Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats. | Get ready for the General Election John! | Everything we have worked for comes down to this.
This is the year to oust many Conservative MPs, kick the Conservative Government out of power, and finally start repairing our country.
The Blue Wall is vulnerable and the Conservatives are anxious. Rishi Sunak is a squatter in Downing Street, afraid to let the people have their say.
Amidst all the Conservative chaos, from appalling NHS wait times to alarming sewage discharges, a General Election canāt come soon enough.
We need an election NOW! | Will you back our General Election NOW campaign? | | | To kick off the year, Ed Davey MP, leader of the Lib Dems, launched the Tory Removals Service with a rally in Guildford and a campaign tour of Blue Wall seats across Surrey. | | | | ā²ļø Watch time: 1 min | But we can't do this alone - we need your support to kick out the Conservatives. An election could be around the corner, so we must be prepared now.
John, can you make a difference? Donate to our campaign and help us be ready for the General Election. | | |
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- Ed Davey's New Year message
- Christmas media stories
- The 'year of the squeezed middle'
- Remembering Paddy Ashdown
| - The cancer care crisis
- Council by-election wins
- In the Media
- Work for Us
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Ed Davey MPās New Year message | 
āGetting rid of the Conservatives will not be enough to bring about the radical change we need.ā
Ed Davey MPās New Year message highlighted the urgent need to fix our broken political system. With Labour and the Conservatives benefitting from the status quo, it falls to us to pursue fundamental change.
We must smash the two-party system, reform elections, and give everyone an equal voice. Only then can we have a fairer, greener, and more caring country.
You can watch Edās full message here:
| | ā²ļø Watch time: 4 mins | |
| The festive period is a time when the news agenda slows down, allowing us all to take a breather and celebrate with loved ones. But every year, this presents an opportunity for our media team to fill the void with headline-grabbing stories.
This year was no exception, with many of our stories landing some great media coverage over the break - here are some of the top ones š½ |  | The āyear of the squeezed middleā | Families face a typical hit of over Ā£4,700 from soaring taxes, mortgages and shopping bills this year, our analysis shows.
A typical middle-income family will pay an extra Ā£1,576 in taxes this year, due to the Governmentās freezing of income tax and national insurance thresholds - greatly outweighing the cut to the National Insurance rate. Meanwhile, mortgage rates continue to soar following the Conservativesā disastrous mini budget, and food bills continue to rise.
Weāre calling for a cost of living rescue package, providing help with energy bills, creating a āMortgage Protection Fundā, and giving assistance to renters.
Read our full analysis and plans here: | | | | ā²ļø Est. reading time: 3 mins | |
 | Remembering Paddy Ashdown | December marked five years since the passing of Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999.
Paddy was a true liberal champion, leading the party in its early days and guiding us to great electoral success. He was a key architect in transforming our party into a national movement to be reckoned with.
We will never forget what Paddy did for our party and for the liberal cause in the UK and beyond.
If youāre interested in learning more about the history of the Liberal Democrats, including Paddyās influence, you can do so here: | | | | ā²ļø Est. reading time: 18 mins | |
New figures revealed by the Lib Dems show that almost 4,000 cancer-related surgeries were cancelled in the past year - a rise of 8% on the previous year.
Our NHS is in crisis. Staff shortages, a lack of beds, and issues with equipment all contributed to these shocking results. Cancer patients are being totally let down, costing lives and causing misery to the families of patients.
| | ā²ļø Est. reading time: 1 min | |
| We have an ambitious five-year plan to boost cancer survival rates, including a new ātwo-month cancer treatment guaranteeā, to ensure all patients start cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral. Read more about our plans here: | |
| ā²ļø Est. reading time: 2 mins | |
 | There have been more council by-elections over the past month with more stunning Lib Dem wins - a huge congratulations to the winners and their teams.
The Lib Dems held two council seats in Leicestershire and Blaby in December and this January we won in Salford! | |
 | Work for Us | Weāve got a wide variety of vacancies - both paid and voluntary - currently available. If youāre keen to contribute in whatever capacity suits you best, weād love to hear from you! | | | |
'We must do nothing less than transform the nature of British politics for good.
Hand back far more control to individuals and communities. Fight for a fair deal, that empowers everyone, and holds the already powerful to account. Smash the two-party system, reform our elections, and give everyone an equal voice.
Because that is the only way we can build a fairer, greener, more caring country.'
- Ed Davey MP's New Year Message | |
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