Liberal Democrats Winning a customs union vote, standing up to Trump, and
protecting jury trials



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Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.



Dear John,

Liberal Democrats secured a historic win this month, when Parliament backed
our plans for a new UK-EU Customs Union. It’s clear - our bold and positive
solutions are gaining traction and our hard campaigning is paying off.

But we’re not stopping now. We will continue to fight for the action needed
to strengthen our country and help hard working families.

Read more about this and other recent contributions from Lib Dems in
Parliament below. 🔽





Lib Dem Win: Parliament backs our plans to negotiate a new UK-EU Customs Union



This week, Parliament voted to pass Al Pinkerton MP’s Ten-Minute Rule Bill,
calling on the Government to begin negotiations with the EU on a new, bespoke
customs union.


Read more ➜ <[link removed]>

⏲️ Est. reading time: 3 mins


A new customs union would remove crippling barriers to trade, help tackle
inflation, and raise over £25 billion a year for the Exchequer - money
desperately needed for public services and support for those struggling with
the cost of living.

Al, our Europe Spokesperson, outlined the many benefits during his speech:


Watch ➜ <[link removed]>

⏲️ Watch time: 10 mins


In a historic moment, we won the vote with a majority of one and in the face
of stiff opposition from the Conservatives and Reform. While they voted for
maintaining trade barriers, red tape, and economic stagnation, we secured a
great victory for an open and prosperous Britain.

With 13 Labour bankbenchers also voting for our Bill, the Government must now
listen to our calls, and Parliament.

The Bill is due to have its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 16
January 2026 - the Government must give it the time for a full debate, so we
move towards finally getting our economy back on track.

Please back our campaign for a new UK-EU Customs Union and share it with your
friends and family:


Add your name ➜ <[link removed]>


Share:

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<mailto:?subject=Please%20sign%20the%20Liberal%20Democrats'%20'Fix%20Britain's%20Trade'%20petition.&body=Please%20sign%20the%20Liberal%20Democrats'%20'Fix%20Britain's%20Trade'%20petition.%0A%0AThey%20want%20to%20turbocharge%20our%20economy%20by%20forming%20a%20Customs%20Union%20with%20the%20EU,%20tearing%20down%20the%20trade%20barriers%20and%20red%20tape%20holding%20us%20back.%0A%0AAdd%20your%20name%20here%3A%20https%3A//www.libdems.org.uk/trade>

or direct them to: [link removed]
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Defending UK democracy from Trump’s attacks



Last week, US President Donald Trump published a new national security
strategy which contains outrageous attacks on Europe, such as saying it faces
‘civilisational erasure’, and that the US should help aid a resistance against
it. Unsurprisingly, Vladimir Putin has welcomed it.

Liberal Democrats will not stand idly by as a foreign leader attacks our
democracy with his divisive lies.

At Prime Minister’s Questions this week, Ed Davey MP asked Keir Starmer if he
would make it clear to Trump that any attempts to interfere with our democracy
are totally unacceptable.


Watch ➜ <[link removed]>

⏲️ Watch time: 3 mins


Read more ➜ <[link removed]>

⏲️ Est. reading time: 3 mins





Protecting our precious chalk streams



Chalk streams provide vital habitats for animals like otters, kingfishers,
and salmon, but they are increasingly under threat from man-made factors like
sewage dumping.

As the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
<[link removed]> entered its final stages in the House
of Lords, Liberal Democrats supported an amendment to protect chalk streams
once and for all.

Shockingly, despite showing earlier support for the protection of chalk
streams, the Conservatives failed to support the amendment in a vote, and, due
to their abstentions, Labour were able to defeat it.

Unlike other parties, we won’t stop fighting to protect our chalk streams and
local wildlife.

To these ends, Sarah Green MP’s Private Members’ Bill
<[link removed]> to create a new category of protection
for chalk streams, protecting them from pollution and other forms of
environmental damage, is due to have its Second Reading in the House of Commons
in January.






Opposing the abolition of jury trials



Earlier this month, the Government announced that jury trials for crimes that
carry a likely sentence of less than three years will be scrapped, with
decisions instead made solely by judges.

The Liberal Democrats believe in a justice system that is fair, open and
accountable - removing juries on this scale is not the answer to resolve the
court backlog.

Trial by jury has been the jewel in the crown of our justice system for over
800 years. The horrendous court backlog, which sees victims waiting years for
justice, cannot be used as an excuse to rip up the right to a fair trial.

In response, Jess Brown-Fuller MP, our Justice Spokesperson, outlined some of
the many causes of the courts backlog, demonstrating how scrapping jury trials
is far from the only solution. She called for a proper plan to fix the system:
more court sitting days, better use of underused courtrooms, fixing broken
private contracts that leave defendants stuck in prison vans, and investing in
rehabilitation to reduce reoffending.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 13:00:21 ⏐ Watch time: 2 mins






Campaigning for better diagnosis and treatment for C-UTIs



Chronic Urinary Tract Infections (C-UTIs) are a poorly diagnosed and poorly
understood condition which cruelly impact thousands of people.

C-UTI sufferers can endure constant, excruciating pain, rendering many
severely disabled. People lose their independence, their relationships, and
their careers, and many have even taken to ending their own lives due to the
pain.

After hearing from one of his own constituents, who has suffered from a C-UTI
since the age of three, Luke Taylor, MP for Sutton and Cheam, has campaigned
for better understanding, diagnosis, and treatments for C-UTIs.

Luke has set up and will be co-chairing an All-Party Parliamentary Group
(APPG) for C-UTIs to push for an official medical definition, better diagnosis,
and more treatment options.

Luke also led a Westminster Hall debate on the matter in May, and hosted a
roundtable with experts and sufferers over the summer. With some GPs and
urologists still unaware of the severity of the illness, Luke has called for
every healthcare professional in the UK to be properly briefed to recognise and
treat C-UTIs.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 09:30:20 ⏐ Watch time: 16 mins





Having passed its final stages in Parliament last month, Danny Chambers MP’s
Animal Welfare Bill <[link removed]> passed Royal
Assent on 2 December and has now become law.

The new law bans the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, as
well as mutilated or heavily pregnant dogs and cats. It also closes loopholes
that smugglers exploit to import animals for sale under the guise of pets
travelling with their owners.

This protects animals from abuse, as well as public health, stopping the
smuggling of animals carrying disease.

It’s a turning point for animal welfare in the UK and another brilliant Lib
Dem win!



New Lib Dem Peers


This week, three new Liberal Democrat appointments to the House of Lords have
been announced: former MP and Children’s Minister Sarah Teather, the party’s
Chief Executive Mike Dixon and Ed Davey’s Chief of Staff Rhiannon Leaman.

Two Liberal Democrat hereditary peers, Dominic Addington and John Russell,
have also been granted life peerages so they can continue their important
contributions to Parliament after the Hereditary Peers Bill passes.

You can read more about these appointments on our website, here:


Read more ➜
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⏲️ Est. reading time: 8 mins


We're delighted to have them all join our excellent team in the House of
Lords, and look forward to seeing what they achieve in Parliament.




Ed Davey MP - on LBC News
<[link removed]> talking about the
need for a new UK-EU Customs Union.

Daisy Cooper MP - on BBC Question Time
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Layla Moran MP - on ITV's Peston
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electoral reform.

Anna Sabine MP - on LBC Cross Question
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Stay up to date



We can’t share everything that happens in Parliament with you here, so you can
find out more about our MPs and Peers, explore their websites, and find their
social media accounts, here:




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Our Peers ➜ <[link removed]>



Best wishes,





Liberal Democrats


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