Tag Archives: helen morgan

30 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Water bills: bill payers fronting up the costs for these firms failings is “scandalous”
  • Ed Davey on Brexit 5 years on: Trump Presidency shows UK must lead in Europe to boost security and unlock growth
  • NHS 2025 mandate: lack of ambition “falls so far short of the mark”
  • Nearly 6,000 crimes still going unsolved every day
  • £56m lost to online shopping fraud up 20% compared to last year
  • Welsh Water price rise – customers paying the price for Government incompetence
  • Cole-Hamilton highlights SNP failure on fuel poverty

Water bills: bill payers fronting up the costs for these firms failings is “scandalous”

Responding to water bills rising by £123 a year on average, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

It is absolutely scandalous that customers will now have to pay through the nose for the shocking failings of water companies. The whole thing stinks.

The government has gone nowhere near far enough in clamping down on these greedy firms and protecting people’s pockets from them.

Their Water Bill has a gaping hole in it after failing to back a Liberal Democrat amendment which would have ensured that creditors, not bill payers would front up the cost of bailing out these broken companies.

Ministers have to realise this endless cycle of failure and customers paying for it will continue until Ofwat is ripped up and replaced by a new regulator that will clamp down on these firms once and for all.

Ed Davey on Brexit 5 years on: Trump Presidency shows UK must lead in Europe to boost security and unlock growth

Commenting on the fifth anniversary of the UK leaving the EU, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The UK needs to lead in Europe and the world. It’s clear we cannot rely on Donald Trump – a man who has threatened to invade a NATO ally – to secure our continent. Strengthening ties of diplomacy and security with the EU is urgent.

We must repair the trading relationship with our neighbours that was so badly ruined under the Conservatives. Their deal has been an utter disaster for our country – for farmers, fishers and small businesses – caught up in red tape.

So far the Labour Government has failed to show the urgency and ambition needed to fix our relationship with Europe. Ministers must be in a parallel universe if they think we can grow the economy without boosting trade with our nearest neighbours.

A new UK-EU customs union deal will unlock growth, demonstrate British leadership and give us the best possible hand to play against President Trump.

NHS 2025 mandate: lack of ambition “falls so far short of the mark”

Responding to the Government’s 2025 mandate to NHS England, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This should have been a line in the sand for our NHS. The normalisation of patients dying in corridors and people waiting endlessly for desperately needed care must end.

The previous Conservative Government’s shameful neglect brought us to this point but it is so disappointing to see this latest mandate from the Labour Government fall so far short of the mark.

There is no mention of the crisis in maternity or giving patients a legal right to see their GP within a week, as the Liberal Democrats have been calling for for years now.

It appears the Government has accepted a managed decline of our NHS, not rebuilding it to be the envy of the world as it once was. It is only patients who will bear the brunt of the Government’s refusal to step up properly.

Nearly 6,000 crimes still going unsolved every day

The Liberal Democrats are renewing calls for the government to implement proper community policing as new statistics reveal the extent of unsolved crime in the year ending September 2024.

The figures were revealed by the Home Office’s own statistics on crime outcomes, released earlier this morning.

2,136,252 crimes went unsolved across England and Wales in the year ending September 2024 – equivalent to 5,852 crimes going unsolved every day. This accounted for nearly 40% of all crimes recorded that year.

Meanwhile, just 363,843 crimes resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed – accounting for less than 7% of all cases.

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25-26 January 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

  • NHS: “bonfire” of targets shows shocking lack of ambition for patients
  • Over 500 infrastructure incidents at delayed hospitals last year which now are “hanging by a thread”
  • Councils paying £24,000 more a year per pensioner in nursing costs as Lib Dems call on govt to reverse “foolish” NICs hike
  • Reeves on Kuenssberg: Chancellor’s approach to growth “does not survive contact with reality”
  • Badenoch on Kuenssberg: “Bungling Badenoch” still has no idea how angry people are at the damage the Conservatives did
  • Scottish Conservative leader urged to explain whether he believes triple lock should be means tested
  • Almost 1 in 5 senior mental health roles missing a permanent appointee

NHS: “bonfire” of targets shows shocking lack of ambition for patients

Responding to a report in the Times that the government is set to scrap half of NHS targets, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Patients have put up with a health service that has been run into the ground and caused unnecessary suffering for millions.

The new government cannot claim to have broken with years of Conservative neglect simply by moving the goalposts in this way.

That is not delivering for patients, instead it is a sly attempt to give themselves an undeserved pat on the back.

From delays to reforms of social care, new hospitals being kicked into the longgrass and now this reported bonfire of NHS targets, this new government is showing a staggering lack of ambition for patients.

Over 500 infrastructure incidents at delayed hospitals last year which now are “hanging by a thread”

  • At hospitals in the New Hospital Programme which have seen their construction dates pushed back there were 506 infrastructure incidents – causing 32 days of clinical time to be lost
  • These sites also saw close to 100 floods last year – a quarter of all floods on the NHS England estate despite accounting for less than 1% of the buildings
  • Delayed hospitals have already had to shut all toilets on the estate following sewage leaks and burst water pipes mean patients warned off going to A&E
  • The Liberal Democrats said that the figures revealed that the delayed hospitals are “hanging on by a thread” and called on the Health Secretary to publish a full impact assessment into the risks to patient safety

There were more than 500 infrastructure and estate incidents last year at hospitals where construction as part of the New Hospital Programme will be delayed, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

They resulted in significant impact for patients with 759 hours of clinical time lost as a result of these incidents, the equivalent of 32 days.

241 of these infrastructure and estate incidents were judged to be caused by or related to critical infrastructure risk at these sites, equating to almost half. These issues can include crumbling roofs at risk of collapse, water leaks, broken-down lifts or ventilation and heating systems not working properly.

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24 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • US trade tariffs: Trump doesn’t listen to “please”
  • A&E deaths: “Sickening” new analysis reveals deadly consequences of broken NHS as Lib Dems call for inquiry
  • Wendy Chamberlain MP’s Bill bids to remove charity lottery fundraising cap

US trade tariffs: Trump doesn’t listen to “please”

Responding to the the Business Secretary’s comments about Trump trade tariffs this morning, Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:

Government ministers going cap in hand to Trump, pleading with him not to tax our goods, simply won’t work.

Trump doesn’t listen to “please”. He’s an unpredictable trading partner who’s shown he’ll slap massive tariffs on the UK at the drop of a hat.

Instead, we’ve got to negotiate with him from a position of strength – from within a new and bespoke customs partnership with the EU, that will unleash the potential of many British businesses to drive up trade with our biggest and closest trading partner.

A&E deaths: “Sickening” new analysis reveals deadly consequences of broken NHS as Lib Dems call for inquiry

Responding to new analysis of ONS data which suggests that more than 50,000 people died last year after long A&E waits, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This new analysis is sickening. It lays bare the deadly consequences of a health service that has been run into the ground with patients and their loved ones often paying the ultimate price.

The Conservative Party should never be forgiven for what it did to our NHS and the tragedy their neglect has left it in its wake, but it is simply not good enough for this new government to sit on its hands any longer.

We need to see immediate action to get to the bottom of these deadly delays.

The government must urgently launch a CQC inquiry into the chaos in our A&Es and ensure patients never have to suffer through something like this ever again.

Wendy Chamberlain MP’s Bill bids to remove charity lottery fundraising cap

Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, will have the second reading of her Bill to remove the outdated caps on charity lottery fundraising on Friday .

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23 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”
  • NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases
  • Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps
  • Scot Lib Dems push for prison suicide and fatal accident inquiry reform
  • Cole-Hamilton comments on scrapping of doomed social care centralisation

Government ruling out customs scheme with EU is an “act of economic negligence”

Responding to the Government appearing to rule out the EU’s proposal of the UK joining a European customs area this morning, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

It is alarming that the Government is happy to negotiate with China but won’t even look at a better trading arrangement with our closest neighbours in Europe. This is an act of economic negligence.

If the Government thinks it will get growth back in the economy by borrowing Boris Johnson’s playbook on European negotiations it is going to end up being sorely disappointed.

It is time for a proper UK-EU customs arrangement so we can strengthen our negotiations with Donald Trump, cut the red tape on our businesses and grow the economy.

NHS stats: government must convene COBRA amid surge in norovirus cases

Responding to the latest NHS stats showing norovirus levels in hospitals to be 80% higher than last year with bed occupancy standing at 96%, well above the 85% that is considered safe, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The situation for patients and our NHS could not be more stark. People are dying on trolleys in corridors and staff are at breaking point. It cannot be overstated just how grim things are in A&Es across the country.

This is one of the most brutal winters on record following years of shameful Conservative neglect and the current government is now at risk of losing control of this crisis. Any more delay in action has the potential to be deadly for patients.

COBRA must be convened immediately with an emergency plan brought forward to protect patients from this ongoing disaster.

It is time for the government to step up and grip this crisis in a way that they have so far failed to do.

Lib Dems reveal private company overseeing hundreds of sewage dumps

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that more than 500 sewage overspills took place at sites managed by private firms in just twelve months, including more than 100 at the Edinburgh Waste Water treatment work at Seafield, run by Veolia.

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20 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • 40 new hospitals: Shoddy attempt to bury bad news on day of Trump’s inauguration
  • Farm incomes in Wales fall by 34% – Liberal Democrats call for Government reset
  • Trump inauguration shows importance of close ties with Europe

40 new hospitals: Shoddy attempt to bury bad news on day of Trump’s inauguration

Responding to the Health Secretary’s announcement that there will be significant delays to the completion of the New Hospital Programme, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This is a double betrayal. The Conservatives shamelessly made promises they never intended to keep to countless communities served by crumbling hospitals.

Now this government uses the day of Trump’s inauguration in a shoddy attempt to bury bad news, showing an outrageous disregard for patients.

Instead of ducking scrutiny, the Health Secretary needs to publish the full impact assessment of these delays.

Patients have a right to know just how at risk they are, and how many more delays they will have to suffer as a result of the government’s decision.

Farm incomes in Wales fall by 34% – Liberal Democrats call for Government reset

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Labour to reset their relationship with farming and the countryside following the release of statistics showing farming incomes in Wales have fallen by 34% for the period April 2023 to March 2024.

David Chadwick MP, the Liberal Democrats Wales spokesperson in Westminster has said that recent policy failures by both the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay and the UK Government are damaging agriculture and the wider rural economy in Wales and risk making the situation even worse.

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17 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Triple lock: Lib Dems launching new attack ad following Badenoch’s plans to cut the state pension
  • Badenoch’s triple lock comments: Lib Dems launch new poster van attack ad outside CCHQ
  • ONS health data: “sickening” research damning for government’s lack of action
  • McArthur responds to Polmont FAI determination
  • Lib Dems call on new Welsh Conservative Leader to disown Badenoch’s plans to cut state pension

Triple lock: Lib Dems launching new attack ad following Badenoch’s plans to cut the state pension

The Liberal Democrats will be launching a new attack ad following Kemi Badenoch’s comments yesterday that she will consider means testing the triple lock.

The ad will highlight Kemi Badenoch’s three major announcements so far, cutting maternity pay which she described as ‘excessive’, slashing the state pension and putting UK interests at risk by sucking up to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

A Liberal Democrat source said:

First Kemi Badenoch came for the mothers and now she has set her sights on the grandmothers.

Millions of pensioners felt betrayed by Labour’s cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, now it’s clear their pensions wouldn’t be safe with the Conservatives.

We will be reminding pensioners at every opportunity that Kemi Badenoch wants to take an axe to the triple lock.

Badenoch’s triple lock comments: Lib Dems launch new poster van attack ad outside CCHQ

The Liberal Democrats have today launched a new attack ad with a poster van outside CCHQ after Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch said that she would look at means testing the triple lock.

The Liberal Democrats have said Badenoch’s comments will “send a shiver down the spine of pensioners” and that the Conservatives “want to come after their state pension”.

The poster pictures Kemi Badenoch and an elderly woman with the warning: “don’t let the Conservatives wreck your pension”.

Liberal Democrat Care and Carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP, who launched the poster van outside CCHQ today, said:

Kemi Badenoch’s comments will have sent a shiver down the spine of millions of pensioners across the country.

Older people have already seen Winter Fuel Payments ripped away by the Labour government and now the Conservatives want to come after their state pension.

The Liberal Democrats are proud we introduced the triple lock to protect people’s pensions. We will fight to protect pensioners from Conservative attempts to scrap it every step of the way.

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16 January 2025 – the overnight press releases

  • RCN survey: “Harrowing” corridor care testimony reveals a government leaving staff with “hands tied behind their backs”
  • Cole-Hamilton comments on embargoed RCN report on overcrowding

RCN survey: “Harrowing” corridor care testimony reveals a government leaving staff with “hands tied behind their backs”

Responding to a Royal College of Nursing survey which shows that two-thirds of NHS nursing staff are saying they are delivering care in over-crowded or unsuitable places such as corridors, converted cupboards and even car parks on a daily basis, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This report is harrowing. To think that patients are receiving desperately

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13 January 2025 – the overnight press releases

  • Record 518,000 trolley waits of 12 hours or more last year – up 400-fold in less than a decade
  • Rennie comments ahead of Glen Sannox first crossing

Record 518,000 trolley waits of 12 hours or more last year – up 400-fold in less than a decade

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP has urged Wes Streeting to produce an emergency plan to tackle “shocking and dangerous” A&E wait times as the government “looks to be asleep at the wheel”.

Last year there were a record 518,000 waits of 12 hours or longer in A&E from a decision to admit, research by the Liberal Democrat has revealed. Staggeringly, that is nearly 400-times more 12 hour waits than 2015’s figure of 1,306.

The figures also revealed a sharp rise of more than 100,000 12 hour trolley waits on 2023’s figure of 415,000, a jump of 25%. Prior to the pandemic in 2019 there were just 8,272 trolley waits of 12 hours or longer. Last year that figure rose 63-fold to 518,000.

In December alone, 54,000 patients waited 12 hours or longer in A&E from a decision to admit, up 23-fold on the December 2019’s figure of just 2,356.

Long waits at A&E are extremely dangerous and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that in 2023 14,000 deaths were associated with long waits in A&E.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP called the figures “shocking” and said the new government “looks to be asleep at the wheel”. The Party is calling on the Health Secretary to come forward with an emergency plan to tackle this crisis to protect patients from this ongoing crisis.

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9 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Food prices set to rise: news will be hammer blow for millions already choosing between heating and eating
  • NHS stats: winter “one of the most brutal on record” as Lib Dems call on Streeting to bring forward emergency plan to protect patients
  • ‘Bed blocking’ has already cost NHS £165 million this winter as Davey calls on govt to finish social care review this year
  • Market turmoil: Chancellor should cancel China trip for emergency growth statement
  • Oxford Farming Conference: Reed’s “regret” not good enough – Starmer must reverse family farm tax
  • More than 440,000 police officer and staff days lost to mental health since 2019

Food prices set to rise: news will be hammer blow for millions already choosing between heating and eating

Responding to the British Retail Consortium saying that food prices will rise by 4.2% in the latter half of this year as “retailers battle the £7 billion of increased costs in 2025 from the Budget”, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This news will come as a hammer blow to families across the country. Millions of people are already having to choose between heating and eating and the prospect of even more pressure on stretched budgets will be incredibly worrying.

The new government is faced with the enormous challenge of cleaning up the Conservative Party’s economic vandalism, but their approach so far risks repeating more mistakes.

It’s now clear as day that the Chancellor’s misguided national insurance hike is only going to hammer household budgets further by forcing up prices. Ministers must recognise their error and scrap this tax hike immediately.

NHS stats: winter “one of the most brutal on record” as Lib Dems call on Streeting to bring forward emergency plan to protect patients

Responding to NHS England saying that this is the busiest year on record for emergency services, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

This winter threatens to be one of the most brutal on record. Patients are suffering through deadly delays and staff are already at breaking point.

There can be no overstating just dangerous this situation is after years of the previous Conservative government’s shameful neglect of our NHS.

It is of paramount importance that the new government grips this crisis urgently. That must start with the Health Secretary producing an emergency plan in the coming days to protect patients from this ongoing disaster.

‘Bed blocking’ has already cost NHS £165 million this winter as Davey calls on govt to finish social care review this year

  • This winter has already seen 417,220 bed days taken up by patients that were well enough to be discharged – costing the NHS £165 million or £4.8 million a day
  • 12,271 of England’s 103,277 hospital beds have been taken up by people who are fit to be discharged everyday this winter – the equivalent of just under one in eight
  • Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey has called on the government to complete its social care review by the end of the year to take pressure off hospitals

This winter has already seen 417,220 bed days taken up by patients that were fit enough to be discharged, the equivalent of 1 in 8, costing the NHS £165 million in just over a month research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

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4-5 January 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

  • Starmer NHS speech: Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” as 12-hour A&E waits soar
  • Just 38 upskirting cases a year being passed to Crown Office
  • 4 in 10 Scots go without recent dentist check-up

Starmer NHS speech: Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” as 12-hour A&E waits soar

  • Lib Dems warn that Government risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” by neglecting the crisis in emergency care and ‘bed blocking’ caused by the social care crisis.
  • Figures reveal almost 200,000 12-hour “trolley waits” in A&E since Labour took office last July.
  • Average of 1,330 patients a day are facing waits of 12 hours or more before being admitted to hospital from A&E.
  • Lib Dems have urged the Government to complete social care review by end of year rather than 2028.

The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Government’s plan for NHS waiting lists due to be announced today risks “putting hip replacements over heart attacks” unless it also tackles the crises in both emergency care and social care that are backing up A&E.

It comes as analysis by the party of NHS estimates has revealed there have been almost 200,000 12-hour “trolley waits” in A&E since the start of July, when the Labour government took office. That means that an average of 1,330 people a day had to wait more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital from A&E between July and November.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has predicted that there will be at least 14,000 unnecessary deaths due to delays in A&E this winter.

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3 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Shocking research reveals almost 4 in 5 car thefts go unsolved
  • Davey: Social care commission “long overdue”
  • Davey: social care review should be “done and dusted within a year”
  • Flu admissions: alarming consequences from lack of winterpoofing
  • SNP have starved local communities of funding for public toilets

Shocking research reveals almost 4 in 5 car thefts go unsolved

  • Shock data reveals that on average 78.5% of all car thefts go unsolved, a grand total of 24,837 in the quarter ending June 2024.
  • Liberal Democrats are urging the government to restore proper community policing, where officers have the time and resources to properly respond to neighbourhood crimes like car theft.

Data from the Home Office reveals the extent of the car theft epidemic in England and Wales, with almost 25,000 car thefts going unsolved in just three months.

The Metropolitan Police force reported the worst figures, with a staggering 90% of all reported car thefts going unsolved. South Yorkshire followed closely behind with 85% of theft going unsolved, Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire also all reported that at least 80% of car thefts were unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024.

By contrast, only 2.8% or just under 900 cases on average end with the criminal being charged or summonsed across the whole of England and Wales.

It follows previous Liberal Democrat research that revealed last year, police did not even attend the scene in over 70% of car theft cases.

The Liberal Democrats have blamed the previous Conservative government for these figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing has left frontline policing decimated. This includes the decision to take over 4,500 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015.

The party is calling on the government to urgently restore proper community policing, where officers have the time and resources to properly respond to neighbourhood crimes like car theft.

Commenting on the data, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:

Tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales are being left without the justice they deserve, with a staggeringly high number of car thefts going unsolved, and thieves getting away scot free.

This cannot continue. Every victim of a crime deserves to feel safe and protected by the police, but unfortunately after brutal cuts to community police officers that is far from the truth.

We urge the new government to change the course by getting tough on crime, investing properly in local neighbourhood policing and keeping communities safe.

Davey: Social care commission “long overdue”

Commenting on the Government’s annoucement of an independent commission into adult social care, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

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16 December 2024 – the overnight press releases

  • English Devolution plan: Deafening silence on social care
  • Revealed: 15 years of NHS ambulance time wasted already this winter – up from 10.5 years last year

English Devolution plan: Deafening silence on social care

Commenting ahead of government’s English Devolution plan, Liberal Democrat Local Government spokesperson Vikki Slade MP said:

The deafening silence from the government on the social care crisis is hugely concerning.

Council budgets are on the brink. The previous Conservative government pushed so many local authorities to the edge of bankruptcy.

Without properly investing in social care more of the vital services that councils provide will disappear to those who desperately need them.

Revealed:

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8 December 2024 – today’s press releases

  • Ambulance delays crisis: Streeting must make a statement to Parliament
  • Syria: Assad must now face justice for his crimes

Ambulance delays crisis: Streeting must make a statement to Parliament

Responding to reports that heart attack patients are being advised to make their own way to hospital while six of England’s ten ambulance trusts are at risk of service failure, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan said:

The shocking reports on the state of ambulance services are extremely concerning, and show the dire situation in which the Conservative government has left so many of our vital NHS services.

Lack of services and wait

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Lib Dems mark World AIDS Day

Today, 1st December, is World AIDS Day. Senior Liberal Democrats have been marking the occasion.

The party itself posted on social media:

Today we remember those who’ve lost their lives, and commit to ending deaths by AIDS.

We must:
☑️ Ensure everyone has access to HIV prevention and treatment.
☑️:End stigma and discrimination around HIV.
☑️:Make testing the norm.

Christine Jardine MP, our Women and Equalities Spokesperson said:

Today we remember everyone we have tragically lost to AIDS. For the UK to reach zero new HIV diagnoses by 2030, it is vital that we expand testing, provide compassionate support to those living with HIV/AIDS, and end the stigma surrounding the disease.

 

LGBT+ Lib Dems said:

World AIDS Day is a moment to remember those we’ve lost, stand in solidarity with everyone affected by HIV, and renew our commitment to ending AIDS-related deaths and eliminating HIV transmission by 2030.

The Lib Dems have consistently championed evidence-based solutions to tackle HIV, AIDS, and improve access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). We continue to push for increased funding, free access to PrEP, and wider HIV testing, including opt-out testing in A&E settings.

We held the Conservative govt accountable for its failures in HIV policy, pushed for better investment in sexual health, and noted rising diagnoses among young people. We will continue to demand action and hold the new govt to account and work together to meet our shared goal.

We thank our vocal campaigners and champions like Baroness Liz Barker who plays a proactive role on the All Party Parliamentary Group for HIV and AIDS
and has long advocated and pushed for opt-out HIV testing in A&E settings, helping thousands know their status and receive advice and support.

On Wednesday last week, Helen Morgan represented the party in the House of Commons debate for World AIDS Day:

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20 November 2024 – today’s press releases

  • Dentists left in the dark as government fails to assess impact of NICs hikes
  • Thames Water: we need to see an outright ban on exec bonuses whilst sewage scandal drags on
  • Cole-Hamilton attacks national insurance impact on GPs and care providers

Dentists left in the dark as government fails to assess impact of NICs hikes

The Liberal Democrats have revealed that the government made no assessment of its recent tax hike on NHS dentists.

Responding to a parliamentary question from the Liberal Democrats, Labour government minister Stephen Kinnock responded that “no assessments have been made yet on the potential impact of an increase in employers’ National Insurance Contributions on dental practices’ finances.”

The government announced at the budget that it would increase employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year but has faced a backlash from health and care providers who will receive no extra support.

Whilst the government has confirmed that NHS hospitals and secondary care will be exempt, GPs, pharmacies, hospices and NHS dentists will not. This is putting financial pressure on these vital services and could force them to cut appointments and staff numbers.

The British Dental Association has slammed the move and the government’s failure to carry out an impact assessment, commenting that “it’s utterly reckless to heap new costs on struggling practices without even considering the impact.” NHS dentists across the country are warning that they will have to cut services for patients or even reduce staff numbers.

One practice in Tyneside has said that “it’s another nail in the coffin of NHS Dentistry.” Another practice warned “the recent changes to Employers NI and raising of the living wage will lead to bankruptcy and breakdowns.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the government to exempt NHS dentists and those providing vital health and care services, including GP surgeries, social care providers, hospices, charitable providers of health and care, and pharmacies, from this tax rise.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

The government has pulled the rug out from under crucial public health services without thinking twice.

It’s shocking that this careless decision has been taken with no regard to the impact it would have on NHS dentists. Many will have no choice but to cut services and staff numbers.

NHS dentists and other health and care providers must be exempted from the Chancellor’s tax increase. Without reversing the hike, the government’s plan to rescue our health service is a plan in name only.

Chair of the British Dental Association, Eddie Crouch said:

When millions can’t access NHS dentistry it’s utterly reckless to heap new costs on struggling practices without even considering the impact.

The Treasury failed to grasp that primary care is delivered by thousands of small businesses. Each requires immediate answers on how they’re expected to balance their books.

Thames Water: we need to see an outright ban on exec bonuses whilst sewage scandal drags on

Responding to reporting that the regulator Ofwat is expected to say on Thursday a £195,000 bonus awarded to the boss of Thames Water should not be paid for by customers, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

The fact that Thames Water is paying out any bonuses in the first place is an utter disgrace.

It is a welcome shock that Ofwat is actually acting to protect bill paying customers for once after proving completely toothless in cracking down on these polluting firms for years.

Even when the regulator does act against this broken industry it does so in the meekest possible terms. A Chief Exec receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses whilst the firm they run is on the brink of collapse is beggars belief.

We need to see an outright ban on water company bosses bonuses whilst this scandal drags on and Ofwat replaced by a new regulator with real teeth to crack down on this industry once and for all.

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Daisy Cooper challenges Labour on National Insurance rise at PMQs

The text of the exchange is below:

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9-10 November 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

  • Remembrance Sunday: we must never forget their sacrifice
  • Over two million GP appointments at risk due to National Insurance tax hike
  • NICs Rise: Govt must invest in healthcare
  • Rennie comments on primary school teacher training cut
  • Rennie: RAAC threatens to wreck college budgets
  • 1.3m school working days lost to mental ill health

Remembrance Sunday: we must never forget their sacrifice

Commenting on Remembrance Sunday, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

Remembrance Sunday is such an important day for all of us. We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, for our peace and for the future we all share.

We must never forget their sacrifice nor can we forget the veterans, many of whom will march past the Cenotaph today. They still bear the scars, both mental and physical, from their service, and our country can and must do much more to support them.

Over two million GP appointments at risk due to National Insurance tax hike

The rise in employers’ National Insurance Contributions at the Budget could end up costing GP surgeries the equivalent of over two million appointments a year, Liberal Democrat analysis has revealed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to exempt GPs and other health and care providers from the rise, but so far ministers have refused to do so. The party is seeking to use amendments to upcoming legislation on the Budget to exempt GPs from the National Insurance tax rise.

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year. This could end up costing GPs an estimated £125.5 million a year in additional costs, for all 6,275 GP practices in England.

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7 November 2024 – today’s press releases

  • ONS GP Survey: Two in five who could not get through to GP did nothing about symptoms
  • Interest rate cut: Govt must work to deliver growth, especially through small businesses
  • Davey to visit Ukraine charity: “Leaders across Europe must stand up to Putin”

ONS GP Survey: Two in five who could not get through to GP did nothing about symptoms

Responding to the latest ONS Survey, which showed that two in five (39%) people who were unable to contact their GP in the past month opted to do nothing about their ailment, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

Our primary care services are at breaking point. Patients are left completely without options, instead letting their issues get worse when they are unable to get the care they need.

The blame for this shocking state of affairs lies squarely with the Conservative Party whose years of shameful neglect has broken our NHS.

It is now down to the new government to rise to this challenge and rescue our health service. That is why it is so disappointing to see that instead of supporting our GPs they are piling more pressure on them with their national insurance hike.

The new government needs to urgently rethink these proposals, scrap the GP penalty and get patients the care they deserve.

Interest rate cut: Govt must work to deliver growth, especially through small businesses

Commenting after the Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4.75%, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

This is welcome news for families across the country who are still living with the consequences of Conservative economic failure.

Notwithstanding, millions of households are still struggling with sky high mortgage payments two years on from the Conservatives’ disastrous mini-budget.

The burden of fixing the Conservatives’ mess has fallen on struggling households for too long. As rates are cut, the new Government must work to deliver growth in the economy, especially through small businesses and high streets.

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5 million people unable to get through to their doctor as Lib Dems warn GPs must be exempt from Budget tax hike

  • One in four people who contacted their GP in the past month couldn’t get through on the day they called
  • Lib Dems warn that the government’s National Insurance hike is a “tax on community care” that will make crisis worse
  • Party calls for GPs to be exempt from the tax hike alongside other health and care provider

Over 5 million people tried to contact their GP in the past month but failed to get through on the day they called, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for GPs to be exempt from the employers National Insurance rise, as well as social care providers, warning that it is a “tax on community care.”

The Library’s research, based on an ONS survey published on the 10th October, showed that 22.4 million people tried to contact their GP in the previous 28 days. Of these, 5.2 million were unable to get through to their GP on the day that they called, meaning nearly one in four people who wanted to get through to their GP could not.

According to the Library’s research, a further 1.2 million people were unsuccessful in contacting their GP at all that month.

It comes amid warnings the hike to the employers’ National Insurance (NI) rate from 13.8% to 15% in the budget will push up GP surgery staff costs.

The government has not set money aside to compensate surgeries for this increase and GP surgeries are not eligible for Employment Allowance that shields the smallest employers from the rise in NI.

For example an employee earning £30,000 a year will cost the practice an additional £866 and the average GP surgery will see their annual costs increase significantly.

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1 November 2024 – today’s press releases

  • 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.

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29 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

  • Social Care Crisis: We need cross party talks now
  • Cole-Hamilton: SNP have left A&E in permanent crisis
  • Cole-Hamilton comments as thousands wait on social care support
  • More than a quarter of kids have tooth decay

Social Care Crisis: We need cross party talks now

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

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

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

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

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

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

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28 October 2024 – Monday’s press releases

  • NHS Budget announcement: “deafening silence” on social care cannot continue
  • Starmer speech: burden of fixing Conservative mess must not fall on families and small businesses
  • Lib Dems: Labour’s bus tax will hit communities
  • Jardine: UK Budget must help fix the NHS and care
  • Rennie responds to bizarre Findlay speech

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

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

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

Patients have

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28 October 2024 – the overnight press releases

  • Record number of floods in NHS hospitals as trusts experience three fires a day
  • Rennie responds to Findlay speech trail

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

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

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

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Daisy’s PMQs Debut

With Keir Starmer out of the country, it was down to the deputies to take the stage at Prime Minister’s Questions. Angela Rayner and Daisy Cooper put in their first appearance of the new Parliament in their new roles. For Conservative Oliver Dowden, it was his last in the role. There was very funny love in with menaces between him and Rayner in their exchanges. It was a bit like a seaside comedy show. The serious stuff came when Daisy asked her two questions.

 

May I associate myself and the Liberal Democrats with the Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks about Chris Hoy, and about all those involved in the train crash?

Our NHS is bracing itself for a winter crisis. One of the causes of the winter crisis every year is that there are thousands of people in hospitals who are fit to go home, but who cannot be discharged because there are not the care workers in place to enable people to recover at home or in a care home. Will the Deputy Prime Minister consider the Liberal Democrats’ idea of an NHS winter taskforce to winter-proof our NHS, end the cycle of the winter crisis, and put to an end the scandal of hospital patients paying the price of the social care crisis left by the Conservatives?

I thank the hon. Lady for her comments, and I share her desire to ensure that care workers are given the respect and importance that they deserve. They are critical to solving the problems in our national health service. The Labour party will create a national care service, and we are launching our first ever fair pay agreement for care professionals to boost recruitment and retention. We must get the NHS back on its feet after the disaster of the Conservatives, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will have more to say on that in the Budget.

Daisy kept to the same theme for the second question, talking of the dangers to the care sector of increasing employers’ National Insurance contributions, something she had mentioned in her Sky News interview on Sunday:

I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for her answer. We stand ready, as a party of constructive opposition, to work with the Government to fix our social care system. However, a measure that could make it harder for us to keep the carers that we so desperately need would be an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions. Were that measure to go ahead, it would affect millions of small businesses, including 18,000 small care providers. Will the Deputy Prime Minister assure the House that nothing in the Budget will make it harder for vulnerable people to access the care workers and the care that they desperately need?

A bit of flannel from Rayner in return, but at least the job of setting out our position had been done:

Again, I will not speculate on the Budget, not least with the Chancellor sat beside me. To reiterate what the Chancellor and the Prime Minister have said, this Budget will recognise that working people of this country and enterprise in this country have been hard-hit by 14 years of the Conservatives. We will rebuild Britain, and we will grow our economy to pay for our public services.

Rayner had to face another three Lib Dems in the session. This is great to see, and likely to be more commonplace now that we make up more than 10% of the House.

First up was Monica Harding who had a heartbreaking story of a young boy in her constituency who has been out of school for a year because they don’t have the right special needs provision for him.

Charlie from my constituency is an eight-year-old boy with an autism diagnosis who has been out of school for almost a year. He is one of 1,800 children in Surrey missing school because of a lack of appropriate special educational needs provision. Will the Government commit to ending this scandal by properly funding special educational needs provision in next week’s Budget, so that children like Charlie, in my constituency of Esher and Walton and beyond, are no longer let down?

Angela Rayner was sympathetic but had nothing concrete to offer:

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21 October 2024 – today’s press releases

  • NHS national conversation: Govt must show ambition to fix Conservatives mess or “risks becoming a talking shop”
  • Social Care: Govt kicking the can down the road yet again
  • McArthur responds to First Minister “wrestling” with assisted dying

NHS national conversation: Govt must show ambition to fix Conservatives mess or “risks becoming a talking shop”

Responding to the government’s announcement that it will begin a ‘national conversation’ about the future of the NHS, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The government must show the ambition needed to fix the awful damage done by the Conservatives to the NHS and care, or this exercise risks becoming a talking shop.

We know that primary care services across the country are at the brink of collapse due to the Conservative Party’s disgraceful neglect, with patients paying the price.

Whether it is sky-high GP waiting lists, endless ambulance response times, or a failure to diagnose cancer in time, none of these issues can be fixed without fixing the crisis in social care.

That is why the Liberal Democrats will make sure that social care is part of the debate and push for a cross party solution to this crisis.

Social Care: Govt kicking the can down the road yet again

Responding to Care Minister Stephen Kinnock’s comments that the government’s plan to reform social care will be published “in the next 12 months”, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

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19-20 October 2024 – the weekend’s press releases

  • Water company bonuses rise this year despite sewage scandal
  • 2024 on track to be record worst year for cancer care
  • Cole-Hamilton reveals dozens of dentists retiring early in NHS exodus
  • Only 7 days when CalMac sailings ran to timetable in 15 months

Water company bonuses rise this year despite sewage scandal

  • Shocking research finds water company executives paid themselves more in bonuses and pensions this year
  • England and Wales water firms hand out £9.1million in bonuses to executives this year
  • Thames Water, Severn Trent and South West Water worst offenders for paying executives even more in bonuses this year
  • Liberal Democrats call for immediate ban on water company bonuses

Shocking new research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed water company executive bonuses have risen to £9.1m in 2023/2024.

The bosses of disgraced firms received over £20m in total, including basic pay, pension contributions and bonuses.

The party’s annual Sewage Bonus Tracker using analysis of Company House records, found water firms including Thames Water, Severn Trent and South West Water all increased their bonus pool for executives, despite polluting waterways with raw sewage.

The new findings come despite 2023 being a record year for the amount of sewage dumped into waterways, with Environment Agency data revealing more than 3.6m hours of sewage flowed into rivers and seas, up a staggering 105% annually.

Thames Water bonus payouts to executives almost double year-on-year, from £746,000 in 2022/2023 to a staggering £1.3m 2023/2024. This is despite Thames Water’s CEO quitting halfway through the year following financial issues.

The biggest bonus payout for executives was by Severn Trent, who paid their 3 executives an eye-watering £3.3million in bonuses, an increase year-on-year.

Pension contributions for water company executives rose to a new high of £1.7m this year. Thames Water paid their executives £754,000 in pension contributions alone last year.

Base pay for water company executives also remained at over £9m last year, with just one executive at Northumbrian Water paying themselves £421,000.

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17 October 2024 – today’s press releases

  • NHS repair costs rises to £13.8bn as Lib Dems call for comprehensive plan to end the backlog
  • McArthur responds to dental deserts in Orkney and elsewhere

NHS repair costs rises to £13.8bn as Lib Dems call for comprehensive plan to end the backlog

Responding to the latest NHS figures showing that the cost of repairs to the NHS estate now stands at £13.8bn, up from £11.6bn last year Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Helen Morgan MP said:

This comes as no surprise to anyone that works in the NHS. Crumbling hospital buildings, flooded wards, and rat infested basements are just the

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15 October 2024 – yesterday’s press releases

  • Wage Growth falls: Govt must back small businesses as the backbone of our economy
  • NI Rise: Chancellor needs to think again
  • Poll: 1 in 4 reveal they are unable to work because they can’t get a NHS appointment
  • Lib Dems urge further UK government sanctions to proscribe far-right Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich
  • Highland MP to lead debate on Community Benefits from Renewables
  • Cole-Hamilton: A&E waits once again worse than last year

Wage Growth falls: Govt must back small businesses as the backbone of our economy

Responding to the latest wage growth figures falling by 4.9%, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The cost of living crisis is still affecting many people across the country.

The cost of the weekly shop remains sky high compared to a few years ago, and years of mismanagement under the Conservative Government had squeezed people’s pay.

The Government must use the Autumn Budget to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing pensioners and families, and also back small businesses as the backbone of our economy.

NI Rise: Chancellor needs to think again

Responding to Keir Starmer refusing to rule out a National Insurance increase for employers in the Budget on BBC Breakfast, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor needs to think again if the government is considering hiking taxes on small businesses, who have already suffered from eye-watering tax rises under the last Conservative government.

The burden of this budget should fall on the likes of big banks, social media giants and oil and gas firms, instead of our local community businesses. The Chancellor should be protecting these smaller businesses, who are the backbone of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities.

Now is not the time to raise national insurance rates on our high streets, local businesses and dynamic entrepreneurs.

The Conservative government has left our economy on life support. Now is the time to boost growth by backing small businesses and repairing our crumbling public services.

Poll: 1 in 4 reveal they are unable to work because they can’t get a NHS appointment

  • The Liberal Democrats will be using their first full opposition day in 15 years to focus on the NHS and care crisis.
  • Almost half (45%) of Brits have tried to get a NHS appointment in the last year and have been unable to.
  • 1 in 4 (27%) reveal they are unable to work because they can’t get a NHS appointment
  • Almost three in five (58%) adults who were unable to get a NHS appointment have self-diagnosed from searching their symptoms online.

The Liberal Democrats will use their opposition day in Parliament tomorrow to raise the NHS crisis, as a shocking new poll commissioned by the party reveals reveals a quarter (27%) of working adults in the UK say they have been unable to work in the last 12 months because they were waiting for a GP (19%) or NHS dentist appointment (12%).

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10 October 2024 – today’s press releases

  • 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.

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PMQs 2 Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain take on Starmer

Keir Starmer not only had to face Ed Davey today, but two other Liberal Democrats, Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain.

Helen asked him about much needed work on the A483 in her North Shropshire constituency:

Here’s the exchange in full:

The A483 runs through my constituency from Llanymynech to Oswestry. It is one of the busiest and most dangerous roads in the constituency, and National Highways says the crossroads at Llynclys is the worst accident blackspot in the midlands. It has a proposal to improve the situation, but Treasury rules place a higher value on road speed than on the lives of North Shropshire’s residents. Will the Prime Minister look at flexing those rules to back National Highways and my residents, to give them the safe road they deserve? (900579)

The Prime Minister

I thank the hon. Member for raising this. It is obviously a big and important issue in her constituency. It is vital that as we invest we improve safety and deliver better journeys for drivers. National Highways continues to study the case for safety improvements to the A483 and will continue to do so. As she probably knows, decisions will be set out under the third road investment strategy. I know that the Roads Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood), will have heard her representations and will agree to a meeting, if that is what she would like.

Today is PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. PANS stands for Paediatric Acute-onset Neuro-psychiatric Syndrome and PANDAs stands for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. Wendy has been interested in this since the parents of a constituent told her of the trauma they had suffered with their own child. Last year Wendy led a debate on the issue which you can read here.

At that time she said:

We do not need to be parents ourselves, although many of us here may be, to understand how utterly distressing it must be to have a formerly healthy, happy child suddenly find themselves unable to leave their bedroom, dress, eat, wash, talk to others or attend school and to see them vanish as the illness takes over. Sadly, that distress is compounded and worsened many times over by the lack of available support for patients and their families, as PANS is often not even suggested, considered or acknowledged.

Wendy took the opportunity of PANS/PANDAS Awareness day to ask for a meeting with the Department for Health on getting more funding for investigations and research. She said:

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