Tag Archives: Alistair Carmichael

Mark Valladares

3 June 2026 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Wed 3rd June 2026 - 10:45 pm

Carmichael demands meeting with Coastguard boss after cuts to volunteer remuneration

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today written to the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Virginia McVea, to demand a meeting over cuts to Coastguard volunteer remuneration.

Currently Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs), which make up the bulk of the Coastguard Rescue Service, are given hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises – approximately £11 per hour. The MCA plans to change these rules following a Court of Appeal judgement earlier this year, which classed responders as “workers” while they were carrying out their duties.

Mr Carmichael said:

The

…

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Caron Lindsay

UPDATED: Jim Wallace’s funeral takes place in Kirkwall

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 10th February 2026 - 8:27 am

UPDATE: A brief reflection on the service that took place earlier today.  If you knew and admired Jim, and haven’t seen it, it will be up for a while here.  I’m not going to tell you too much about it, but there were some stories that illustrate Jim perfectly, from the things he was excellent at, grace and kindness being mentioned a lot, to the things he was less good at. It sounds like he might have been less good at DIY than I am and that’s saying something.  And there are some things you might be surprised to learn. 

His brother Neil gave the most perfect tribute, as requested by Jim a few days before he went into hospital for his operation.  The best euologies are crafted so that you are lifted from sadness with laughter and this was no exception. There was one point where I was about to dissolve into tears and then he said something really funny and everyone laughed. 

Liam McArthur told us about their long working relationship, which started in a noisy pub in Edinburgh Waverley station. Alistair Carmichael shared his one abiding memory of Jim, which may surprise you. It will not be what you think, but in other ways, it will be exactly what you think. 

It is a very fitting summary of a life lived with  love, empathy, kindness,  ferocious intellect, modesty and humour with liberalism at its core. We’ll all be raising a glass to Jim tonight, I expect.

Many Lib Dems have been heading north to Kirkwall over the past couple of days for Jim Wallace’s funeral whihc takes place in the beautiful St Mgnus’ Cathedral in Orkney today.

Theer have been a few photographs of people stopping to campaign with Highland candidates David Green and Neil Alexander on the way, and no doubt we’ll see the same tomorrow as people make the return journey.

Our thoughts are very much with JIm’s wife Rosie, daughters Helen and Clare and brother Neil and all those who were close to Jim.

The service will be livestreamed here

Christine Murdoch and I thought it might be a good idea to open a Zoom room for those of us who will be watching online. We might need a gentle space where we can have a cup of tea and a chat afterwards. If you want to join us between 1 and 2, email [email protected] for the link.

Alistair Carmichael paid tribute to Jim in an article for Politics Home which you can read here. He said:

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Alan Grant

We must keep up the fight against digital ID

By Alan Grant | Wed 1st October 2025 - 10:57 am

I left our recent federal conference in Bournemouth, the first I’ve attended, with my head abuzz. Only a small part of this was due to the cumulative hangover that happens when a man in his late thirties boozes as he did in his late twenties. The overwhelming majority of the remaining buzz is a result of the optimism, confidence, and positivity of everyone I met and the warm welcome that was shown to us repentant sinners, formerly of other political parishes. 

Key points like Tim Farron’s barnstorming speech, making the defiant and full-throated case for patriotism and liberalism, and Jamie Greene’s warm, clever, and energising remarks about how Liberal Democrats have welcomed him into the party as our newest MSP were highlights for me. As were the other fringes, receptions, and engaging conversations I had over the weekend. Thank you all.

Our conference was buzzing, and a good thing too – other parties will envy us our good mood, and they are right to. 

However, with so many important causes and issues jostling in the scrum for attention, it’s important that crucial ones do not slip through the cracks. 

And what could be more important than the UK Labour Government planning to force British people to carry mandatory digital ID to access work and services?

One of the fringe events I attended at conference was held by privacy and civil liberties campaigners, Big Brother Watch in the Bournemouth Library (next year, we must get them back in the main venue). Joining their staff on the panel was our brilliant MP for Orkney and Shetland, Alistair Carmichael. It was excellent discussion and the report that Big Brother Watch have published on the topic, Checkpoint Britain, is well worth your time. 

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Caron Lindsay

Caron’s Conference Diary: Lobsters and an MP barking “at the f***ing tide”

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 21st September 2025 - 12:01 pm

The sun rises over Bournemouth PierIt’s 10 am on Sunday morning as I write this. I’ve already been to an 8am consultation session, of which more later.  So far my Conference has been everything I’ve wanted it to be – a wonderful catch-up with friends, meeting lots of new people and playing shops at the stalls with the enthusiasm of a 5 year old in a room full of lollipops.

I arrived from drizzly Scotland to the warm, sunny and temperate climes of the south coast on Friday morning. I had planned an afternoon on the beach but then remembered that there is a hop-on, hop-bus tour that goes from West Cliff Road. My friend came with me. We “hopped off” in the very chic Sandbanks, home to Harry Redknapp and a Rick Stein restaurant.

Jazz Café, SandbanksWe had the most delicious smoked salmon sandwich I have ever had in my life at the Jazz Cafe. Perfect sunshine, right next to a golden beach and lovely wine. What more could you want? Though the inevitable happened – Scottish person steps into the sunshine for 5 minutes and turns into a lobster. My nose will be peeling by Tuesday no doubt.

The bus tour is really interesting if you fancy a break from Conference and you can also get to Sandbanks on the 50 bus.

Saturday started with Vikki Slade MP and Cllr Millie Earl, her successor as leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council opening Conference.

The following report back session from Federal Conference Committee and Federal Policy Committee annoyed me slightly. There were many questions listed in Conference Extra but they only got to 2 of them. There could have been more time for answers if the Committee Chairs had spoken for less time. Something to think about for the future?

Then came the thing that I had been worrying most about. A constitutional amendment proposed by members of a fringe anti-trans group to limit the quota places in Federal Committee elections to what they refer to “biological” and women and erasing the provision for non binary people completely.

It’s worth mentioning that this motion only appeared on the agenda because it had to. Constitutional amendments have to be taken, even if they are dreadful. The Federal Conference Committee can simply reject policy motions that are inaccurate wrong, but they don’t have that power with constitutional amendments.

This fringe group  tried this once before, in York a couple of years ago. Conference voted overwhelmingly then to Move to Next Business, something that had happened only once before in living memory on a motion to give the leader a veto on policy voted for by Conference.

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Mark Valladares

20 August 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 20th August 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Liberal Democrats: Rail passengers must not be priced off trains
  • “Taken for a ride” – Liberal Democrats urge rail fare freeze as inflation bites
  • Headphone dodgers: Govt should take a leaf out Irish Rail’s book and back Lib Dem calls for fines
  • Carmichael voices concern over abolition of UK Space Agency

Liberal Democrats: Rail passengers must not be priced off trains

The Liberal Democrats have demanded an urgent rail fare freeze ahead of inflation figures which are expected to determine the amount rail fares rise next year.

Almost half of all fares in England are directly controlled by the Government. Millions of commuters and families risk being priced off the railway if ministers allow another steep increase, based on the latest inflation figures.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Transport, Paul Kohler MP, said:

Rail passengers are already paying sky-high prices for overcrowded trains and unreliable services. Hiking fares yet again would be a betrayal of passengers who are simply trying to get to work, travel to school or visit family and friends.

Families and hardworking commuters are being hit with the cost of living crisis month after month, and now face being ripped off on the railways too. Pricing people off the trains will only drive more cars onto our congested roads, increase pollution and damage our economy.

The Liberal Democrats are urging Ministers to freeze rail fares and get more people onto the trains. Raising fares is a false economy that will only drive down passengers and revenue in the long run.

“Taken for a ride” – Liberal Democrats urge rail fare freeze as inflation bites

Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Paul Kohler MP has warned the Government that passengers are being “taken for a ride”, as the latest inflation stats suggest rail fares are set to rise.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for rail fares to be frozen to avoid another hit to the cost of living and encourage more people on to trains.

New figures released today (20 August) show that regulated rail fares are set to rise 3.8% in 2026-27 if they follow inflation. That means some commuters could face rises of above £2,000 since 2020, Liberal Democrat research shows. This follows increases of 4.6% in 2025-26, 4.9% in 2024-2025, and 5.9% in 2023-2024.

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NewsHound

Alistair Carmichael LibLink: Palestine Action ban reveals Labour’s dangerously authoritarian instincts

By NewsHound | Wed 20th August 2025 - 10:28 am

Alistair Carmichael has criticised the Labour Government for its proscription of Palestine Action. In a recent column for the Scotsman he talked about why he was never able to join the Labour Party:

For all the similarities between Liberal Democrats and Labour, the differences matter too.

Labour has centralising instincts that will always be anathema to liberals who champion community empowerment. Then there is the freedom thing.

Scratch any Labour government and you will find a deep authoritarian streak. It is increasingly apparent that this is every bit as true of Yvette Cooper’s Home Office as it was of those headed by David Blunkett, John Reid and Jack Straw.

He sums up the differences between us and Labour pretty neatly:

For liberals, protecting freedoms of speech, assembly and protest is a given. It runs to the heart of how we see the relationship between the citizen and the state. For Labour, these freedoms are rarely more than ‘nice to have’ when circumstances allow.

He said very much out loud that the Labour decision to proscribe Palestine Action was a mistake:

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Mark Valladares

17 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 17th July 2025 - 11:50 pm
  • Workforce figures: public “desperately” needs a govt focused on getting growth back on track
  • Voting reforms: Elon Musk-shaped hole in Government’s announcement
  • Afghanistan data leak “devastating” — Government must launch inquiry
  • Carmichael welcomes progress on votes for 16-year-olds in UK elections
  • Jane Dodds responds to UK Government plans to introduce votes at 16

Workforce figures: public “desperately” needs a govt focused on getting growth back on track

Responding to the latest workforce figures, which show the labour market continuing to weaken, with higher unemployment and slowing wage growth, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

We can’t go on with such a sluggish economy: the Government must go for growth by reversing the jobs tax which is stifling small businesses and rip up the red tape holding back British businesses from trading with the rest of Europe. Only then will the Government unlock billions of pounds to protect public services and support struggling families.

After years of economic mismanagement by the Conservatives, the public desperately needs a government focused on getting our economy back on track – and these are the most obvious first steps to doing that.

Voting reforms: Elon Musk-shaped hole in Government’s announcement

Commenting on the Government’s announcement on voting reforms, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

Votes at 16 is a no-brainer. Liberal Democrats have campaigned for this change for well over twenty years and so of course we welcome this decision.

However, there appears to be an Elon Musk shaped hole in the Government’s proposed changes to elections. Ministers must go much further to close the door to foreign oligarchs interfering in British politics – anything less undermines our democracy.

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Mark Valladares

16 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 16th July 2025 - 11:50 pm
  • Lib Dems: Bolster energy security to tackle “stubbornly high” inflation
  • Ed Davey calls for public inquiry into Afghan data leak and unprecedented superinjunction
  • Davey speech warns of Farage’s plan to tie Britain to Putin’s Russia
  • Carmichael to lead parliamentary debate on Global Plastics Treaty

Lib Dems: Bolster energy security to tackle “stubbornly high” inflation

Responding to June’s inflation figure of 3.6%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

These stubbornly high inflation figures are hammering the pockets of households who are still struggling with a cost-of-living crisis that refuses to go away.

The Conservatives’ mismanagement of the economy led us here and now Donald Trump’s senseless trade war and the Government’s wage suppressing jobs tax are only adding to people’s pain.

Only by building an economic coalition of the willing to stand up to Trump’s bullying, scrapping the Government’s jobs tax and bolstering our energy security will we see pressure ease for families across the country.

Ed Davey calls for public inquiry into Afghan data leak and unprecedented superinjunction

Ed Davey has called for a public inquiry into the MOD data leak that put at risk the lives of up to 25,000 Afghans who supported the British campaign in Afghanistan, and the unprecedented superinjunction used to keep it hidden from the public for years.

The Liberal Democrats have criticised the Conservatives’ cloak-and-dagger efforts to protect Ministers’ identities via an unprecedented 600-day superinjunction, only revealed following a concerted effort by the British media to bring the details into the public domain.

The party’s leader, Ed Davey, has called for an urgent public inquiry – to report by the end of the year – which would allow for the level of scrutiny appropriate to the “size and significance” of the data breach and subsequent Government efforts to keep the details hidden from public view.

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Mark Valladares

1 July 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 1st July 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • FIRS scheme has a “China-shaped hole”, say Lib Dems
  • Welfare concessions: Govt should “put this bill out of its misery”
  • Davey: Welfare Bill “no way to run a country”
  • Carmichael challenges EDF on imposed inferior tariffs for RTS customers
  • Cole-Hamilton: Delayed discharges another SNP broken promise
  • Operations activity stagnating below pre-pandemic levels

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is no way to run a country.

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

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Mark Valladares

21 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 21st May 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Inflation: High time the Government put in place a proper plan to boost our economy
  • Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers
  • Winter Fuel Payments: the “world’s longest u-turn continues”
  • Winter Fuel Payments: Serious proposal from the Prime Minister Needed
  • Lib Dems Respond to Welsh Gov Business Rates Consultation
  • Carmichael challenges Prime Minister to pause family farm tax

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

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

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

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

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

Thames Water bonuses: Hardly a cause for celebration for customers

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world’s longest u-turn continues.

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

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

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Mark Valladares

20 May 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 20th May 2025 - 11:20 pm
  • Health Foundation mortality report: must be a “wake-up call” for Government to turnaround these “unacceptable statistics”
  • Winter Fuel Payment: u-turn taking so long it puts “turning an oil tanker around to shame”
  • Jamie Greene taking on additional role as transport spokesperson
  • Lib Dems: UK Govt must ensure households compensated if worse off after RTS shutdown
  • Rennie: Decline in college staff shows SNP neglect of further education
  • McArthur comments on young offender death inquiry
  • Greene responds to Liberty Steel news
  • Cole-Hamilton presses SNP over failure to deliver Erasmus replacement

Health Foundation mortality report: must be a “wake-up call” for Government to turnaround these “unacceptable statistics”

Responding to a report by The Health Foundation, which revealed that by 2023, female mortality rates in the UK were 14% higher when compared with the median of 21 other high-income countries, with male mortality rates 9% higher, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Preventing avoidable deaths and protecting the public’s health should be at the top of any Government’s priorities and to see it neglected in this way, bringing immeasurable suffering to people and their loved ones, should be a wake-up call to us all.

The Conservatives’ catastrophic mismanagement of the NHS and their savage cuts to public health support have brought us to this point but the Labour government has shown nowhere near the ambition required to repair these unacceptable statistics.

It is not good enough for ministers to sit on their hands and watch the NHS and the opportunity to live a healthy life decay in this way. We need to see the Government step in as a matter of urgency, to reverse the cuts to the public health grant and bring an end to these devastating deaths.

Winter Fuel Payment: u-turn taking so long it puts “turning an oil tanker around to shame”

Responding to the Chancellor’s comments that she will listen to concerns over the Government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This U-turn is taking so long it puts turning an oil tanker around to shame.

The Government should feel embarrassed that it has taken a dire set of a local election results to realise what everyone has known from the start: this policy was doomed to fail and punished some of the most vulnerable.

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Simon McGrath

Russia sanctions ten Lib Dem Parliamentarians

By Simon McGrath | Fri 25th April 2025 - 10:04 am

The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry have banned 6 peers and 15 MPs from entering the Russian Federation for:

Hostile statements and unfounded accusations coming from members of the UK Parliament, including public statements in favour of seizing Russian assets “immobilised” in Western jurisdictions

Lib Dems are very well represented on the list. Among the  peers are Lord Purvis and Baroness Smith (and Lord Alton, a cross bencher was a Liberal MP for 18 years ) and Russia has sanctioned no fewer than 8 of our MPs – Alistair Carmichael, Chris Coghlan, Helen Maguire, James Maccleary, Mike Martin,  Manuela Perteghella, Cameron Thomas and Will Forster.

Alistair Carmichael said :

“In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to travel there anytime soon,” he said.

“On one view, it’s nice to know they hear the criticism, even if they don’t like it.

“I wear this ban as a badge of honour.”

James MacCleary said on X :

and

Helen Maguire said on X :

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Mark Valladares

19 March 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 20th March 2025 - 7:30 am
  • US-Russia call: Putin is “stringing Trump along”
  • NICs vote: Labour MPs vote for “health tax” on GPs, pharmacies and care homes
  • Conservative local election launch: “buck stops” with Badenoch
  • “Time for a fair deal for farmers” – Carmichael to introduce Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill
  • Scottish Government admits it failed to conduct safeguarding review
  • Minister visited Skye House just months before cruelty allegations surfaced
  • Severn Estuary Commission Report – Get on with Building the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon
  • Rennie responds to damning evidence session on funding crisis at Dundee University

US-Russia call: Putin is “stringing Trump along”

Responding to Putin’s phone call with Trump, Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, said:

Donald Trump’s fawning call with Putin couldn’t be more different to his and JD Vance’s shameful bullying of Zelensky in the Oval Office.

It’s clear Trump is being played by Putin – stringing him along and currying favour even as his savage war machine continues to push deeper into Ukraine.

Now is the time for the UK and our allies in Europe and the Commonwealth to redouble our efforts to support Ukraine’s defence and achieve a lasting peace.

NICs vote: Labour MPs vote for “health tax” on GPs, pharmacies and care homes

Responding to the Government voting to reject a Liberal Democrat amendment which would have exempted health and care providers from the national insurance rise, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Labour MPs today have voted for a health tax on GPs, dentists, pharmacies, hospices and care homes, and it is patients who will pay the price.

The Liberal Democrats are proud we have led the fight to exempt health and care providers from this misguided tax hike, and we will not give up now.

On April 6th worried social care providers and GP surgeries are going to be hit with bills they simply cannot afford. Rachel Reeves must finally see sense, U-turn on this disastrous policy and exempt health and care providers from this damaging jobs tax.

Conservative local election launch: “buck stops” with Badenoch

Commenting on the Conservatives’ local election launch tomorrow (20th March) a Liberal Democrat spokesperson said:

The buck stops with bungling Badenoch. If she fails to deliver in the local elections, the writing will truly be on the wall for her and for the Conservative Party.

Whilst they compete with Reform and tilt ever further to the right, the Liberal Democrats are focused on delivering for residents on issues including the cost of living, sewage in our rivers and the emergency in our NHS and care.

We’re hearing on the doorsteps that people haven’t forgiven the Conservatives for all the damage they’ve done. If Kemi speaks to voters tomorrow, she will doubtless hear the same. Voters have a clear choice in May, and across the country, including in Buckinghamshire, they are turning to the Liberal Democrats as community champions who will stand up for them.

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Mark Valladares

11 March 2025 – today’s Scottish press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 11th March 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay
  • Cole-Hamilton: We cannot fix A&E waits without fixing social care
  • Carmichael calls for government response following shipping collision
  • 1,065 drugs deaths last year
  • Vacancies in majority of care homes and care at home services
  • Rennie responds to Dundee University news

Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay

Liberal Democrat women and equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has called for the UK Government to do everything possible to tackle economic barriers for women, including by doubling statutory maternity pay and expanding parental leave.

As well as backing parental leave as a day-one right at work, Liberal Democrats are calling on the UK Government to:

  • Double Statutory Maternity Pay to £350 a week.
  • Increase paternity pay to 90% of earnings.
  • Create a new use-it-or-lose-it ‘dad month’, encouraging more fathers to take parental leave.

Currently, low rates of statutory maternity and paternity pay are not high enough to give parents a real choice, while the UK’s two weeks of statutory paternity leave lags far behind most advanced economies. Around a quarter of fathers are not eligible for paternity pay, either because they are self-employed or because they have not been with their employer continuously for six months.

The party argues that encouraging more fathers to take parental leave is critical to closing the gender pay gap. On average, women face a ‘pay penalty’ of 45% lower earnings in the six years after giving birth to their first child.

Ms Jardine said:

As we celebrate the achievements of women and girls across Scotland, we cannot forget about the barriers that stand in the way of progress.

That’s why my party is committed to doubling maternity pay and expanding parental leave.

Doubling maternity pay would help ease the pressure on women to return to work before they are ready.

Meanwhile, encouraging more fathers to take paternity leave will give women greater choice and help new dads to spend time with their child.

Liberal Democrats want to see women given the choice and flexibility they need, backed up by a proper package of support.

Cole-Hamilton: We cannot fix A&E waits without fixing social care

Responding to new figures showing only 63.5% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 2nd March, while 3,532 people waited over 8 hours and 1,510 waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

For years under the SNP our A&E departments have been left mired in crisis and it’s leading to staff burning out.

The problem at A&E is that there isn’t enough capacity. Too many people are stuck unable to leave hospital because they can’t get the care package they need to leave safely.

We cannot fix these A&E waits without fixing the problems in social care to create the capacity needed to get people seen on time. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought for more money for social care in the budget and back a new UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

Carmichael calls for government response following shipping collision

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has said that a shipping collision off the coast of North-East England today must be “a spur for stronger regulation” against unsafe behaviour by tankers, including in the waters around the Northern Isles. Mr Carmichael noted local complaints about tankers sheltering in areas off the coast of Shetland in particular, despite these being marked as “areas to be avoided” for such vessels.

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Caron Lindsay

Alistair Carmichael on Iain Dale’s All Talk on 75th anniversary of Jo Grimond’s election

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 19th February 2025 - 3:13 pm

Every week I read Iain Dale’s weekly newsletter. Before you rush to judgement, there is always a picture of some very cute dogs at the end even if I often disagree with the political stuff. I often read people whose views are not the same as mine, especially if they are interesting as Iain usually is. When I was growing up, I used to read my Dad’s Telegraph every day. It horrified me so much that it made me a social liberal with a healthy respect for a strong public sector that knocks down the barriers of poverty and inequality  that hold people back.

It was on its pages that I remember reading an article from Jo Grimond lamenting the move to an increasingly litigious society. For me that was very prescient as we so often now see the rich and powerful beat progressive forces without such deep pockets into submission in the courts.

Anyway, going back to Iain’s newsletter, a few weeks ago, he mentioned he was recording an All Talk podcast with Alistair Carmichael. I’ve been waiting to listen to it ever since.

It’s finally come out today, as this week is the 75th anniversary of Jo Grimond’s first election as MP for Orkney and Shetland.  Jo had first fought the seat in 1945 and narrowly lost but was successful five years later.  He held it for 33 years, retiring in the 1983 election. He was succeeded by Jim Wallace who then stood down at the 2001 election as he had been elected as MSP for Orkney in 1999. Alistair tells the story of how he was selected for he seat. He also talks about the coalition years.

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Ed Fordham

Flick Rea MBE – a 50 year case study in sociable campaigning and creating a sustainable local party.

By Ed Fordham | Sun 2nd February 2025 - 8:30 am

On Thursday night the Liberal Democrats in the London Borough of Camden gathered to celebrate 50 years of Party Membership of Flick Rea, former councillor, Alderwoman of Camden, London Region staffer and much more besides.

My own small role in the Flick Rea story is now a piece of history, reaching back to the halcyon days of 2006 when we were able to take on the Leadership of Camden Council and the two General Election of 2005 and 2010. Those three elections worked well for us and  for the first time we were able to mobilise our members, our resources, our messages, but also critically our enjoyment in the Liberal Democrat campaign to deliver some sensational election results.

As I arrived at The Sherriff Centre on Thursday night  I was greeted by some of the longest serving members in the Camden Local Party. As I took off my coat and looked around the large room, it was clear that this was not just any old party. Lord Mark Pack, Baroness Sue Garden, Lord Chris Rennard and then a catalogue of campaigners: Chris Naylor now of Shropshire, Alexi Sugden now of Lymington, John and Nana Bryant now of Harrow, James King now of Lewes, Mark and Janet Cumins of Queens Park, Bridget Fox of Islington, Terry Stacey from the LGA. The Camden diaspora had truly gathered to celebrate with and honour their friend and colleague Flick Rea.

Now anyone who has run or been involved with a Local Party they will know there are the accounts, the leaflets, the meetings and the minutes and then there are the social events and fundraising. In Camden the emphasis is very firmly placed on the social events being first and foremost. Under the guidance, tutelage and organisational rod of Flick Rea and her team, the priority always appears to be cake and coffee, and this is soon followed up with further cake options, a full platter of savouries and lashings of main course choices. By example, the annual Champagne Breakfast itself indicates that this is not your every day Local Party event.

So why does this socialising matter so much to Flick and her team. In an approach that reaches back to the Camden Liberal Party of the 1960’s, socialising and enjoying the campaign has always been important. Indeed that was clear last night when some of the catering team such as Jill Newbrooke traces their activism to the 1960’s Grimond Revival. Camden has created an important understanding of social affairs that underpins their whole campaign approach. The catering operation is highly sociable and draws people together working in confined kitchen spaces. Catering, as has been long known, is without a doubt the most profitable of all fundraising when done well, indeed good quality food on the campaign trail will often lead to higher gratuitous donations in the bowl in the middle of the leaflet table.

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Mark Valladares

22 January 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 22nd January 2025 - 11:30 pm
  • Borrowing figures: Another sign the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked
  • OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers for practically no benefit
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP must scrap social care power grab now
  • OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise Welsh farmers for practically no benefit
  • OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers and crofters for little benefit to Exchequer
  • Cross-border healthcare difficulties letting patients down

Borrowing figures: Another sign the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked

Responding to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing UK borrowing has hit its highest December level for four years, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

This is yet another sign that the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked. It’s now putting people’s mortgages at risk and will make it even harder for the Chancellor to meet her borrowing rules.

The answer to this is to turbo-charge growth by scrapping the jobs tax, and raising the necessary revenue for our NHS from the big banks and tech companies instead.

After the Conservative Party’s disastrous legacy of economic vandalism, the Chancellor needs to go for growth through fairer tax measures that can unleash growth through small businesses, not undermine it.

OBR Report: Farm tax will penalise farmers for practically no benefit

Commenting on the latest OBR report on the impact of agricultural and business property relief, Liberal Democrat Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

This report confirms that the Government’s misguided family farm tax is mired in problems and will penalise British farmers for practically no benefit.

It is deeply concerning that older farmers will be hit hardest from this tax, with the rug pulled from under them before they can change their plans. And with tax revenue expected to be highly uncertain and unstable for two decades, the Chancellor’s excuses simply don’t stack up.

Farmers are absolutely vital for Britain, putting food on our tables and protecting the British countryside. And they are already battling botched trade deals, declining incomes and high energy prices. The Government must do the right thing and scrap the family farm tax before it’s too late.

Cole-Hamilton: SNP must scrap social care power grab now

Speaking ahead of the ministerial statement on the future of the National Care Service, proposals which would centralise social care services and wrench away control from local communities, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

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Mark Valladares

16 January 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th January 2025 - 11:30 pm
  • GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax
  • Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war
  • Badenoch speech: half-hearted apology does not absolve her from toxic legacy
  • Triple lock: “bungling Badenoch’s” first policy is to slash the state pension
  • Carmichael welcomes RFA vertical launch licence
  • McArthur calls for clarity over BP job losses

GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax

Responding to GDP growing by 0.1% in November, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor has put the handbrake on the economy with her misguided jobs tax and the consequence is this pitiful rate of growth.

Every month this persists means less money in struggling families pockets and public services without the funding they need.

After years of the Conservatives’ economic vandalism, the public was crying out for change but this new government is falling well short of fixing this mess.

Rachel Reeves needs to see sense and scrap her foolish jobs tax and pursue a real strategy for growth like fixing our broken trade relationship with our European partners and replacing the broken business rates system.

Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war

The Liberal Democrats are tabling a ‘Humble Address’ motion which would force the Government to release its analysis of the potential impact of Trump tariffs on the UK economy.

It follows reports that the Government has conducted internal assessments of how a potential trade war with the US may hit the UK economy, but is refusing to publish them.

The Liberal Democrat motion will call urgently for the publication of all impact assessments conducted by the Government regarding the impact of Trump’s tariffs ahead of his inauguration on 20 January.

Humble Address motions have been successfully used in the past, including in 2017 when the Government was forced to publish an impact assessment of Brexit on the economy.

The new US administration’s purported plans may involve tariffs of up to 20 percent on UK exports, which could hit the UK economy by £22bn according to the research conducted at the University of Sussex.

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Mark Valladares

14 January 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 14th January 2025 - 11:45 pm
  • Tulip Siddiq resignation: People expected better from this government
  • Worst 8 hour A&E wait times in 2 years
  • More than 2,000 people stuck in hospital
  • Operations activity stagnating below pre-pandemic levels
  • McArthur comments on assisted dying evidence session
  • Carmichael welcomes protection of coastguard helicopter readiness

Tulip Siddiq resignation: People expected better from this government

Following Tulip Siddiq’s resignation as Treasury Minister, Sarah Olney MP, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson, said:

It’s right Tulip Siddiq resigned, you can’t have an anti-corruption minister mired in a corruption scandal.

After years of Conservative sleaze and scandal, people rightly expected better from this government.

Worst 8 hour A&E wait times in 2 years

Responding to new figures showing only 58.7% of people attending A&E were seen within the 4 hour target in the week ending 5th January, while 18.3% of people waited over 8 hours (the worst since January 2023) and 9.1% waited over 12 hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

These figures show almost 1 in 5 waited more than 8 hours at A&E, the worst for nearly 2 years. It is now clear that the SNP’s NHS Recovery Plan has completely failed.

These waits are intolerable for staff and patients alike. The Scottish Government needs to start taking urgent action to address these conditions.

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 UK-wide minimum wage for care workers that is £2 higher.

More than 2,000 people stuck in hospital

Responding to new Public Health Scotland figures showing 2,020 people were stuck in hospital at the November census due to their discharge being delayed, amongst the worst on record, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

SNP mismanagement has led to eye-watering numbers of people stuck in hospital unnecessarily because they can’t get the care they need at home or in the community.

This creates a backlog right across our NHS, contributing to agonising waits in A&E and ambulances stacking up outside the front door. It goes to show that you can’t save our NHS unless you fix the care crisis.

The Health Secretary needs to re-write the failed NHS Recovery Plan. It’s also essential to drop the doomed takeover of social care that has already seen millions wasted on bureaucracy instead of being spent on services and staff to enable people to leave hospital on time.

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The Voice

Layla Moran asks Urgent Question on Northern Gaza

By The Voice | Wed 8th January 2025 - 3:43 pm

Yesterday, Layla Moran was granted an urgent question in the House of Commons on the humanitarian crisis in Northern Gaza.

She said:

Over 450 days on, we all know the statistics—45,000 Palestinians killed, 100 hostages missing, 2.3 million people desperate—but I want to tell a single human story. I have previously spoken about my friend, consultant surgeon Mohamed, who operated on me when I had sepsis. His family are trapped in the Jabalia refugee camp. They are elderly and sick. One is a three-year-old girl. He has described how there are bodies strewn in the street.

I am sorry to report that death did not come knocking this weekend. Rather, it was dropped by a precision drone as Mohamed’s brother and his son walked 10 metres to get aid. The son died of a brain injury, two 13-year-old girls and their mother have shrapnel wounds, and Mohamed’s elderly father, who was already ill, is in hospital. A three-year-old, her mother and Mohamed’s mother are alone in a house with no one to help them get food.

These were obviously not militants—they were sick. They are not legitimate targets of war. There is no excuse for this. Mohamed told me it feels like they are living in “The Hunger Games,” dodging drones and scavenging for the basics. Even if they wanted to leave, how can they?

What part of international law makes any of this okay? Where is the accountability? Where is the justice? What does the Minister have to say to Mohamed, who spends his days saving lives here in the UK while his family are slaughtered overnight?

And it is not just Mohamed. People in Gaza are trapped in a doom loop of hell—hospitals decimated, and ceasefires promised and never delivered. So I press the Government again: is this really everything the UK has got? Have we deployed everything to make this stop? When will we recognise Palestine? Why have we not stopped the arms trade to Israel? And when will the Government ban trading with illegal settlements?

The frustration is palpable. Our grief is fathomless. People across the UK are looking on in horror, and the horror in Gaza must stop now.

There were nine other Lib Dem contributors:

Our foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller:

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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.

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The Voice

Alistair, Layla and Jamie, our three new Select Committee Chairs

By The Voice | Tue 10th September 2024 - 8:03 pm

So the new Chairs of the three Lib Dem led House of Commons Select Committeeshave been announced They were all elected unopposed.

Alistair Carmichael will chair the Environment, Food and Rural Affaiirs Committee.

Alistair said on his election:

I am honoured to be confirmed today as the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. I look forward to meeting with the EFRA committee team in the coming days and indeed with the different organisations and experts with a role to play in this sector as we begin our work.

Whether on fishing, farming, water quality or pollution, there is no shortage of issues for the committee to tackle in the coming months. It will take some time for the remaining members of the committee to be appointed and our “to do” list is going to be lengthy, but I intend for us to hit the ground running.

Jamie Stone will head the Petitions Committee which holds debates on those Parliament e-petitions which get more than 100,000 signatures.

He said:

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Caron Lindsay

Alistair Carmichael to stand to be Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Chair

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 8th September 2024 - 8:30 pm

As we have previously reported, the Lib Dems have been allocated three Select Committees to chair in the new Parliament. Alistair Carmichael has announced that he is standing to chair the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. He set out his priorities for role:

As the son of Islay hill farmers and having represented a rural constituency for 23 years, the issues on which the EFRA Select Committee works have always been close to my heart. For the Northern Isles and indeed for the entire country, the next few years are going to be critical in determining the future of our rural economy and rural communities, which is why I am standing for election as committee chair.

Being chair of a select committee does not give you the decision-making powers of a minister. Done properly, however, it can give you some influence in scrutinising the work of government and raising the profile of issues that matter to communities such as our own. In that way you can be a vehicle for change.

In a department where most of the incoming Labour ministerial team come from urban backgrounds, there is a danger that the needs and wishes of rural communities will not be properly understood. That is where a strong voice in Parliament with experience in these issues can make a noticeable difference.”

If elected as chair of the EFRA Select Committee, my priorities will be to:

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The Voice

Lib Dems welcome suspension of some arms sales to Israel

By The Voice | Tue 3rd September 2024 - 9:24 am

Yesterday foreign secretary David Lammy announced a partial suspension of arms sales to Israel.

Our foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran welcomed the move but said it was overdue:

This action should have been taken long ago by the previous government, who failed to take any leadership on the matter. Liberal Democrats welcome this announcement as a step forward from the government.

Liberal Democrat MPs will now carefully scrutinise the details of the Foreign Secretary’s announcement, including those export licences which the Government has not suspended. We are concerned that the decision is made solely on risk of use in Gaza and not the West Bank.

Every day seems to bring new dreadful scenes from the region, and the UK must be doing everything that it can to ensure that an immediate bilateral ceasefire is secured – to put an end to the humanitarian devastation in Gaza, ensure the hostages are brought home, and open the door to a two-state solution.

Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael also welcomed David Lammy ‘s announcement but said that the Government needs to go further to drive peace talks to end the violence in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Alistair said:

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NewsHound

LibLink: Alistair Carmichael MP Why Musk and Robinson are now threats to democracy

By NewsHound | Tue 13th August 2024 - 11:19 am

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael had some wise things to say about the riots that have plagued the country over the past two weeks.

He compared what happened here to the events of January 6 when MAGA types invaded the Capitol as some Republicans in Congress tried to steal the 2020 election from its rightful winner, Joe Biden.

Today the man who encouraged and stood to benefit from that political violence, if it had succeeded, is an even bet to be elected as President of the United States.

As the UK faces down our own wave of misinformation-fuelled rioting, albeit less directly targeted at our democratic institutions, we must learn the lesson from our American cousins – and refuse any attempt to normalise political violence.

He warned that we need to tackle the root causes of this violence:

In the short term, the problem may primarily be a matter of policing and the courts, but in the long term, we need political solutions to the issues thrown up by these riots. Violence and threats of violence cannot become normalised in the way that they increasingly have been in the United States.

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Mark Valladares

24 July 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 25th July 2024 - 7:30 am
  • Crime Stats: Conservative failures mean victims of crime don’t know if they will see justice
  • Conservative Leadership: a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches
  • Scot Lib Dems issue warning over worst hit rivers for sewage dumps
  • SNP Government dodges question of its backing for Heathrow third runway
  • Welsh Lib Dems call on new Welsh Labour leader to “restore trust in Welsh Politics”
  • Councils agree to seek meeting with Government over pay deals and bin strikes

Crime Stats: Conservative failures mean victims of crime don’t know if they will see justice

Responding to the latest crime statistics showing that an average of 5,829 crimes went unsolved every day in the year ending March 2024, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said:

Years of Conservative neglect and failure to give the police the resources they need and put bobbies on the beat mean that now victims do not know if they will ever see justice after facing these invasive crimes.

The former Home Secretary now wants to run for Conservative party leader, yet he couldn’t even get the basics of his last job right.

Cleverly’s crime catastrophe shows how utterly unfit the Conservatives were for government and why the country voted so decisively for change with a record number of Liberal Democrat MPs elected.

The new Labour government must now address these Conservative failures, put more police on the streets, make communities feel safe again and ensure victims get the justice they deserve.

Conservative Leadership: a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches

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Mark Valladares

19-21 July 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 21st July 2024 - 9:15 pm
  • IT outage: Government urged to call COBRA meeting
  • ICJ opinion: UK should recognise the independent state of Palestine
  • Incoming government must recognise Palestine and redouble efforts for peace
  • Rennie files parliamentary motion on schools’ access to Microsoft programs
  • Rennie presses government over implementation date for Children Care and Justice Act provisions
  • Mayor of London questioned over summer preparedness plans

IT outage: Government urged to call COBRA meeting

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to hold a COBRA meeting to coordinate an urgent response to the IT outage causing major disruption including to airlines, railways and GP surgeries.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said:

The government must call an urgent COBRA meeting to address the chaos being caused by these IT outages across the country.

The public needs to be reassured that the disruption to their travel or their desperately needed GP appointments will be minimised.

Getting critical infrastructure up and running again must be priority number one. The National Cyber Security Centre should also be working with small businesses and other organisations to help them deal with the outage.”

This once again lays bare the need to improve our digital infrastructure and truly modernise our economy in order to prevent the incidents from happening again.

ICJ opinion: UK should recognise the independent state of Palestine

Responding to today’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

This decision is a wake-up call. Liberal Democrats have always championed international law and the independence of the courts.

The only way to give Palestinians and Israelis the security and dignity they deserve is through a peace process and a two-state solution.

The UK should lead that push by immediately recognising the independent state of Palestine.

Incoming government must recognise Palestine and redouble efforts for peace

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has backed calls for the incoming Labour government to uphold international law and support efforts towards a lasting peace in Israel and Palestine, including the recognition of a Palestinian state. Signing Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran’s parliamentary motion, Mr Carmichael warned that with the election past, now was the time to renew efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, while welcoming the government’s announcement today of the restoration of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the agency which supports aid for Palestinians.

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Caron Lindsay

The Election rumour mill is buzzing….

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd May 2024 - 12:39 pm

Speculation is growing that the Prime Minister is about to call an election on the back of the inflation figures this morning. Jeremy Hunt certainly seemed very smug as he did the media round.

This is either everyone getting over excited on the basis of a bit of chatter, or something more substantial.  The Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman had this to say on Twitter:

Once again there are snap election rumours. I have been a sceptic every time so far. More importantly, people I trust who are in the loop have told me it’s nonsense. This time, those people are silent

If he asked the King to  dissolve Parliament today, the election would be on 27th June, next week, 4th July. Scottish schools break up in the last week of June and no doubt those children whose schools are polling stations would be delighted with an extra day off. An election in the first week of July would see many Scots away on holiday, though. But he did say at PMQs that the election would be in the second half of the year, so 4th July meets that criteria.

I suspect most of us would be relieved to have the election out of the way so we can enjoy the Summer. Certainly, every held and target seat has been ready for any eventuality for a while. On the other hand, some people will already have booked holidays on the basis that he wasn’t going to call an election till after the Summer recess.

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Mark Valladares

1 May 2024 – yesterday’s Federal press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 2nd May 2024 - 7:30 am
  • Waters containing shellfish suffer from 200,000 hours worth of sewage
  • Conservatives “legalising car theft” as over three in four cases go unsolved
  • Up to 1 million pensioners in Tory seats to be dragged into paying income tax
  • Davey: Time for Sunak to face the music

Waters containing shellfish suffer from 200,000 hours worth of sewage

  • Amount of sewage spilled into shellfish water jumps by a fifth
  • South West Water and Southern Water sewage discharges into shellfish water doubles
  • Liberal Democrats call for urgent action and increased testing

This year saw a large jump in the number of hours sewage was discharged into waters containing shellfish, Liberal Democrat analysis of Environment Agency data shows.

Last year, high levels of E.coli were discovered in oysters and mussels In Cornwall, leading to the closure of 11 shellfish fishing waters, with the Environment Agency blaming sewage discharges.

Now, it has been revealed that water firms in England discharged 192,248 hours worth of sewage into shellfish areas, up 21% from the year before (158,797 hours).

The worst offender was South West Water, which doubled the hours of sewage dumped into shellfish water from 49,863 in 2022, to 98,149 last year. Their total sewage spills into these designated areas also rose to a staggering 12,927.

Southern Water also doubled the hours of sewage discharged into these areas, to 72,943 hours this year.

Since 2020, there have been 108,360 sewage spills into shellfish designated waters.

Some of the country’s best known fishing areas have been hit by these dumps. The longest spills recorded were:

  • Chichester Harbour: A total of 6542 hours of sewage discharged over 286 spills
  • Exe: A total of 4089 hours of sewage discharged over 214 spills
  • Morecambe Bay: A total of 3927 hours of sewage discharged over 223 spills

The Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent investigation into water quality in shellfish habitats, as well as a clampdown of sewage being discharged into waters used by the fishing industry.

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson, Tim Farron MP said:

This environmental scandal is putting wildlife at risk of unimaginable levels of pollution. The food we eat, and the British fisheries industry, must be protected from raw sewage.

The public will be rightly furious that England’s precious shellfish, including lobsters and crabs, are also being subjected to filthy sewage dumping.

We need the Environment Agency to carry out an emergency investigation into the water quality of shellfish habitat. Ministers need to clampdown on water firms polluting fishing waters. It is a national scandal that this Conservative government is letting water firms destroy shellfish habitat. It is getting worse on their watch and there will be real concerns for the fishing industry if this trend continues.

Conservatives “legalising car theft” as over three in four cases go unsolved

The Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservative Government of “legalising car theft” as new figures reveal that in 2023, three in four car theft cases went unsolved and police took up to 24 hours to respond to calls.

The Home Office’s own latest figures show that in 2023, a whopping 108,934 cases of car theft went unsolved – equivalent to 298 cases a day. This accounted for a staggering 77% of all car thefts recorded. Meanwhile, just 3% of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.

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Mark Valladares

30 April 2024 – yesterday’s (Federal) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 1st May 2024 - 10:00 pm
  • Uber Ambulance: Thousands in need of urgent care making their own way to A&E
  • Homelessness figures: Ban no fault evictions before more families made homeless
  • Ed Davey says voters are fed up with “out of touch Conservatives” on visit to Tunbridge Wells
  • First Rwanda flight is “cynical nonsense”

Uber Ambulance: Thousands in need of urgent care making their own way to A&E

  • Patients in need of “very urgent emergency care” making their own way to A&E increased by nearly 40% since 2019
  • The number of elderly patients in need of emergency care going to A&E not in an ambulance has shot up by more than 20%
  • The Liberal Democrats warn Conservative government is creating an “Uber ambulance crisis”

There has been a near 40% increase in the number of patients in need of “very urgent emergency care” making their own way to A&E over the past five years, Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

NHS Trusts were asked for the number of patients who arrived at their A&E departments not in an ambulance, broken down by the urgency and severity of their condition.

504,276 patients classed as Code 2, meaning they were deemed to be in need of “very urgent emergency care”, arrived at A&E not in an ambulance in 2023. This was up 11,500 (2.4%) compared to the previous year, and up 141,000 (38.9%) compared to 2019.

The Liberal Democrats warned the Conservative government is creating an “Uber ambulance crisis” and called on ministers to urgently invest in ambulance services, staffed hospital beds and social care to reduce delays.

The figures also show there has been a particularly sharp rise in elderly patients making their own way to A&E despite needing urgent care. 96,000 patients aged over 65 in need of “very urgent emergency care” made their own way to A&E last year, up 45.4% since 2019.

53 of 140 NHS Trusts responded with complete data meaning the true numbers of patients needing urgent care making their own way to A&E is likely to be far higher.

Some Trusts saw staggering rises in the number of patients arriving in A&E not in an ambulance with very urgent emergency care needs. In York and Scarborough there was a more than eight-fold rise in Code 2 patients coming to A&E not in an ambulance with the figure last year reaching 7,669, up from just 808 in 2019.

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