in his debate with Trump. But at 78 Trump is no spring chicken and is often guilty of stumbling over thoughts and words. The dementia shoe is now on the Republican foot.

Age, however, will only be one of several issues in the roughly 100 days before the election. More than ever, the contest is now between the American left and right. There is no doubt about Trump’s far-right credentials. The Republican hierarchy tried to push him as a unity candidate at the convention. His acceptance speech at the party convention started along those lines. But he quickly lapsed into his rambling, mean-spirited right-wing attack on opponents real and imagined.

One of the reasons Harris’ 2020 bid for the White House foundered so quickly is that she was perceived as a far-left candidate. If she is going to be successful in 2024 she has to shed that image and capture the centre ground of American politics.

Not helping her are the problems on America’s southern border. Immigration is a major political issue and early on his administration President Biden handed Harris the poisoned chalice of managing America’s southern border. She failed. In 2023 a record 2.3 million people crossed from Mexico into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

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Mark Valladares

26 July 2024 – today’s press releases

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

CQC: entire NHS and care system needs fixing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Voice

Maiden speech: Lisa Smart MP for Hazel Grove

By The Voice | Fri 26th July 2024 - 2:46 pm

Yesterday it was the turn of Lisa Smart to give her maiden speech.

The full text of her speech is below.

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Mary Reid

Actors and artists back the abolition of Voter ID

By Mary Reid | Fri 26th July 2024 - 12:36 pm

Voter ID was first introduced at the Local Elections in England in 2023. At the time Lib Dems expressed strong reservations about the scheme for two reasons:

  1. Experience in other countries has shown that the requirement for Voter ID amounts to voter suppression, and that it disproportionately affects certain groups, such as those living in poverty and ethnic minorities.
  2. Voter ID is a solution to a problem that barely exists – voter impersonation happens very rarely.

At the time I wrote about my experience of telling at Woking – now proudly a Lib Dem run Council with a new Lib Dem MP. According to the Electoral Commission 14,000 voters were turned away in 2023 in England because of not having the correct ID. However this figure did not include all those who were picked up by greeters outside the polling station and who never returned.

Those elections only affected a proportion of electoral areas and I suggested that up to 40,000 would have been turned away in England if it had been a General Election. But I greatly underestimated. The Guardian reported some research by More in Common that claimed that 400,000 would-be voters across the UK did not vote in this year’s General Election because of the ID rules and practices.

Helen Morgan has been vocal on this issue for some time, and we have reiterated our position recently.

Today a large group of eminent ethnic minority actors, artists and others in the public eye, including Lenny Henry, Anish Kapoor, Adjoa Andoh, David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo and Gary Younge, have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister:

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The Voice

Maiden speech: Al Pinkerton MP for Surrey Heath

By The Voice | Fri 26th July 2024 - 8:47 am

Al Pinkerton made his maiden speech on Wednesday.

The text is below:

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Mark Valladares

25 July 2024 – today’s press releases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chamberlain urges transport infrastructure funding

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

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

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Lord William Wallace

English Devolution, or local democracy?

By Lord William Wallace | Thu 25th July 2024 - 6:26 pm

Labour promised as it came into government that it would bring in a ‘Take Back Control’ Bill to return power from Whitehall and Westminster to local communities across England.  If it actually moves in that direction, it will deserve heartfelt support from Liberal Democrats.  But the indications of what is intended provided in the King’s Speech debate and the accompanying Briefing Note are not encouraging.

The English Devolution Bill, we are told, defines local leaders as mayors of Combined and Combined County Authorities.  ‘Mayors are critical to delivering economic growth and will be vital partners’ with central government.  The Bill will put ‘a more ambitious standardised devolution framework into legislation’, modelled on the devolution deals negotiated with existing metro mayors in Manchester, Birmingham and elsewhere.  And ‘the Government will establish a new council of the nations and regions’, in which ‘the mayors of combined authorities’ will represent English interests.

‘New powers for mayoral combined authorities’ may be a step forward from micro-management of regional and local government from the Treasury and other Whitehall Departments.  But it’s not democratic local government as Liberals understand it, nor would it provide the regional counterweight to London which we have long called for.  Labour appear to be following their Conservative predecessors in wanting to replace democratic local government, within reach of the people whom it serves, with strong mayors with limited democratic scrutiny while in office who will carry out centrally-funded strategies within tight national guidelines.

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The Voice

Maiden speech: Max Wilkinson MP for Cheltenham

By The Voice | Thu 25th July 2024 - 5:11 pm

Max Wilkinson gave his maiden speech on Tuesday.

The text is below:

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Mary Reid

Vince Cable at the Horizon Inquiry

By Mary Reid | Thu 25th July 2024 - 11:49 am

Vince Cable is appearing today at the Post Office Horizon inquiry:

If you miss the live stream you can catch up here.

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