Tag Archives: anti-social behaviour

10 September 2025 – today’s press releases

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

Lib Dems call for mandatory origin labelling on beef
Davey on Doha Strikes: Starmer must summon Israeli Ambassador
Ed Davey on Mandelson: Civil Service Commission must investigate if ambassador has broken diplomatic code
Lib Dems push vote on banning loud music on public transport as new poll reveals impact of “headphone dodgers” on commuters
Chamberlain writes to Health Secretary over stroke patient’s 80-mile journey for care
Greene: Asylum motion shows desperate Conservatives aping Reform

Lib Dems call for mandatory origin labelling on beef

On Back British Farming Day, the Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to protect British farmers by making it mandatory to include country of origin on produce.

This follows months of concern from British farmers about the impact of the UK-US trade deal on British beef producers, after the UK agreed to allow up to 13,000 metric tonnes of beef imports from the US tariff-free.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for beef produced sold in large shops and large restaurants to include mandatory labelling that includes the country of origin to allow consumers to make informed decisions and promote British produce.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Farmers are absolutely vital to Britain – to our economy and future food security. They put food on our table, manage our landscapes and without them, we would all be worse off.

Over the past year, the Government has done nothing but neglect the farming community, first with the cruel family farm tax, and then by cutting the farming budget and selling out British farmers by accepting US beef produced to lower standards.

The Liberal Democrats back British farmers who deserve so much better. I am urging the Government to do the same, axe the family farm tax, give the farming budget £1bn more a year and back British farmers.

Davey on Doha Strikes: Starmer must summon Israeli Ambassador

Responding to the Israeli airstrikes in Doha, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey said:

Netanyahu’s strikes on Doha show that he is less interested in securing the release of the hostages than he is in continuing to fuel regional destabilisation.

Keir Starmer must summon the Israeli Ambassador to Downing Street – immediately – to make clear that these strikes were utterly reckless and a flagrant breach of international law.

This latest escalation will only undermine efforts to secure the release of the hostages still held in Hamas’ captivity, and set back the path to a desperately needed ceasefire.

Starmer needs to make that case when he meets with President Herzog today – and confirm to the President that the UK will no longer send F-35 parts to Israel which it can use for its devastating campaign in Gaza.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged asylum policy, conservative party, ed davey, food labelling, israel hamas war, jamie greene, Lord Mandleson, NHS, paul kohler, tim farron and wendy chamberlain | 3 Comments

The ridiculous war on headphone dodgers

By Jim Coupland | Sat 26th April 2025 - 11:00 am

The Liberal Democrats have recently announced a new policy. A policy that transforms the political landscape, changes our society for the better and inspire millions… enforce a legal fine of up to £1000 on people who play loud music on public transport. Of course, I’m being sarcastic and quite frankly this is embarrassing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that our party has come up with the right approach on lots of the big issues of the day, but this policy is a stinker for many reasons. Firstly, let’s look at the morals of this policy. Yes, I think we can all agree that when we use public transport and a fellow passenger plays loud music, it is annoying. Very annoying. However, this policy goes way too far.

As I referred to in my previous op-ed on Lib Dem Voice, My Journey from Socialism to Liberalism, I called for our party to go back to our core principle of freedom. Yes, so called ‘headphone dodgers’ may be irritating (to say the least) but they are in a public space. Whether we like it or not, they shouldn’t have to face the consequences of the law. Another reason why this policy is so bizarre, as referred to in the BBC article, is that people are already prohibited from playing loud music on public transport. So, this policy already feels redundant.

Let’s also look at the justifications made by our party. The BBC article also refers to a poll that are party created on this ‘issue’. 38% of respondents said that they have experienced other people playing loud music on public transport ‘often or sometimes’. I don’t want to point out the obvious but that is less than half. Our Home Affairs Spokeswoman, Lisa Smart said “Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on public transport”. While I agree with that blanket statement, I would never say that I have felt unsafe when another passenger has played loud music on public transport.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged freedom and liberty | 18 Comments

1 November 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 1st November 2024 - 11:58 pm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Davey calls on the Chancellor to reverse changes made to farmers’ inheritance tax

The party has raised the alarm over concerns of a ‘lost generation’ of farmers

Around 70,000 farms will be impacted by the changes to the Agricultural Property Relief scheme

Lib Dem analysis of the Autumn Budget points to a £70m cut to DEFRA’s food and farming budget

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

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

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

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, budget 2024, conservative leadership, daisy cooper, ed davey, farming, GP shortage and helen morgan | 10 Comments

10 October 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 10th October 2024 - 10:30 pm

Four in five NHS trusts missing cancer target as Lib Dems call for health service to be number one priority at the Budget
Cole-Hamilton files parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour
Rennie comments as metal tycoon faces prosecution over accounts
Cole-Hamilton raises ADHD waits with First Minister
Rennie responds to Audit Scotland report

Four in five NHS trusts missing cancer target as Lib Dems call for health service to be number one priority at the Budget

Responding to the latest NHS data which shows that 123 NHS Trusts, 82.5%, missed their cancer waiting time target in August of treating 85% of patients within 62-days of an urgent referral, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Having a cancer diagnosis is one of the most terrifying moments of anyone’s life. Everyone should get the treatment and care they need when they need it. Sadly, we have heard countless stories where that is just not the case.

The previous Conservative government’s neglect and mismanagement of the NHS has left vital services struggling to provide care and hospitals crumbling. The Conservative Party has proven itself unfit to ever be trusted with our health service again.

It is now down to the new government to rise to the greatest challenge facing our country, rescuing the NHS. That means treating it as the number one priority at the Budget, to get our health service the resources it needs to get patients the life saving care they deserve.

Cole-Hamilton files parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has filed a parliamentary motion on antisocial behaviour which calls on the Scottish Government to strengthen police and community responses to ensure that all reports of antisocial behaviour are taken seriously and effectively addressed.

Posted in News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged adhd, Alex Cole-Hamilton, cancer waiting times, government finances, helen morgan, steel industry and willie rennie | 3 Comments

18 April 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 18th April 2024 - 11:00 pm

Police taking up to 17 and a half hours to respond to anti-social behaviour calls
Thames Water: This corporate clown show must end
“Flushed away”- Welsh Lib Dems urge Welsh Government to support maintenance of public toilets
Scot Lib Dems respond to SNP and Greens ditching climate change targets
Khan manifesto launch
Cole-Hamilton speaks after more days of turmoil for Humza Yousaf

Police taking up to 17 and a half hours to respond to anti-social behaviour calls

Average police response times to anti-social behaviour incidents have increased by 37% since 2021, with some forces taking an average of 17 and a half hours to arrive at the scene, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The figures were obtained through a series of Freedom of Information requests to all police forces in England. 27 forces provided full responses.

In 2023, it took an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes across police forces for an officer to turn up to the scene of anti-social behaviour incidents. This is an increase of 34% compared to average wait times across police forces in 2021, which stood at 2 hours and 44 minutes.

The figures revealed a disturbing postcode lottery, with huge differences in average response times between police forces.

Suffolk had the longest wait times in England last year, with police taking an average of 17 and a half hours to attend anti-social behaviour reports, followed closely behind by Norfolk where wait times were 17 hours and 29 minutes. Cambridgeshire also had extremely long wait times, which stood at 11 and a half hours.

Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour calls in Essex were attended to in less than 8 minutes on average.

In recent years, some forces also experienced huge deteriorations in wait times. In Surrey, where Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey will be making a campaigning visit today, wait times have increased by 281% since 2021, up to nearly 5 and a half hours.

London wait times have more than tripled in that same time period, up a staggering 353%.

The shocking figures come just months after the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that in the year ending September 2023, more than one third of people had experienced or witnessed some type of anti-social behaviour, with the police recording 1 million incidents.

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Government for these figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing have left local police forces overstretched, under-resourced and unable to effectively respond to local crime. This includes taking more than 4,500 community officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015.

Posted in London, News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged Alex Cole-Hamilton, climate change, crime and policing, ed davey, jane dodds, public toilets, rob blackie, sarah olney, snp leadership and water companies | Leave a comment

20 April 2022 -today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 20th April 2023 - 10:45 pm

4.3 million anti-social behaviour reports go unattended by police in past five years
Lib Dems demand food summit in Downing Street to tackle “tsunami” of rising food prices
Welsh Health Statistics – Emergency Social Care Plan Needed
Raab Report: More dither and delay

4.3 million anti-social behaviour reports go unattended by police in past five years