Tag Archives: ed davey

Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey on Kuenssberg: We’ll be a better opposition than the Conservatives

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 10:09 am

Ed Davey did his Conference interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning. Speaking from the top of the Brighton Centre after arriving at the Conference by jet-ski yesterday, he was quizzed about whether we were going soft on Labour. Were we actually going to challenge them.

Ed was keen to point out that we already had on issues like the Winter Fuel Payment, and we’d do it more effectively than the official opposition.

We will challenge them when we disagree with them. We’ll be a better opposition than the Conservatives who are going further to the right

We are keeping people’s trust by talking about the issues they care about – the NHS and cost of living.

He said that the Government had already made mistakes on both of those things.

Being constructive means you have a different tone. You don’t do the yah-boo politics that people are sick of.

We are trying to put forward our own ideas.

Kuenssberg suggested that Labour don’t have to listen to us. Ed replied

You have to do opposition in a particular way to get heard. We’ll put forward ideas we championed at the election and our MPs will be champions for our constituents and we will get our voices heard.

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Caron Lindsay

Breaking: that Lib Dem Disco set list

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 14th September 2024 - 10:28 pm

It’s nearly time for the Lib Dem Disco and, in accordance with tradition, we are publishing the set list.

Ed Davey dropped a fairly big hint at the rally tonight that he might put in an appearance. Could we hear Sweet Caroline? If so I am manifesting video.

UPDATE: I do not need to manifest after a wonderful friend Vita sent me this:

Sweet Caroline at Lib Dem Disci

 

 

Anyway, here are the DJ set lists. Good luck to them all.

David Chadwick MP:

Murder on the dancefloor, (Sophie-Ellis Bextor),
Blue Da Ba Dee (Eiffel 65, ft – Gabry Ponte)
Alors on danse, Stromae
El Merengue – Marshmello
Europopa – Joost.

DJ Smartie (Lisa Smart MP):

Don’t stop me now, Queen
Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
Crazy In Love, Beyonce
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Arctic Monkeys
Mr Brightside, The Killers

Susan Murray MP:

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Mark Valladares

Liberal Democrats to oppose winter fuel allowance cuts

By Mark Valladares | Mon 9th September 2024 - 11:55 pm

Winter Fuel Allowance: Over half of pensioners say they will heat their homes less this winter

  • Over half (55%) of UK pensioners polled say they will likely heat their homes less this winter due to the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment, while four in ten (39%) say they will cut back on essentials.
  • Two-thirds (65%) say they will take cost-cutting measures due to the government’s announcement to withdraw the Winter Fuel Payment support. One in five (19%) say they will eat less this winter.
  • Liberal Democrats call on the Labour government to urgently rethink cuts that will affect around 11 million people

…

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Mark Valladares

29 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 29th August 2024 - 11:45 pm
  • Lib Dem MPs back motion to block Winter Fuel Payments cut
  • Swinney should launch new term by ending support for Heathrow expansion
  • Cole-Hamilton speaks ahead of SNP conference

Lib Dem MPs back motion to block Winter Fuel Payments cut

  • Ed Davey announces plan to force vote on government’s cut to Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners
  • Analysis reveals pensioners facing a £670 hit this winter from rising energy bills and slashing of support
  • Liberal Democrats call for a “rethink” so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners continue to get the support they need

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his party is tabling a motion to block the government’s proposed cut to Winter Fuel Payments as soon as Parliament returns from recess next week.

All 72 Liberal Democrat MPs have backed the party’s ‘prayer motion’ to block the cut to Winter Fuel Payments and ensure MPs are given a vote on the changes before they come into force on 16th September.

It comes as analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows that pensioners are expected to take a £670 hit this winter due to the rise in the energy price cap, the end to the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, and the government’s cuts to the winter fuel allowance coming into effect.

The Liberal Democrats are urging the government to “think again” about the proposed cut to Winter Fuel Payments which will impact 10 million pensioners. Of these, the charity Age UK has said two million will find paying their energy bills a real stretch and will be seriously hit by this cut.

According to the government’s own figures, 800,000 of the lowest-income pensioners are eligible for Pension Credit but do not get it, meaning they will lose their Winter Fuel Payments.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

We have heard from countless pensioners worried about how they will afford their energy bills this winter. Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners, just when energy bills are set to rise again this winter, is the wrong thing to do.

That is why the Liberal Democrats are tabling a motion to reject these plans as soon as Parliament returns, and give MPs a chance to vote on this issue on behalf of their constituents.

We recognise that the government faces difficult choices given the appalling mess left by the Conservative Party. But a rethink is urgently needed so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners continue to get the support they need.

Swinney should launch new term by ending support for Heathrow expansion

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on John Swinney to launch the new parliamentary term by ending the SNP government’s support for expanding Heathrow Airport, as he stated that the expansion is incompatible with tackling the climate emergency.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey on Starmer speech: What about health and social care?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 28th August 2024 - 8:42 am

So many people across the UK are struggling because of a lack of decent social care.  Millions are stuck in pain on NHS waiting lists.

In the past few days alone, I’ve heard some heartbreaking accounts of people having to wait for months for both cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The crisis in social care causes immense suffering for elderly and disabled people and those who care for them.

So you would think, given that health and social care are consistently near the top of people’s priorities, that Keir Starmer might have had something to say in his speech yesterday.

But, no.

Ed Davey called him out for it:

Only the out-of-touch Conservative Party will deny the scale of the challenges facing the new Government and the new Parliament. From the millions stuck on NHS waiting lists to the millions struggling to make ends meet, the last Conservative government has left a toxic legacy.

We need bold and ambitious action from the Government to fix this mess. Liberal Democrats will work tirelessly to put our positive ideas forward and hold the new Government to account if they fail to rise to the challenges facing the country.

Above all, people want urgent, ambitious action to fix the health and care crisis. Only by getting people off NHS waiting lists can we get the economy growing strongly again and ensure more funding for our public services in the long term.

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Mary Reid

Ed Davey’s email on Islamophobia

By Mary Reid | Fri 9th August 2024 - 11:19 am

Yesterday evening Ed Davey sent an email to members in response to the public violence over the past week. It says:

The last ten days have been immensely difficult for our country.

First, the horrific attack in Southport that claimed the lives of three innocent young girls.

Then, the far right extremists who exploited this tragedy to incite and commit appalling acts of violence. Violence that targeted Muslims, asylum seekers and communities of colour.

These thugs do not speak for Britain or our values. But how we respond does.

My response to last night’s events:

…

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Mark Valladares

5 August 2024 – today’s press release

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th August 2024 - 11:50 pm

Ed Davey responds to COBRA on riots

Responding to the Prime Minister chairing COBRA following riots across the country, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The country has rightly been appalled and outraged at the despicable actions of a tiny minority. All those thugs who have rioted and carried out racist attacks must face the full force of the law.

Everyone has the right to feel safe in their homes, communities and places of worship.

We welcome the actions taken by our brave police officers and the new measures announced today by the government to clamp down on criminals attempting to terrorise our

…

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Dr Lucy Peake

The Independent View: Kinship Carers in the Spotlight: A Call for Continued Commitment and Support

By Dr Lucy Peake | Mon 5th August 2024 - 2:26 pm

Kinship carers play a vital role in our society, providing loving, stable homes for more than 141,000 children in England and Wales whose parents are not able to care for them. 

Grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, other relatives and family friends step up, often at a point of crisis and in very challenging circumstances, to prevent children from entering the care system. 

Despite their critical contribution to the lives of many, kinship carers have been overlooked by successive governments. As a result, most kinship families receive little to no support, and according to our research, many are at breaking point. Nearly 1 in 8 told us a lack of financial support and help with their children’s needs meant they were concerned about their ability to continue caring for their children in the next year if their situations didn’t improve. This could mean devastating consequences for children, families and the state. 

The previous Government’s National Kinship Care Strategy (December 2023) finally gave kinship families some recognition, but the ‘radical reset’ proposed by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care has yet to be delivered. 

Kinship carers and the children they are raising need security and support as a matter of urgency. 

2024: turning the tide?

This summer has been a watershed moment. For the first time, kinship care was mentioned in the manifestos of England’s three leading political parties. Tireless campaigning over many decades by kinship carers – themselves already overstretched by the challenges of caring for children with little support – has got us to this point. 

And they’ve had some welcome help. 

In recent years, Liberal Democrats have stepped up to bring the experiences of kinship carers and the case for greater support for kinship families directly to Westminster. 

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Mark Valladares

1 August 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 1st August 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect
  • Davey on PM Statement: “Riots and disorder are never the answer”
  • Rennie responds to bin strikes news

Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect

Responding to NFU Mutual’s new Rural Crime Report, which shows that the cost of rural crime rose to £52.8m in 2023, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

Rural communities are suffering badly after years of neglect by the last Conservative Government. Far too many criminals are getting away with stealing millions of pounds worth of equipment from our farmers.

This needs to change. Rural communities deserve much more focus within government, including a proper strategy to combat rural crime that costs our economy so much.

Davey on PM Statement: “Riots and disorder are never the answer”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s press conference on the unrest since the attack in Southport on Monday, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

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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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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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Mark Valladares

23 July 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 24th July 2024 - 11:55 pm
  • Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote
  • NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS
  • EA Annual Report: public sick to the back teeth of polluting firms
  • Cleverly: A failed Conservative minister with a tarnished legacy
  • New figures show sewage dumping higher in 2023 than previously known

Lib Dem amendment to the King’s Speech selected for vote

The Liberal Democrat amendment to the King’s Speech has been selected for a vote expected around 7pm this evening.

The amendment calls for a range of measures including free personal care in England, better support for carers and a cross-party commission on social care to provide the desperately needed long-term reforms to the sector. It also calls for the scrapping of the two child benefit cap.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

I am proud the Liberal Democrats have tabled this amendment to the King’s Speech to stand up for care and carers. We will be the voice of carers in this Parliament and work with others to find solutions to the big challenge of social care.”

Millions of people voted for the Liberal Democrats because they wanted us to deliver change and a fair deal. Now, from our plan to tackle the sewage scandal to more support to fix our NHS and care, Liberal Democrat MPs are making the case for just that in Parliament today.

NAO Health Report: Heart of govt’s agenda must be rescuing the NHS

Responding to the National Audit Office report which said that the ‘scale of the challenges facing the NHS today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented’, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

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The Voice

A hat-trick of Lib Dems kick off first PMQs of the new Parliament

By The Voice | Wed 24th July 2024 - 7:55 pm

The very first person to ask a question of Keir Starmer as Prime Minister ever was brand new Lib Dem MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Calum Miller:

Calum asked:

May I begin by welcoming the Prime Minister to his first questions as Prime Minister? I associate myself with his remarks about the soldier in Kent, and, of course, send my wishes to the British Olympians.

At Combe in my constituency, Thames Water pumped sewage into the River Evenlode for over 2,600 hours last year. Thames Water was allowed by Ofwat to withdraw £7 billion in dividends, yet now wants to jack up my constituents’ bills. I welcome the water Bill in the King’s Speech, but does the Prime Minister agree with my constituents and me that the system is broken, and will he now commit to scrapping Ofwat and replacing it with a tougher regulator that will finally put people and planet ahead of water company profits?

The Prime Minister replied:

I welcome the hon. Member to his place and thank him for raising this important issue in relation to water. Customers should not pay the price for mismanagement by water companies. We have already announced immediate steps to put water companies under a tougher regime. The Minister responsible for water, the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy), will meet the bosses of failing companies to hold them to account for their performance. After 14 years of failure with our rivers and beaches, it falls to this Government of service to fix the mess of that failure.

Next up was Ed Davey, who now gets two questions a week. Unsurprisingly, he asked about carers and social care and was praised for his video about caring for his son John by the PM. Keir Starmer was also not above a little light teasing –

The text is below:

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Mark Valladares

22 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd July 2024 - 10:35 pm
  • Lib Dems table King’s Speech amendment to “rescue social care” as half of care homes lost in some areas
  • Lib Dems demand clarity on IT outage impact on patients
  • Rennie calls for Swinney to head off bin strikes

Lib Dems table King’s Speech amendment to “rescue social care” as half of care homes lost in some areas

  • Lib Dems have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech to rescue social care and call for a cross-party commission
  • Ed Davey says that “people and their loved ones simply cannot wait any longer” after the Conservative Party “broke social care”
  • Number of care homes in England has fallen

…

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Mark Valladares

17 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 17th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey on King’s Speech: Liberal Democrats will make the voice of carers heard
  • Child Poverty: Right that Government looks at how to tackle child poverty after economic damage by Conservatives
  • Chamberlain tables WASPI Parliamentary motion
  • London Lib Dems – King’s Speech – Extra Powers for Metro Mayors Welcome, but Need the Financial Powers to Back Them Up
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to King’s Speech
  • Renew Europe: End Orbán’s Council Presidency

Ed Davey on King’s Speech: Liberal Democrats will make the voice of carers heard

Responding to the King’s Speech, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

After years of crisis and chaos under the Conservative Party, it is clear our country faces enormous challenges. The Liberal Democrats will carefully scrutinise the Government’s plans, striving hard to stand up for our constituents.

We will continue campaigning to fix the NHS, boosting GP numbers, tackling delays to cancer treatment and improving access to dentists and pharmacists.

We will make sure the voice of carers is heard, from increasing the Carer’s Allowance to the big challenge of fixing social care – so that our loved ones can get the support they need.

Child Poverty: Right that Government looks at how to tackle child poverty after economic damage by Conservatives

Responding to news that the government has created a ministerial taskforce to tackle child poverty, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

It is right that the government is looking at how best to tackle the scourge of child poverty. Hundreds of thousands of children are trapped in poverty after years of chaos and economic damage by the Conservatives.

Scrapping the two child cap would be the quickest and most cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty and bring long-term benefits to our society and economy. We hope that ministers listen to the evidence and the many charities that their task force will meet and act accordingly.

Chamberlain tables WASPI Parliamentary motion

Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Work and Pensions, has today tabled a Parliamentary motion calling for the new Government to honour the recommendations of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s report first came out in July 2021 and stated that women born in the 1950s had suffered significant financial loss due to maladministration by the Department of Work and Pensions. The final report was published in May 2024 and recommended 1950s women are owed compensation.

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Mark Valladares

16 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 16th July 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • King’s Speech: Fixing NHS and care must be a priority
  • Welsh Lib Dems call for First Minister to go
  • Rennie: Scotland needs good governance, not SNP chaos
  • Rennie comments on ferry contract decision

King’s Speech: Fixing NHS and care must be a priority

Commenting ahead of the King’s Speech tomorrow, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Years of chaos under the Conservatives have left us with a stagnant economy and health services in a state of crisis. Millions of people are stuck on NHS waiting lists and struggling to get the care they need to return to work.

Fixing the NHS and care would put rocket boosters under economic growth in our country.

The Liberal Democrats will keep campaigning for our policies to tackle the health and care crisis and get our economy back on track. That is what millions of people voted for at the General Election, we will not let them down.

Welsh Lib Dems call for First Minister to go

Responding to the recent resignations from Vaughan Gethings cabinet, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

Vaughan Gething has now lost both the confidence of the Senedd and several members of his own Government; he must resign from his position as First Minister.

We cannot afford to allow internal fighting in Welsh labour to distract us any longer from the range of serious issues facing our country.

The Welsh people are sick and tired of constant political scandals and broken promises, they want to see a political system that works for them.

We as the Welsh Liberal Democrats will deliver that change.

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Mark Valladares

15 July 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 15th July 2024 - 11:00 pm
  • Cancer polling: New govt’s number one priority should be to get NHS back on its feet
  • Lib Dems call for new laws on GP appointments and cancer care in King’s Speech
  • Far North MP to lead debate on access to rural healthcare

Cancer polling: New govt’s number one priority should be to get NHS back on its feet

Responding to Cambridge University polling, conducted by Public First, showing that cancer is the biggest health concern among the UK public, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

On the doorsteps throughout the campaign, we heard countless harrowing stories of people enduring unacceptably long waits to start cancer treatment.

The Conservative party has brought our health service to its knees and getting the NHS back on its feet needs to be the number one priority of the Labour government.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal right for all patients to start cancer treatment within two months and for a boost in cancer nurses to help deliver this.

It is patients who are bearing the brunt of this neglect and they cannot wait any longer.

Lib Dems call for new laws on GP appointments and cancer care in King’s Speech

The Liberal Democrats have said that new laws to end the crisis in health and care need to be at the heart of the King’s Speech on Wednesday.

The party said this should include giving patients new legal rights to see a GP within a week and to start cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent diagnosis, with new laws putting a statutory duty on the Government to deliver them. The Liberal Democrats are also calling for the introduction of free personal care to tackle the crisis in social care.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey on Kuenssberg – what next for the Liberal Democrats?

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 7th July 2024 - 10:03 am

There was a lovely shot at the top of this morning’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg of a very happy looking Ed Davey standing in his garden. Some might say he even looked a wee bit smug, but he is entirely entitled to do so after our amazing result on Thursday.

Lib Dem MPs will make up the third largest group in Parliament. That means that Ed will get two questions to the Prime Minister every week. We’ll get more speaking time. We’ll get more media time. I mean, we’re on Kuenssberg for the second  Sunday in a row.  We will still need to make the absolute most of every opportunity we get, but it’s a massive step forward. It’s strange to think that there will be only 49 more Tories than there are of us. While they will be ripping themselves apart trying to decide whether they are going to go full throttle ultra right or to try to regain some semblance of one nation conservatism, we will be united, dynamic and brimming with ideas.

It will be a change in dynamics, too. Our returning MPs have had to juggle several portfolios each and they have done so admirably.  We will now have the capacity to share the workload and have backbenchers for the first time in a decade. Maybe we might get a Select Committee chair or two.

Anyway, back to Ed’s interview.

Congratulations, I suppose, said Laura. A bit grudging, I have to say.

Her first question: What do you plan to do with all these new MPs?

It was an amazing result for us. We are excited by this opportunity. We fought the campaign putting health and care at the top of our list and we will fight in Parliament on health and care. I have already called for an emergency budget for health and care this month so we can start to rescue our NHS which has been brought to its knees by the Conservatives.

Will we be as tough on Labour as the Conservatives? Ed said that we would be putting forward our ideas on care, on the environment in the hope that Labour would take some of them on board.

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The Voice

Ed Davey’s victory speech

By The Voice | Fri 5th July 2024 - 2:44 pm

This is what Ed said after his result was announced in Kingston & Surbiton:

Thank you. It’s been a great privilege to serve our Kingston and Surbiton communities over many years.

And I am humbled that you’ve put your faith in me – to do it again. So let me say a big “thank you”.

And thank you too, to Sarah our Returning Officer, and to all the staff and police who’ve worked here through the night.

You are the unsung heroes of our democracy. It simply wouldn’t work without you. And thank you to my fellow candidates. For making this, a campaign we

…

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Mark Valladares

There’s already one new Liberal Democrat Parliamentarian tonight…

By Mark Valladares | Thu 4th July 2024 - 10:30 pm

Congratulations to Caroline Pidgeon, our recently retired Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly, who has been appointed to the House of Lords in the Dissolution Honours List.

Responding to the announcement, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Caroline Pidgeon is a fantastic Liberal Democrat and has been an incredible public servant for more than a quarter of a century. She has a brilliant track record of fighting for better public services, from policing to public transport.

I am delighted to welcome Caroline to Parliament to fight for a fair deal for the British people.

Caroline Pidgeon MBE …

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NewsHound

Bungee jumping and Zumba – all in a day’s campaigning for Ed Davey

By NewsHound | Mon 1st July 2024 - 9:11 pm

In this long election campaign, we’ve had Rishi Sunak deliver a never-ending stream of negativity and misery, Keir Starmer being so nervous about screwing things up that he’s coming across as walking on eggshells and Nigel Farage being as objectionable as ever.

Ed Davey’s bright and happy photo opportunities have provided a welcome contrast and attracted lots of positive comment.

Today, he decided to throw himself off a platform from a great height by way of inviting people to vote Liberal Democrat.

Watch, courtesy of Sky News:

The rationale for this:

To get the change our country needs this week and beat the Conservatives in scores of seats, I am asking people to take a leap of faith and vote for the Liberal Democrats.

A lot of people are on the cusp of doing something they’ve never done before on Thursday and voting for the Liberal Democrats, so I decided to do something I’ve never done before too.

Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to fix the NHS and care, end the sewage scandal and tackle the cost of living crisis.

Ed talked to The Guardian about the rationale for the stunts:

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The Voice

Ed Davey on Kuenssberg: Lib Dems could make real gains at this election

By The Voice | Sun 16th June 2024 - 11:54 am

It was Ed Davey’s turn to be interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg this morning.

Her first question was from a sub post master who actually compared Ed to Boris Johnson because of the various attention grabbing stunts. How can this encourage trust?

Ed replied that all these stunts have engaged people.

We’re talking about social care and cost of living and the environment. I am determined in all the seats we can win that people hear about what the Lib Dems stand for from our local champions. We could make real gains at this election.

We are taking the voters’ concerns really seriously. I don’t take my self too seriously but we don’t take ourselves too seriosly. When I came down that slide, we were talking about our policy on improving mental health for children. We want to see a qualified mental health professional in every school, paid for by rise in Digital Services Tax.

Kuenssberg asked him about the protections for whistleblowers in the Lib Dem manifesto and pressed him (again) on his actions when he was Post Office minister. Those proposals are:

Ensure justice for the victims of scandals and prevent future scandals, including
by:
• Providing full and fair compensation to all victims of the Horizon Post Office
scandal and the Infected Blood scandal as quickly as possible.
• Protecting whistleblowers by establishing a new Office of the Whistleblower,
creating new legal protections, and promoting greater public awareness of
their rights.
• Introducing the Hillsborough Law: a statutory duty of candour on police
officers and all public officials, including during all forms of public inquiry and criminal investigation.

Ed responded that it was vital to protect whistleblowers because it was the
whistleblower from Fujitsu whose evidence in 2015 provided a huge step forward for the sub-postmasters getting justice. Their revelation that the Post OFfice was lying to ministers was crucial to getting this sorted.

He said that he took Alan Bates’ issues really seriously and was the only one who put his concerns to the Post Office in any level of detail but he was lied to.

We need to change the system – we have seen it in contaminated blood and Hillsborough. You can’t run a system if people are lied to. Lib Dems have led on whistleblower protection and duty of candour.

Kuenssberg then turned to the issue of carers, and acknowledged how Ed had talked of his own caring experience.

However, she challenged him on the Coalition Government’s record. During 2010-15, social care spending had been cut in real terms. Did he regret that?

Ed could point to the Care Act of 2014 which, he said, would have improved care for people from 2015-16 as something we had contributed to that made life better for carers and those they care for. He added that we had stopped the Conservatives making the exact cuts to the social security budget that they made with indecent haste when we were out of the picture.

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The Voice

Ed Davey: “Lib Dems are a progressive, liberal party and we believe in investment in public services”

By The Voice | Sun 16th June 2024 - 8:45 am

There’s a great interview with Ed in the Observer today. He talks about how the Liberal Democrats will hold Labour to account and push them to do more radical things in the next Parliament. In fact, he says some Labour people want more of us there to keep a cautious Labour Government on track.

He sets out what the Lib Dems are about:

“We are a progressive, liberal party and we believe in investment in ­public services,” Davey said. “We believe in making taxes fairer, and we believe in really transformative environmental action. I think people who want to see that level of change in our country can vote Liberal Democrat knowing that we’ll have lots of Lib Dem MPs in the next parliament championing that.

“Frankly, if you want the change, I think we’re offering the most ambitious change. I even have Labour people saying that they’re really Labour people, but they hope we get lots of Liberal Democrat MPs in because they can hold the Labour party to account.”

Where would we push them to go further? Issues like the two child cap, and closer relationships with Europe.

“On things like our relationship with Europe, the Liberal Democrats are passionately pro-European. It’s been a tragedy that we have seen the Conservatives poison that relationship with our closest friends and allies. Are we going to campaign for a better trade deal with Europe? Yes. Are we going to campaign for allowing young people to move across Europe with an agreement on youth mobility? Yes we are.

He’s not getting wildly over-excited about polls which show the Conservatives in third place, citing their deep pockets and capacity to get their message out in the last two and a bit weeks of the campaign.

However, Davey said it would be a “historic mistake” to underestimate the Conservatives, despite some high-profile mishaps during their campaign.

“I just think people who want real change should be cautious about the polls,” Davey said. “The Conservatives are not going to give up. They’ve got more money than any other party. They’re going to spend it in the last few weeks on attack ads on social media. Get ready. I remember 2017 when everyone thought Theresa May was going to get a landslide. I thought she was going to get a landslide. I didn’t expect to get re-elected in 2017. Certainly, Liberal Democrats are not going to take voters for granted.

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Mark Valladares

12 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 12th June 2024 - 11:20 pm
  • GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised
  • Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released
  • Thames Triathletes sickness: Environment Agency investigation needed
  • Craig Williams bet on election date: Sunak must suspend him
  • Conservatives: Record of failure on defence
  • Sky Leaders’ Debate: Sunak “out of touch” on NHS waiting lists

GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised

Commenting on the latest GDP estimates, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

As Rishi Sunak’s time as Prime Minister peters out, so does the UK’s economic growth.

The Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth they repeatedly promised, instead presiding over stagnation and economic misery for hardworking families across the country.

The Conservatives’ manifesto shows they simply lack the ambition and vision to get the economy moving again. It’s clear for voters across the country that the only way to make it happen is to vote them out of office on 4 July.

Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released

  • Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey speaks to carers in latest TV broadcast airing later tonight
  • Liberal Democrats propose Young Carers Pupil Premium, ensuring carers keep up with their learning
  • Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child, says the plans will help young carers fulfil their potential
  • Up to three in 10 (27%) of young carers are missing school

The Liberal Democrats will announce plans for young carers in England to receive extra funding for their education as part of a major expansion of the pupil premium. The policy would support over 50,000 children with caring responsibilities to catch up on their learning.

The latest policy announcement comes as Ed Davey’s new Party Election Broadcast airs tonight on BBC and ITV, with the party leader hearing from carers.

In the film, Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child and now cares for his disabled son, hears from a young carer who struggles to balance their learning with caring responsibilities.

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The Voice

WATCH: Our new Party Election Broadcast featuring health and carers

By The Voice | Wed 12th June 2024 - 10:24 pm

A “Young Carer’s Premium” to help young carers in school is just one of the measures the Lib Dems would implement to help and support carers. In the latest video he talks to a young woman, in the middle of her A levels, who cares for her autistic brother.

Ed said:

When I speak to young carers and listen to their experiences, it’s clear they have so many skills and so much to offer. But many just aren’t getting the support they need to balance their education with caring for loved ones.

“We need to support those who give so much of their time to caring. No young carer should fall behind the rest of their class.

“Our plans for a Young Carers Pupil Premium would help these fantastic young people fulfil their potential. I am proud that the Liberal Democrats are putting a fair deal for young carers at the heart of our plans.

Here’s the broadcast in which he talks to people across the UK with experience of caring and cancer services.

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Mark Valladares

11 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 11th June 2024 - 11:20 pm
  • Lib Dems call for “Clean Water Authority” to tackle sewage dumping and overhaul failing water industry
  • Conservative manifesto: no one will believe what they’re promising
  • Suspected drug deaths increase by 10%

Lib Dems call for “Clean Water Authority” to tackle sewage dumping and overhaul failing water industry

  • Ed Davey announced plan to launch the Clean Water Authority, a tough new regulator with powers to tackle sewage dumping and reform the water industry in England and Wales
  • Water companies would be required to publish real-time data on the volume of sewage they dump into rivers
  • Analysis reveals Conservative MPs voted over 1,600 times against tougher measures to tackle sewage dumping in last Parliament
  • Leader Ed Davey said the bold proposals “will end the Conservative sewage scandal once and for all” and clean up our waterways

The Liberal Democrats have today announced plans to launch the Clean Water Authority, a tough new regulator with powers to take decisive action against failing water companies over the sewage scandal.

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Mark Valladares

7 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 7th June 2024 - 11:30 pm
  • Davey: Sunak leaving D-Day early a “dereliction of duty”
  • Lib Dems pledge to create new National Parks
  • D-Day: Lib Dems call on Sunak to donate Hester £5 million to a veterans’ charity
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats commit to returning UK to Erasmus
  • Lib Dems call for new protections for rivers and coastlines as sewage dumped over 83,000 times in Welsh waters last year

Davey: Sunak leaving D-Day early a “dereliction of duty”

Responding to reports that Rishi Sunak left D-Day commemorations in Normandy early, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

One of the greatest privileges of the office of Prime Minister is to be there to honour those who served, yet Rishi Sunak abandoned them on the beaches of Normandy. He has brought shame to that office and let down our country.

I am thinking right now of all those veterans and their families he left behind and the hurt they must be feeling. It is a total dereliction of duty and shows why this Conservative government just has to go.

Lib Dems pledge to create new National Parks

  • The Liberal Democrat manifesto will include a pledge to create at least three new National Parks, with additional funding to boost the National Parks budget
  • Ed Davey said that the proposals would help “protect our beautiful countryside for the next generation” and make good on the “broken promises of the Conservative Party”
  • The party sets out plans where the Chilterns, Surrey Hills, and North Downs could be among the first new National Parks created in 14 years

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to create new National Parks across England, Ed Davey will announce today.

The policy would lead to an expansion of National Parks by adding at least three new parks to the existing ten in England, with new funding of £50m a year for new and existing National Parks.

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Mark Valladares

6 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 6th June 2024 - 11:30 pm
  • Lib Dems pledge to transform parental leave with £2.4 billion investment including doubling of statutory maternity pay
  • Hester: How low can the Conservatives go?
  • Conservative announcement “not worth the paper it’s written on”
  • Welsh Lib Dems commemorate 80th anniversary of D-Day
  • Temporary NHS staff spend reaches record high under SNP
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP Government must accept failures on M9 crash

Lib Dems pledge to transform parental leave with £2.4 billion investment including doubling of statutory maternity pay

  • The Liberal Democrat manifesto will include a plan to transform parental leave, including doubling Statutory Maternity Pay to £350 a month
  • Proposals also include increasing paternity pay and creating an extra use-it-or-lose-it “dad month”, to encourage more fathers to take parental leave
  • Ed Davey says Lib Dem proposals would give parents “the choice and flexibility they need”

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his party’s manifesto will include an ambitious plan to transform parental leave, including doubling Statutory Maternity Pay to £350 a week and introducing a use-it-or-lose-it “dad month” of paid leave for new fathers.

The party’s bold plans for reform also include making paid parental leave day-one-rights at work, rather than the current 26 week period which means those in new jobs don’t qualify, and extending them to self-employed parents.

As well as raising Statutory Maternity Pay, the Liberal Democrats would increase paternity pay to 90% of earnings and create a new use-it-or-lose-it “dad month,” encouraging more fathers to take parental leave. The party argues this would increase choice for families and help more new fathers take time off work to spend time with their child in those crucial first weeks and months, in turn helping Mums to stay in their chosen careers.

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.

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Mark Valladares

5 June 2024 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 5th June 2024 - 10:30 pm
  • Ed Davey calls for 62-day cancer treatment guarantee as NHS target missed for 100,000 patients
  • Ed Davey pledges to be “voice of carers” as he opens up about personal experience of care
  • Sunak a “pound shop Boris Johnson”: Ten times the Conservatives have misled the public with dodgy figures
  • D-Day: Davey sets out plans for veterans and military personnel
  • Revealed: Commuters have faced £1,100 ticket bombshell since 2019 as Lib Dems pledge to freeze rail fares
  • Family taxes: Conservative stealth rises have left everyone worse off

Ed Davey calls for 62-day cancer treatment guarantee as NHS target missed for 100,000 patients

  • The Liberal Democrats have announced that their manifesto will include a pledge of a legal right for cancer patients to start treatment within 62-days
  • Ed Davey says “far too many patients are still waiting far too long to start treatment” and that the “Liberal Democrats will make improving cancer care a top priority”
  • Almost 100,000 cancer patients waited longer than 62-days to begin treatment last year

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his party would give cancer patients a legal right to start treatment within 62-days after an urgent referral.

Ed Davey said his party would make “improving cancer care a top priority,” adding the issue was deeply personal to him having lost both his parents to cancer as a child.

Currently cancer care targets are routinely missed, with almost 100,000 cancer patients last year waiting longer than 62 days to begin treatment after an urgent referral, the worst on record. The 62 day target has not been met since 2015.

The Liberal Democrats would introduce a legal guarantee that 100% of patients will be able to start treatment within 62 days from urgent referral. The new cancer treatment guarantee would be enshrined in the NHS constitution, which already sets out a number of other patients’ rights. It would place a legal duty on the Government and the NHS to put the policies and resources in place to ensure the patient can start treatment within 62 days.

The manifesto pledge will form part of a plan to improve cancer care services with an additional £4bn invested over the next five years.

Liberal Democrat Leader, Ed Davey said:

Like millions of people, my life was turned upside down by cancer, which took both my parents from me when I was young. I know how painful it feels to see your loved one left in limbo – diagnosed with cancer but waiting months for the treatment they need.

Every day counts in a battle against cancer. But far too many patients are still waiting far too long to start treatment after being diagnosed as cancer delays soar to the worst levels on record.

Despite all the progress by our incredible scientists and NHS staff, the UK still lags behind other countries when it comes to cancer survival rates – and these delays are a major reason why. That’s why the Liberal Democrats will make improving cancer care a top priority, and fight every day for better care for you and your loved ones.

Ed Davey pledges to be “voice of carers” as he opens up about personal experience of care

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has today pledged to be the “voice of carers” as he said care will be at the heart of his party’s manifesto.

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The Voice

“You can get through if you’ve got love” – a Party Election Broadcast with a difference

By The Voice | Wed 5th June 2024 - 3:53 pm

Love and tenderness are not words you generally associate with Party Election Broadcasts.

Our one, to be broadcast tonight is the exception. Ed Davey tells his story of life as a carer for his mum and his son. He talks about the millions in similar situations, keeping going with love. That, he says, is who I will fight for every day. It’s just incredible.

From The Guardian

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