Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats in Parliament. | | Dear John,
This month, as well as celebrating our outstanding local election results across many parts of England, we’ve been continuing to work hard in Parliament to hold the government to account and advance our own work.
While the other parties compete with one another in a race to the right, we’re the only party staying true to our beliefs and fighting for the causes that the public put their trust in us to deliver on. From health and social care to sewage, internationalism to issues here at home - we’re standing up for liberalism and fairness in Parliament every day.
Check out recent contributions from Lib Dems in Parliament below. 🔽 | |
Standing up to divisive politics and standing up for our care sector | | | |
| On Monday, Liberal Democrats forced a vote in the House of Commons on a policy that would scrap the ban on asylum seekers working if they had waited for a decision on their claim for 3 months. Sadly, it was blocked by an alliance of Conservative, Labour and Reform MPs – all voting against the national interest just so they could appear anti-immigration.
The UK has a long, proud history of welcoming newcomers – whether people seeking to build their lives here, or refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Speaking before the vote, Lisa Smart MP (Home Affairs Spokesperson) talked of the personal connection we all have to immigration and reaffirmed the Liberal Democrats' commitment to advocating for the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees. | | | | | After the previous Conservative government’s dire mismanagement, our immigration system has been left in tatters and public trust has been shattered. Our broken immigration system needs to be fixed to ensure it works for our country, while treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Tim Farron MP also challenged the Home Secretary on the devastating consequences the government’s plans will have on our care sector, our already overstretched hospitals and care homes, and those who rely on these vital services. | | |
Ensuring acceptable housing conditions for service personnel | | | |
| In the month where we celebrated the 80th Anniversary of VE Day and thanked veterans for their service, our MPs and Peers have been doing important work to ensure that today’s service personnel have access to housing which meets the Decent Homes Standard.
No one who serves this country should have to live in unacceptable conditions, and this week Baroness Grender has tabled an amendment to the Renters Rights’ Bill to extend the scope of this standard to fit this means. | | | | | This follows from Helen Maguire MP (Defence Spokesperson) and Gideon Amos MP (Housing and Planning Spokesperson) making similar calls when the legislation was in the Commons. |
Calling for stronger action in the Middle East | | | | Last week, Calum Miller MP (Foreign Affairs Spokesperson) wrote to the Foreign Secretary urging the UK to take stronger action as the Israeli Government continues the blockade of Gaza and its military assault - including a total arms export ban, the recognition of Palestine and sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. | | | | During a Ministerial Statement on the Middle East, Monica Harding MP (International Development Spokesperson) called out the “disgraceful” decision by the Israeli Government to approve plans for an expanded offensive, summarised by officials as the “conquest” of Gaza, urged the UK government to put pressure on Israel to reopen aid routes, and asked whether contingency plans are being developed to deliver aid despite Israeli obstruction. | | | | In PMQs this week, Ed Davey MP also called on the Prime Minister to back a joint plan to recognise Palestine and end the appalling Israeli blockade which has, for over ten weeks, blocked food, water and medicine from entering Gaza. | | | |
Our newest Lib Dem Peers make their Maiden Speeches | | | |
| In the last month, our newest peers, Lord Mohammed and Party President Lord Pack, gave their maiden speeches in the House of Lords.
In his maiden speech, Shaffaq reflected on his journey from a farming background in Kashmir to public service in the UK, highlighting his family's struggles after migrating to Sheffield. He credited resilience, community support, and British opportunities for his path from youth work to the European Parliament.
Speaking during the Second Reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, Shaffaq stressed the need to safeguard home-educated children and ensure all young people have the chance to succeed. | | | | | Mark reflected on his own journey to the chamber, expressing particular appreciation for the support from Liberal Democrat members and volunteers who have supported him over the years.
Known for his long-running political email newsletter, and speaking in a debate on “The future of news (Communications and Digital Report”), he highlighted the growing role of email newsletters in revitalising local journalism, offering direct, high-quality reporting free from algorithmic interference. | | |
| On 23rd April, we held our 2nd Opposition Day in the House of Commons, a day on which we are able to set the agenda for debates.
Our first debate highlighted our deep concern over the dire condition of NHS hospitals, highlighting a £13.8 billion maintenance backlog in 2023–24. We criticised the Conservatives for underfunding repairs, misusing capital budgets, and failing to properly fund or deliver the New Hospitals Programme.
We also called on the current government to reverse delays, establish a taskforce to accelerate hospital construction, and end short-sighted budgeting practices by committing to sustainable funding for NHS infrastructure. | | | | Our second debate focused on the ongoing sewage crisis caused by water companies in England’s rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The Conservatives failed to hold executives who were awarding themselves large bonuses whilst letting this scandal run rife to account.
We echoed our previous calls for the introduction of a new Blue Flag status for rivers and chalk streams to enforce higher environmental standards and improve transparency, and urged the government to take immediate action to end sewage dumping and better protect waterways. | | | |
On TV and Radio | Here are a few highlights from our media rounds from the past month:
Ed Davey MP - on BBC News calling for Parliament to have a say on the UK-US trade deal, and on Sky News celebrating our local election results.
Helen Morgan MP - on LBC talking about much needed social care reform.
Max Wilkinson MP - on on Politics Live talking about the Israeli blockade in Gaza and on Trump’s illiberalism.
Calum Miller MP - on BBC Question Time talking about why voters turned to the Liberal Democrats in May’s local elections and on the importance of reaching Net Zero.
Victoria Collins MP - on LBC talking about the importance of tackling the mental health crisis for young people being caused by spending too much time online.
Bobby Dean MP - on Sky News talking about the government’s cuts to Winter Fuel payments. | |
| We aren’t able to share everything that happens in Parliament so make sure to check out the social media accounts and websites of our MPs and Peers to find out more about them and their work: | |
| Why not forward this email to your friends and family, so they too can see the important work we are doing? | |
Received this email from a Liberal Democrat Member or Supporter? | We hope you’ve been inspired by learning about our work in Parliament. If you want to help us transform the country, why not join us today? | | | | | |
 | Liberal Democrats | | |
|
|
| |
