Liberal Democrats Your exclusive briefing is here
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Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats.
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For three years, the UK and our allies have stood united in defence of
Ukraine. But with US President Donald Trump threatening to betray the Ukrainian
people, the UK must step up and lead in Europe.
We’re glad that the government has committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on
defence; something we’ve supported for years.
But cutting international development to pay for it damages our soft power
and leaves a vacuum for Russia and China to fill. Instead, we propose
increasing the Digital Services Tax on the profits of social media firms and
other tech giants.
We’ve also urged the government to seize billions of pounds worth of frozen
Russian assets to help pay for supporting Ukraine. We’re delighted thatAlison
Bennett MP secured a commitment from the Foreign Secretary to do so
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Calum Miller MP also secured assurances from the Prime Minister
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for cross-party talks to prepare for spending 3% of GDP on defence. But we’re
also urging the government to go further and reverse the Conservatives’ cut of
10,000 troops.
Find out more ➜
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⏲️ Est. reading time: 2 mins
Please show your support for Ukraine, democracy, and freedom, by sharing our
message on social media:
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Record GP waits and other shocking health findings
Last week, the Liberal Democrats’ research and polling uncovered worrying data
about the state of our health service:
* A record 20 million people waited four weeks or more to see a GP last year
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- a staggering 60% increase since 2018.
* In December alone, nearly 400,000 people used urgent care or visited their
GP
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, when they could, because their usual pharmacy couldn’t fill their NHS
prescription; 269,000 took no action at all, potentially putting their health
at risk.
* One in five believe their local hospital is unsafe
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due to issues like rat infestations, collapsing roofs, and sewage leaks.
The Conservatives’ neglect left the NHS in a terrible mess but Labour’s lack
of ambition is holding back improvements.
The government's announcement this week that they have secured a new contract
for GPs is simply not ambitious enough to fix the front door of our NHS and
properly address these shocking waiting times.
We must do more.
Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to taking the bold actions required
to fix the NHS and social care.
Watch Ed Davey’s video on the health crisis ➜
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⏲️ Watch time: 2 mins
Read about our plans to fix the NHS ➜
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⏲️ Est. reading time: 4 mins
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Standing up for social care
On Tuesday, Liberal Democrat MPs joined hardworking carers in Westminster to
call on the government to scrap the employer’s national insurance hike on care
providers and complete the social care review within a year.
We’re urging the government to be bolder and faster in fixing the social care
crisis. Increasing the national insurance which care providers pay is
counterproductive and taking at least another three years to complete the
social care review is simply kicking the can down the road.
That same day, Liberal Democrat Peers had a huge win in support of carers.
The House of Lords voted in favour of our amendment to exempt care providers,
NHS GP practices, NHS dentists, and others from upcoming NI rises. We now need
Labour in the House of Commons to listen and agree.
It’s time to give carers the support they need and deserve now.
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Lib Dem win on Youth Mobility Scheme
We’ve been calling for a Youth Mobility Scheme with Europe for years so young
people can work and travel across the continent. Last week, we were delighted
that the government finally announced it’s considering such a scheme.
This would be a great step - not just for young people who will see their
opportunities grow, but also for the country, helping to rebuild our
relationship with Europe.
We’ll continue to hold the Government to account to make sure we get the best
possible deal for young people here in the UK.
Show your support for the proposals by sharing them online:
Share:
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February marked LGBT+ History Month, a time to learn about and celebrate the
stories of LGBT+ people and the LGBT+ rights movement.
LGBT+ people have always been part of our societies, but often their stories
are left untold or hidden.
This month is a chance to raise awareness, combat prejudice, and celebrate
diversity. The Liberal Democrats will always champion the rights of all LGBT+
people, including all trans people.
Watch our Equalities Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP’s speech marking the
month here:
Watch ➜ <[link removed]>
⏲️ Watch time: 11 mins
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We’ve had some great council byelection results over the past month, holding
seats inWokingham
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,Stevenage
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,Brent
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,Westmorland & Furness
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, andEast Suffolk
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.
Congratulations to those elected and thank you to everyone else who stood but
didn’t win this time.
In the Media
Ed Davey MP on This Morning <[link removed]>
talking about the social care crisis.
Ed Davey MP on the Pod Save the UK
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Almost 1 in 4 farms forced to shut in last two decades as Treasury meet
farmers today
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Outcry as 80 per cent of NHS doctors admit they're now routinely treating
patients in corridors, waiting rooms and toilets
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It’s the Kemi delusion: the more the Tories run towards Reform, the more their
voters will run to the Lib Dems
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Work for Us
We’ve got a wide variety of vacancies - both paid and voluntary - currently
available. If you’re keen to contribute in whatever capacity suits you best,
we’d love to hear from you!
See more ➜ <[link removed]>
The coming weeks see a number of religious and cultural festivals, including
Holi, Lent, and Ramadan - if you're celebrating, we wish you a happy and
peaceful time.
We also wish a very happy St David’s Day to everyone celebrating today and to
everyone celebrating St Patrick’s Day on 17 March.
Best wishes,
Liberal Democrats
Keep up to date
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