Tag Archives: vikki slade

Our new MPs Max Wilkinson, Sarah Gibson, Anna Sabine, Brian Mathew, Vikki Slade

We thought you might like to find out a little bit about our new MPs. We didn’t think we’d have quite so many, but this is a lovely problem to have. All details come from the party website or the MPs’ social media. We’ll get to know them more over the next wee while, but here’s a taster. 

Our editor sleepily compiled a Twitter list of all our MPs’ accounts she could find. You can follow it here

Max Wilkinson MP: Cheltenham

Max Wilkinson is a well-known face around Cheltenham. He’s served the town for more than ten years and lives in Fairview with his wife and daughter.

During his decade of service to our town as a local councillor, Max has helped Cheltenham make progress on issues ranging from affordable housing to the environment and cost of living. He is already deeply embedded in the community and he knows how this town works. He’s ready to hit the ground running as our new MP.

Max was a local councillor until May 2024, when he stepped aside to focus on his campaign to become the MP. In his early years of campaigning, he led the fight for more affordable housing, leading to Cheltenham’s £180million investment plan for homes.

He spent two years fighting for our planet as Cabinet Member for Climate Change, leading on the introduction of a climate action plan and tough new rules on planning so we can get a better deal from developers.

He moved on to a role focused on the economy and wellbeing. There, he worked closely with our arts and culture sectors on a new plan to enhance the prosperity of our High Street. Max also worked on the cost of living, securing more money for food banks and support for food bank users.

He has also written a fair few articles for us.

Twitter: @mpmwilko

Sarah Gibson MP: Chippenham

Sarah was brought up here in Wiltshire, She studied architecture in London, joining the Liberal party at freshers week! She returned home to Wiltshire after working in Spain for some years to set up an architectural practice.

As a Wiltshire Councillor she realised that the issues she and her peers were fighting at Local Government level need a strong champion at Westminster.

As your Member of Parliament, she pledges to work tirelessly for the betterment of the whole constituency, addressing critical issues and advocating for positive change. Supporting our excellent local councillors here and across the constituency.

Twitter: @sarahgibsonld

Anna Sabine MP: Frome and East Somerset

Posted in News | Also tagged , , , and | Leave a comment

Vikki Slade leads Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council again

Lib Dem Vikki Slade has been re-elected leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. It’s her second stint in the role, having led a Unity Alliance administration from 2019-20.

From the Daily Echo

FOUR political parties across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have agreed to form a new administration.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Vikki Slade is expected to retake the role of BCP Council’s leader, with the new administration named the Three Towns Alliance.

The changes, subject to agreement of a full council meeting this evening, will be made up of the Lib Dems, who took 28 seats at the elections on May 4, along with the Christchurch Independents (8), Poole People Party (5) and the Independent Group in Bournemouth (3).

Liberal Democrat leader Vikki Slade said: “We are delighted the Liberal Democrats have gained so many seats.

Posted in News | Also tagged and | 1 Comment

Snapshots from the Lib Dem campaign trail

Lib Dems being out campaigning is such a normal thing – we have always been proud of our all year round work ethic. So what have our councillors and candidates been up to this weekend?

It seems to have been lovely weather everywhere:

Martin Horwood and his team were out in his Cheltenham constituency:

But, look, how sweet is this? He still found time to remember someone special:

Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , and | 4 Comments

Baroness Kate Parminter writes…Campaigning on green issues in the south west

With the Green Party announcing they are targeting 12 seats including a number of our key seats, and the Labour party acknowledging the threat they pose by appointing Sadiq Khan to lead the fightback, Green votes could make the difference between winning and losing – as we sadly saw with Graham Watson MEP.  So as our Environment Spokesperson in the House of Lords I’ve been keen to get out and help our candidates promote what we have achieved in Government and champion our 5 Green Bills which we’d introduce in a future Parliament.  Over the summer I spent two days visiting the Great Heath Project in Mid Dorset & North Poole with the Wildlife Trust and our parliamentary candidate, Vikki Slade.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , and | 5 Comments

LDVideo: Vikki Slade on Free School Meals in action

In Channel 4’s Political Slot this week, Lib Dem candidate for Mid Dorset and North Poole Vikki Slade finds out how the party’s policy of free school meals for 4-7 year olds is having a huge impact locally. You can watch it here.

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged and | 2 Comments

Berwick candidate Julie Pörksen seeks views on post-16 transport

Julie PorksenThe issue of transport so that over 16s can get to school and college is one close to Berwick Liberal Democrat PPC Julie Pörksen’s heart. She told us why earlier this Summer:

In the eighties, being a rural Northumbrian kid, I used to get the school bus to Ponteland, and just stayed on it for sixth form. Those wanting to go to college had to find their own way. Raising the age of participation and encouraging parity between a sixth form and a college education can only be a positive step for the opportunities and career and life choices for our young people.

If we are not to discriminate between 16-18 year olds in urban and rural areas across the whole country we must guarantee their rights to access free state education – and free transport is an integral part of that access.

So let’s be about action not just words – lets change the law and actually enable everyone to get on in life.

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 5 Comments

Farron name checks Liberal Democrat PPCs Julie Pörksen and Vikki Slade in Commons Bedroom Tax speech

"Frozen Poetry" - Houses of Parliament, LondonDuring the debate on Andrew George’s Affordable Homes Bill yesterday, Tim Farron name-checked the two Liberal Democrat candidates whose motion on the Bedroom Tax was passed with just one vote against at Party Conference last year.  Julie Pörksen, PPC for Berwick and Vikki Slade, PPC for Mid Poole and Dorset North, argued strongly for the sort of reform to the policy that has now appeared in Andrew’s Bill.

Here’s what Tim had to say:

I am proud of my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives for bringing this Bill forward, and I am proud of my party for pushing us all collectively to reflect on the proposals before us today. I would like to mention Vikki Slade and Julie Pörksen, who proposed at our conference a year ago that we look again at this policy. Frankly, Members of all parties would do well to admit that, on reflection, things could have been done better. Given that we were put in this economic crisis in the first place, it would be lovely to see from Opposition Members a change of heart and an admission that things did not go as well as they could have done.

He then looked at the practical reasons why the Bill should be passed. It should be noted that it’s not all about the Bedroom Tax. It’s also about the wider issue of the lack of housing which drives rents and consequently Housing Benefit up.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , , and | 4 Comments
Advert



Recent Comments

  • Simon R
    Focusing on health is good because it's something that is of direct concern to almost all voters. Social care might be less so in electoral terms because, altho...
  • Nigel Jones
    The first question we should be asking is how over the next five years we can speak and act for the improvement of people's quality of life; if we only focus on...
  • Roland
    @Joe burke - "that Poland “forced” Hitler to invade by being “uncooperative” with Nazi demands to take territories including Polish city Gdańsk, the...
  • Joe Bourke
    In the Ukraine war Russia is the aggressor state that has invaded its neighbour. The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine was guaranteed by Russia,...
  • Matt (Bristol)
    Hi Caron, are you arguing that belief in and acceptance of the concept of self-ID for gender and commitment to change existing legislation to reflect that, shou...