Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats. |  | Timeās running out for the Conservatives, John! | The local elections on May 2nd are a chance to send the Conservatives a clear message. And although Rishi Sunak may have bottled a General Election for the same day, we must be ready.
As Ed Davey said at our local elections campaign launch in Harpenden, āTimeās running out Rishi!ā | | | | ā²ļø Watch time: 2 mins | But to remove this woeful Conservative Government and elect many new fantastic Liberal Democrats at all levels, we need your help.
We know a lot of you will already be doing so much for the Party - thank you for your incredible work.
If you're not already involved or wish to contribute more, could you lend a hand over the next few weeks? You could help a local election campaign, if you have one in your area or nearby, or help work towards the General Election.
Whether it's door-knocking, phone banking, leaflet delivery, or administrative tasks, every bit helps. | | | Thank you for your support, John. Together, letās achieve some fantastic results over the next month! | |
- Spring Conference Recap
- Staggering GP wait times
- Suspending arms exports to Israel
- Funding public services
| - Same-sex marriage anniversary
- Council by-election wins
- In the Media
- Work for Us
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 | Election fever at Spring Conference! | From the rally to the speeches and debates, Spring Conference was the perfect springboard into the local and general elections.
If you havenāt already, be sure to watch Edās Leaderās speech. It outlines our vision for the country and weāre sure it will get you fired-up for the election. | | | | ā²ļø Watch time: 45 mins | We also passed a number of policies at Conference, from tackling sewage dumping to boosting cancer survival, which you can read about here: | | | And if you missed any of Spring Conference, catch up with Conference Replay: | | | |
 | Staggering GP wait times | Our research shows that across England, four-week GP wait times increased last year, with some areas seeing as much as an 80% surge!
Read the full story, which made the front page of The Mirror, below: |  | | | | ā²ļø Est. reading time: 3 mins | The Conservatives have failed to get a grip on this GP crisis and patients are paying a huge price.
Weāre calling for patients to be given a legal right to see their GP within seven days, or within 24 hours for urgent cases, with 8,000 more GPs to deliver it. Add your name below to support our campaign: | | | |
Lib Dems call for a suspension of arms exports to Israel | | Following the deaths of seven aid workers including three British nationals in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Ed Davey called on the government to suspend arms to Israel.
Weāve called for tougher controls on our arms exports for years, to rule-out British arms ever being used in conflicts such as the devastating one in Gaza.
Last week, we welcomed the UN Security Councilās motion calling for an immediate ceasefire. Weāve pushed for an immediate bilateral ceasefire for months now, to end the conflict, free the hostages and get humanitarian aid in.
You can read Layla Moran MPās response to the resolution here: | |
| ā²ļø Est. reading time: 1 min | |
Our new policy to fund public services and boost investment | During her speech to Spring Conference, Sarah Olney MP set out our policy to tax big corporations when they buy their own shares.
We will place a 4% tax on any share buybacks by FTSE-100 companies, which would raise around Ā£2bn annually based on current buyback levels.
Not only will this raise vital funds for public services, but it will incentivise businesses to make productive investments to create jobs, boost growth, and support green industries. | | | | ā²ļø Est. reading time: 2 mins | |
 | 10 years since the first same-sex marriage in England and Wales on 29th March | This anniversary is a time to celebrate marriage equality but also remember the on-going struggle for greater equality.
The BBC marked the occasion with a special programme, featuring LGBTQ+ trailblazers and politicians. This included former Lib Dem MP (now Baroness) Lynne Featherstone, who was instrumental in bringing the legislation to Parliament, as well as Lib Dem PPC Helen Belcher (Reading West and Mid Berkshire) who talked about the continuing battle for equality of trans people.
You can watch the full programme here: | | | | ā²ļø Watch time: 58 mins | Lynne Featherstone was also interviewed on The Guardianās Today in Focus podcast, talking about why she championed marriage equality while in Government. | | | | ā²ļø Listen time: 35 mins | We also marked Transgender Day of Visibility on 31st March - a day to celebrate trans people and stand with the trans community against hatred and discrimination. | |
 | There have been more fantastic council by-election wins for the Lib Dems over the past month, all thanks to our wonderful campaigners.
We achieved Lib Dem holds in Wiltshire, Somerset and Cornwall and a sensational gain from the Conservatives in Cambridgeshire.
Congratulations to all those elected and to their amazing teams!
These results show what we are capable of in the local elections across England on May 2nd. So letās get out there and elect even more fantastic Lib Dem councillors! | |
 | 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! | | | Fancy being a part of our General Election campaign?
Weāre now advertising a number of roles specifically designed for the General Election. This is your chance to help shape the future of the country.
Whether youāre interested in joining our Media and Digital teams, helping on the ground with our Campaigns team, or keeping everyone updated on our campaign through emails like this - thereās loads of ways to get involved! | | | |
| This time of year marks many religious holidays and festivals.
If you celebrated Easter or Holi recently, we hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with your loved ones. For those observing Ramadan or preparing for upcoming occasions like Eid, Passover, or any other events, we wish you joy and happiness ahead.
Best wishes, |  | Liberal Democrats | | |
Join us today | If we're going to secure a fairer deal for Britain and get rid of this Conservative Government at the next election, Liberal Democrats need to take seats from them across the country.
It couldn't be more important. We need you, John - will you join as a Member, or register as a Supporter for free, today? | | | | | Already a Member or Supporter?
Get in touch to let us know at [email protected] so that we can check your record. | |
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