Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats. | |
 | This Wednesday, Nigel Farage presented a bill in Parliament to withdraw from the ECHR and undermine your human rights. It’s only because of the Lib Dems that his shambolic plan was defeated.
We’re proud to stand up for Britain’s proud tradition of freedom, fairness and justice.
The European Convention on Human Rights was written after the Second World War to protect ordinary people from tyranny and abuse - and it still does so to this day. From bringing justice for the Hillsborough families to protecting children facing abuse, it’s crucial we maintain these protections by staying in the ECHR. | | | | ⏲️ Watch time: 9 mins | With Labour Ministers failing to show up and the Conservatives voting with Farage, it fell to us Liberal Democrats to vote the bill down, standing up for human rights and the rule of law.
We will not allow Farage to turn Britain into Trump’s America.
Help us stand up for our fundamental rights by signing our petition: | | | Want to ensure we continue defeating Nigel Farage’s disastrous plans for the country? Join the Liberal Democrats today. | | | | | Already a member?
Please contact [email protected] so we can check your records. | |
 | Save our Hospices! | Hospices provide extraordinary dignity, comfort and peace for people in their final months, but, tragically, these vital services are on their knees.
Facing a real terms cut under the last Conservative Government, and now a massive National Insurance raid under Labour, sick and dying people are being turned away, inpatient units are closing, and there are rising redundancies.
Our new campaign calls for a range of policies, passed at Autumn Conference, to save our hospices, including: | - Allocating funding according to need, to end the postcode lottery of hospice care.
- Ringfencing funding for children’s hospices.
- Introducing a hospice workforce plan
- Reversing the disastrous National Insurance hike.
| | | | ⏲️ Est. reading time: 4 mins | We must save our hospices to give those who need them, and their families, the care and dignity they deserve.
Sign our petition below: | | | |
 | Fixing Britain’s trade - calling for a new UK-EU Customs Union | This month, the Government finally admitted what we’ve known for years - the Conservatives’ botched Brexit deal, championed by Nigel Farage, is causing huge damage to our economy.
But rather than just saying it - they need to put their words into actions.
The Government’s announcements at their ‘reset’ with the EU earlier this year, such as a Youth Mobility Scheme and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, have yet to materialise.
With anaemic economic growth and a cost-of-living crisis, we’re urging the Government to take the single biggest step to rebuild trade and boost the economy: to negotiate a new UK-EU Customs Union, which could generate more than £25 billion a year for the Exchequer and set us back on the path to the Single Market.
Ed Davey has challenged the Prime Minister twice in the past two weeks to back our plan in Parliament: | | | | ⏲️ Watch time: 1 min | | | | ⏲️ Watch time: 1 min | Can you help pile on the pressure by signing our petition and sharing it with your friends and family? | | | |
 | Record-breaking GP wait times | New research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats shows GP waits over two and four weeks will hit a record high in 2025.
Since 2020, in the period up to September, the number of patients waiting over 14 days for an appointment has risen from 19.7 to 43 million, and from 5.8 to 12.9 million for those waiting over 28 days.
Years of Conservative neglect broke the NHS but now Labour are failing to grasp this national crisis.
It’s shocking how the number of people waiting weeks for help while sick, worried, and in pain, continues to rise by the millions.
That’s why we’re calling for an emergency package to save the family doctor so every patient can be seen within 7 days or 24 hours if urgent. This includes a recruitment and retention drive to secure 8,000 more GPs, a 24/7 GP booking system, and local initiatives to end ‘GP deserts’.
Watch Helen Morgan MP, our Health and Care Spokesperson, outline our plans: | | | | ⏲️ Watch time: 1 min | Please sign our campaign so no one is denied care when they need it: | | | |
 Remembering Lord Taverne
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Lord Dick Taverne.
Lord Taverne was MP for Lincoln from 1962 - 1974, and was a founding member of the Liberal Democrats when the SDP merged with the Liberal Party in 1988.
A passionate European and dedicated public servant, he will be deeply missed.
You can read a tribute from Ed Davey here: | | ⏲️ Est. reading time: 1 min | |
National Hate Crime Awareness Week | | From 11 - 18 October, we recognised National Hate Crime Awareness Week - a powerful reminder that hatred and prejudice continue to have a devastating impact on far too many people across the UK.
We stand in solidarity with all victims of hate crime and are committed to helping build a society where everyone can live free from fear, prejudice, and discrimination.
You can read a statement from Marie Goldman MP, our Women & Equalities Spokesperson, to mark the week here: | |
| ⏲️ Est. reading time: 2 mins | |
| As we mentioned in the last edition of this newsletter, October also marked Black History Month. If you missed Marie Goldman's statement on this, you can read it here. | |
 | The Liberal Democrats continue to win across the board in council by-elections, winning in true blue Tory areas, in Labour heartlands, and in places where Reform and the Greens are on the rise.
We proved this on 18 October - a ‘Super Thursday’ when we won seven out of ten by-elections!
On Surrey County Council, we had three wins, with a gain from the Conservatives, a gain from a localist, and a hold. Elsewhere in Surrey, we won three other seats, including a gain from the Greens in Spelthorne, a hold in Tandridge, and another hold in Reigate & Banstead. We also gained a seat from Labour in Preston, beating Reform to take it.
But that’s not all. Our other wins over the past month include gains from Reform in Worcestershire, the Conservatives in Teignbridge and Somerset, from Labour in Birmingham, and from an independent in Torridge. We also held seats on councils for Hart, Somerset, Tunbridge Wells, and Bath & North East Somerset.
Congratulations to those elected and thank you to all our candidates for standing and their hardworking teams and volunteers. | |
 Good practice and achievements from Lib Dem Councils and Councillors
🔶 Many communities will have privately owned houses which stay empty for years. Getting them back into use can be a complex process but Lib Dem-run South Cambridgeshire District Council is proving it can be done.
🔶 Lib Dem-run Dorset Council has been recognised as an Age-Friendly Community, embedding age-friendly design in housing, transport, health, public spaces and community services. This includes improving accessibility in town centres, dementia-friendly services, expanded community transport options, and strengthened support for carers and voluntary organisations.
🔶 Improving children’s services takes a lot of hard work! So well done to Lib Dem-run Richmond Council who are celebrating after its Children’s Services were designated as 'outstanding'.
These are, of course, just three recent examples. There are plenty of other examples available! You can download a copy of the Lib Dem Achievements in Local Government booklet here:
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 | Work with 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! | | | |
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