Mathew on Monday: Glastonbury, the Catholic Church, free speech and the boundaries of Liberalism

Well, that was quite a weekend wasn’t it?

Firstly let me say that I’m no fan of Glastonbury. I don’t own a pair of wellies, and the idea of spending hours in a muddy, potentially damp field fills me with dread.

When I saw Elton John at Grace Road in Leicester almost a decade ago, I did so from the comfort of a VIP box and I watched Sting live at the very posh Atlantis Palm in Dubai. I’m far from posh (I’m a proud Working Class lad… honest) but I’ll admit to preferring comfort over muddy fields and camping.

But I know lots of people enjoy Glastonbury, whether in person or via TV and Radio. And I know that it’s always had a bit of an edge. It attempts to do mainstream (Dame Shirley Bassey, Rod Stewart etc) alongside the very alternative (this year including the controversial Kneecap and Bob Vylan) and that’s a potentially very tricky tightrope to walk… especially when you throw in that it’s being covered live (or, at least, as live) by good old Auntie, on BBC TV and BBC Radio Two (and you don’t get much more middle England than that).

BBC management tied itself up in knots about what to broadcast and what not to. It decided not to stream Kneecap live, for fear of in-PC outburst but did carry Vylan live which proved to be, well, depending on your point of view I suppose, not exactly the best decision ever made by the Beeb.

A number of very controversial things were said, including the apparent incitement of death against the Israeli Defence Force.

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Some thoughts on Men’s Health Month

I absolutely love my Sunday routine. Waking up, as always, at 6:30am and going for a long walk. My routine started during the pandemic and luckily, it has never stopped. I really value this “me” time, which is combined with an opportunity to clear my head, slow down and simply breathe without having to think about my next move.

The other aspect of my Sunday walk is that it also provides a fantastic occasion to deepen my relationship with some of my friends, who don’t mind starting a day when most people are still fast asleep!

June is often dedicated to Men’s …

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On the frontline for freedom – Budapest Pride 2025

Flying out to Budapest on Friday, there was some trepidation about this trip – and my fears were confirmed at the first meeting at the Town Hall on Friday evening. As a political representative, I was given a yellow wristband, given to all VIPs on the basis that, if we were arrested, the yellow band should signify status. I’m not sure if that would have worked, but it was an indication of how worried the organisers were, and put the entire weekend into context.

On the Friday night, we gathered at Budapest Town Hall and listened to the Mayor of Budapest, who had bravely confronted Orban and insisted that the Pride protest would indeed go ahead, and that the law that Orban brought in to ban Prides would be overridden by the Mayor’s prerogative as that had precedence. Other significant mayors from major cities – Athens and Amsterdam – spoke of their hope that the March would be peaceful and safe, and the presence of large parliamentary delegations of MEPs and MPs from many countries would make Orban look bad if anything occurred.

Sadly, there were, to the best of my knowledge no British MPs at all – of any party – and the only two attending in a political capacity were Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing from the GLA, and myself. I stand corrected if anyone else did attend from a UK political delegation – but perhaps that says a lot about the current crisis we are facing here.

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28-29 June 2025 – the weekend’s press releases

  • George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip
  • Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society
  • Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending
  • Greene responds to proposed Greenfold redundancies
  • Cole-Hamilton: Disease burden shows NHS needs vision and foresight
  • Cramond among 12 sites with dangerous dry weather sewage dumping
  • Lib Dems secure U-turn from Scottish Government on sewage dumping guidance

George Freeman: Badenoch must suspend whip

Responding to reports that Conservative MP George Freeman has referred himself to the parliamentary watchdog over cash for questions claims, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

This looks like the same old sleaze and scandal people have come to expect from the Conservative Party.

Kemi Badenoch should immediately suspend the whip from George Freeman while this is investigated.

Failure to act would confirm that even after being booted out of government, the Conservatives are still hopelessly out of touch.

Bob Vylan: hate speech has no place at Glastonbury or in society

Responding to Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury on Saturday, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said:

Bob Vylan’s chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.

Everyone has a responsibility to use language and public platforms carefully.

Greene: Scottish Government must realise economic potential of defence spending

To mark Armed Forces Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has written to the Deputy First Minister urging her to ensure the Scottish Government realises the economic potential of increases in the defence budget.

In June, the UK Chancellor announced that UK defence spending would rise to 2.6% by April 2027.

The increase comes after Liberal Democrat calls in January for a clear roadmap to 3% defence spending, as well as for the government to commit to a full reversal of the Conservatives’ cut of 10,000 troops.

The UK Government’s defence spending increase includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland. It also includes a £4.5 billion munitions investment in several sites across the UK, including Glasgow.

It has also been reported that billions of pounds will need to be invested with established Scottish tech companies to develop drones, satellites, battlefield communications systems, missiles and guidance systems over the next decade.

The text of Mr Greene’s letter to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, is as follows:

Dear Kate,

I am writing to you following the UK Government’s Spending Review, which has allocated a significant portion of increases in defence spending to Scotland. This includes a promised £250 million over three years on the Faslane submarine base in the West of Scotland.

Scotland’s defence industry currently supports more than 14,000 jobs and generated £1bn for the economy in 2023 alone. It is a critical source of employment not only in my own region along the Clyde, but also in areas like Prestwick, Edinburgh and Dundee amongst others.

If those communities are to reap the benefits of this spending increase, and I believe they should, the Scottish Government must also play its part in realising that economic potential. That means creating the right environment for jobs and investment as well as tackling obstacles that could otherwise dampen those opportunities.

At the moment there are worrying gaps in Scotland’s skills pipeline. The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly raised the issue of teacher shortages in key subjects including maths, chemistry, physics, biology and computer sciences, all of which are vital to developing the skills which will be required by the defence sector.

That situation has been made no easier by the somewhat confused stance the Scottish Government takes on matters of national security and its support for the defence industry in Scotland, by way of example Scottish Enterprise declining to support the proposed Rolls-Royce ‘welding skills’ centre in Glasgow. There is also an increasingly anti-sector narrative being used in the language of politics, and sadly government.

Like many others, I am concerned this creates an unwelcome environment for businesses who might otherwise invest in our defence industry here, as well as for those considering a career in it.

In light of this can I ask for:

  • An update on what exactly the Scottish Government is doing to facilitate and encourage businesses to invest in the Scotland’s defence industry,
  • An outline as to what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the current lack of teachers in key STEM subjects across Scotland and,
  • Clarity on whether or the not the Scottish Government believes that there should be an ongoing and thriving defence sector in Scotland.

It is incumbent on the Scottish Government to use its available powers to foster a conducive environment for employment, investment and growth.

The defence sector, coupled with our armed forces presence, contributes financially, educationally and socially in the communities they operate in. I hope on that point we have agreement as to their importance and in making them feel welcome in Scotland.

Yours sincerely,

Jamie Greene MSP

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Tom Arms’ World Review

Iran

The Mullahs have brought Iran to the brink of disaster. Their theocratic Islamic anti-Israeli, anti-American crusading state has sown the seeds which its people are now reaping.

The string of proxies which comprised Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” has collapsed. Syria’s President Assad has fled to Moscow. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been militarily and politically castrated. Defense experts believe that the regime has already fired half of its ballistic missiles.

Whether or not the regime’s enriched uranium was rescued from Trump’s “bunker-busting bombs” is irrelevant. The important point is that Israel now controls Iranian airspace and American bombers could attack unmolested.

The first responsibility of any government is to provide protection against attack. The Mullahs have signally failed in that primary task.

On top of that economic sanctions have brought the country to its financial knees and women and young people have refused to accept the strict codes of Sharia law. Their rebellion against imposed social norms is demonstrated by the fact that Iran is one of the world’s major consumers of pop culture.

The country is therefore ripe for regime change. In fact, it has been headed gradually in that direction for years as successive elections have seen “progressive” candidates garner an increasing share of the vote. A good example was last year’s victory in presidential elections of Masoud Pezeshkian over the Islamic candidate.

Exactly what might replace the clerics is unknown. The Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has offered himself as a transitional leader until democratic elections can be held. The exiled women’s rights leader Masih Alinejad has also been mentioned as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. Other possibilities are leading technocrats from the Katami or Rouhani Administration and, of course, any military leader who has not been assassinated by the Israelis.

Opportunity awaits all of above—and more.

Iranian regime change would be disastrous for the cause of global Jihad. It would also be very bad news for Russia and China.

Vladimir Putin already suffered one Middle East setback with the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A collapse of the Mullahs would be even worse as Russia shares a maritime border (the Caspian Sea) with Iran and has a long history of involvement in Persian affairs.

The Russians have been carefully cultivating relations with Israel for decades. Moscow advised Tehran are how to evade Western sanctions and the two countries have been beefing up their respective infrastructures to improve north-south trade through Eurasia.

After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Iran became a major supplier to Moscow of Shahed drones which are now being produced under license in Russia. In January of this year the two countries signed a major security partnership which included the sharing of intelligence and military technology. It, however, stopped well short of a military alliance.

Iran is essential to China’s policy in the Middle East. To demonstrate this, Beijing in 2021 signed a 25-year strategic partnership with Tehran and agreed to invest $400 billion in the country.

China is almost totally dependent on oil from the Gulf for its oil and gas energy needs. To guarantee the flow of oil it must diversify away from the pro-American suppliers of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. Iran enables them to do this. As a result, China ignores western sanctions and imports 20 percent of its oil and gas requirement from Iran.

Iran is also the Middle East link in China’s ambitious Belt/Road trade network.

Its staunch anti-Americanism is also useful to Beijing at international forums such as the UN. China reckons that Iran could be important in re-shaping international institutions so that they have a pro-China bias instead of the current pro-Western bias.

Finally, China’s brokering of a diplomatic rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has allowed Beijing to protect itself as a peaceful player in the region in contrast to America’s military-based power.

An upset in New York

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27 June 2025 – yesterday’s press releases

  • Welfare concessions: Government should pull the bill that still “risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance”
  • Scot Lib Dems win from 5th place in ultra-competitive Edinburgh bellwether

Welfare concessions: Government should pull the bill that still “risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance”

Responding to the Government announcing concessions on the welfare bill, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Steve Darling MP said:

It should not have taken a major rebellion for the Government to realise that these cuts would cause immense damage to some of the most vulnerable and risk creating a false economy by actually forcing some people out of work.

The Government should still pull this bill before the vote on Tuesday and go back to the drawing board. In the absence of any impact assessment, MPs still do not have the full facts and those who are affected have still not been consulted on these changes.

Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose this bill that risks stripping thousands of carers of vital assistance and leaving some of the most vulnerable without support.

Scot Lib Dems win from 5th place in ultra-competitive Edinburgh bellwether

Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate Kevin McKay has won the highly contested Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election, a ward in which the party finished in fifth place at the 2022 election.

On first preferences, Labour got 20.8%, the Liberal Democrats 20.4% (almost trebling their vote share), Scottish Greens 18.2%, SNP 14.5% (losing more than a third of their vote share), the Conservatives 13.8% (losing almost half their vote share), while Reform UK polled just 7.9%.

However, once second preferences had been redistributed, the Lib Dems secured 2316 votes while Labour got 2219 votes.

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Observations of an ex pat: A new era

Trump’s bombing of Iran and the NATO summit mark the beginning of a new era in international relations.

They were both a political success for the American president.

They were also both a disaster for international law and the rules-based order that has underpinned the longest period of peace and prosperity in world history.

We have now entered an age of strong man politics where laws and political outcomes are determined not by legal precedence and a sense of equality and justice, but by the strength of the political leader and the country they lead. In short, might is right.

Many argue that it has always been thus. To a large degree they are right. But since the end of World War Two the establishment of international structures, law, alliances, global trade and treaties have acted as a brake on unfettered power. Trump has dismantled—or is in the process of dismantling—the post-war world order and removing the brake.

Let’s start with the bombing of Iran. Depriving Iran of the ability to have a nuclear bomb is a good thing. Iran is a dangerous ideologically-driven rogue state. However, the way in which the bombing was organized was another nail in the coffin of international law.

There was no attempt to secure international backing for the attack. There was no attempt to even secure domestic or congressional or bipartisan backing for the attack.

Donald Trump did not try for a UN Security Council resolution. He did not consult with his NATO allies. It is debatable whether or not he should have sought a declaration of war from Congress as the constitution stipulates. But he should have at least conferred with the senior members of both parties in the House of Representatives and Senate. He didn’t.

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ALDC by-election Report, 19th June

In Scotland, we won another council seat after ranked preferences were accounted for. Well done to Kevin McKay and the team for securing another Liberal Democrat councillor in Edinburgh.

City of Edinburgh Council, Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart
1st Preferences:
Labour: 1,293 (20.8%, -1.7)
Liberal Democrats (Kevin McKay): 1,269 (20.4%, +13.3)
Scottish Greens: 1,133 (18.2%, -1.7)
SNP: 905 (14.5%, -8.2)
Conservative: 857 (13.8%, -12.8)
Reform UK: 489 (7.9%, new)
Independent: 111 (0.6%, new)
Independent: 99 (0.6%, new)
SFP: 34 (0.5%, -0.2)
LBT: 25 (0.4%, -0.1)
Independent: 25 (0.4%, new)
Independent: 9 (0.1%, new)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Labour

We secured an overwhelming victory, with almost 65% of votes, for a seat on Mid Devon District Council. Well done to Tim Stanford and the team for ensuring that this council seat remains with the Liberal Democrats.

Mid Devon DC, Crediton Lawrence
Liberal Democrats (Tim Stanford): 540 (64.9%, +12.8)
Reform UK: 226 (27.2%, new)
Labour: 66 (7.9%, -18.3)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Despite our vote share percentage decreasing by over 10%, we still managed to hold our seat on Rother District Council. Well done to Nicola Mclaren and the team for their efforts in ensuring this council seat remains Liberal Democrat. 

Rother District Council, Catsfield & Crowhurst
Liberal Democrats (Nicola Mclaren): 267 (36.6%, -11.9)
Reform UK: 200 (27.4%, new)
Conservative: 162 (22.2%, -10.9)
Labour: 101 (13.8%, -4.7)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

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26 June 2025 – today’s press releases

  • Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face
  • “Bungling Badenoch” urgently needs to clarify Conservative position on PM attending major summits after Pritchard criticism
  • Married couple Yi-pei Chou Turvey and Michael Turvey top North East list
  • Wendy Chamberlain MP and People’s Postcode Lottery respond to Government not lifting Charity Lottery Cap
  • Cole-Hamilton: Cancer patients deserve better than SNP failures

Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the Government to pull their controversial welfare reforms before a vote next week saying that “even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers” can see the damage these reforms could do to unpaid family carers and those they look after.

Davey made the call as the Liberal Democrats have tabled their own Reasoned Amendment aimed at killing the Bill. It highlights the plight of unpaid family carers as a result of these cuts and instead urges the Government to fix the crisis in the NHS and social care, to get people off waiting lists and back into work to get the welfare bill down.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Government needs to pull this Bill and go back to the drawing board. Even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers can see the damage these cuts will do by leaving some of the most vulnerable without support and putting thousands of unpaid carers in impossible situations.

The Conservatives made a complete mess of our welfare system, but the way to bring the benefits bill down is not through cutting support for disabled people and those who care for them. It is by tackling the crisis in our NHS and social care, to get millions of people off waiting lists and back to work.

Family carers do tremendous work in often the most challenging of circumstances, taking huge pressures off our health services and helping loved ones. Taking support away from our nation’s carers is the worst kind of false economy.

I hope the Prime Minister listens and pulls this Bill instead of cutting vital support from thousands of vulnerable people.

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Facing the harrowing facts: it’s time for bold action on Gaza and the West Bank

After more than a year and a half of bombardment, siege, and systematic starvation in Gaza, it is becoming harder than ever to grasp the true scale of Israel’s atrocities there.  Not because the evidence is lacking, but because the horrors have become so appallingly routine.

Since March, when Netanyahu abrogated the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, and effectively curtailed the further release of Israeli hostages, the Israeli military has killed almost 6,000 Palestinians, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 56,000. Day after day, dozens of Palestinians are killed by Israeli soldiers while in their homes, in shelters, or in the queue for aid. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed, attacks on medics, aid workers and journalists have become commonplace, and famine is no longer a looming threat but a pervasive reality.

This week, Defence for Children International and Doctors Against Genocide co-published a report that gives a harrowing account of Israel’s weaponisation of starvation against Palestinian children in Gaza. It documents in unflinching detail 33 cases of child starvation, nine of them fatal, caused by Israel’s systematic obstruction of humanitarian access to the Strip. Newborns, infants and children with chronic illnesses were found to be especially vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition and dehydration, and the report concludes that Israel is using child starvation as a method of genocide, with catastrophic consequences for existing and future generations.

These findings come alongside near-daily massacres at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s food distribution sites. More than 450 Palestinians have now been killed while attempting to access lifesaving supplies. Desperate, hungry civilians are being forced to choose between starvation or Israeli gunfire. These are clear war crimes, as the UN human rights office recognised this week, and the UK should be using every lever available to stop them.

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Starmer’s safety net shredded

Both highs and lows have marked Keir Starmer’s premiership.

With achievements such as beginning the process of renationalising railway services, committing more funding to securing Britain’s defence capabilities, and the slow march towards renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU, you could be forgiven for assuming Labour’s period in power has so far been a success.

That is, of course, until we consider the more harmful decisions this government has made.

The government had, for the longest time, defended cutting the Winter Fuel Allowance for millions of pensioners, until mounting backlash forced them to reverse their decision. Most recently, it has decided to make one of the most significant cuts to welfare since the 2010 Coalition government took office. The decision, as analysed by the government, will result in the removal of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) benefits for 800,000 people. This is despite numerous charities, including The Big Issue and Scope, along with Martin Lewis’ Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, calling on the government to rethink its strategy and avoid what they call “catastrophic impacts”.

And it seems it’s not only charities that oppose the government’s decision, with more than 120 Labour MPs set to rebel against the vote, and one of its whips, Vicky Foxcroft, resigning over the reforms. Despite these setbacks, Keir Starmer has vowed to press on with his plans to cut welfare, stating that the current system is “unsustainable” and that “1,000 people a day going on PIP”.

The question remains: how will Starmer get his reforms through? The answer might present itself in the form of an unlikely alliance: the Conservative Party. Speaking to Sky News, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that her party would be willing to vote in favour of the reforms if the government met three key commitments: reducing the welfare budget, increasing employment, and not raising taxes.

Will Starmer accept the support of Labour’s longtime political rivals to get his reforms through? That remains to be seen. But what is a sure bet is the possibility of rebelling Labour MPs calling for a vote of no confidence in their leader if he does.

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25 June 2025 – today’s Scottish and Welsh press releases

  • Rennie secures major overhaul of qualifications quality assurance after history exam row
  • Greene: Nationalists failing to deliver as Scottish economy shrinks
  • Dozens of pro-independence accounts go dark after Israeli strikes on Iran
  • National Insurance rise leaves Welsh universities with a £18 million a year bill
  • SNP financial strategy is late, incompetent and unsustainable

Rennie secures major overhaul of qualifications quality assurance after history exam row

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie has secured a series of significant reforms to the Scottish Government’s Education Bill to strengthen the oversight and quality of national qualifications, following widespread concern over this year’s Higher History exam and the lack of external scrutiny within the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The changes, agreed with the Cabinet Secretary and passed at Stage 3 of the Bill, will ensure greater transparency, external accountability, and a clear pathway to further reform of accreditation functions across Scotland’s education system.

The package of amendments includes:

  • Immediate improvements to how Qualifications Scotland assures quality, including an independent review, an annual compliance report, and a new independent expert group to advise on standards.
  • A statutory review of the scope and location of the SQA’s current accreditation function, which covers mainly post-school vocational qualifications.
  • Timetables and mechanisms to ensure that if ministers conclude that further legislation is needed, they must bring forward changes within a year or explain to Parliament why they are not acting.

Willie Rennie said:

The scandal over this year’s Higher History exam showed how unsatisfactory it is that the SQA inspects itself with its quality assurance arrangements. I’ve worked constructively with the Cabinet Secretary to build a stronger system that fixes this and lays the groundwork for lasting reform.

There was no consensus on quality assurance and accreditation changes but I am clear that the current set-up just isn’t good enough. My amendments deliver immediate improvements and a structured, evidence-based route to deeper reform.

The SQA and its replacement, Qualifications Scotland, are under new leadership and will have an big opportunity to change. These amendments give them that chance, but make clear that if further reform is needed, it will be delivered.

Greene: Nationalists failing to deliver as Scottish economy shrinks

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has today said that the SNP are out of time to turn the Scottish economy around as new figures showed that Scotland’s GDP contracted in April and revised figures showed that it contracted by more than previously expected in March.

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25 June 2025 – today’s Federal press releases

  • PAC Covid loans report: unacceptable still no sign of the billions “mugged from taxpayers”
  • Lib Dems demand mandatory vote in Parliament before any British forces sent to conflict zones as nearly 60% of Britons back a vote ahead of any UK action in Iran
  • Trade Strategy has “missed the mark” and shows a Government “cowering in the corner” – Lib Dems

PAC Covid loans report: unacceptable still no sign of the billions “mugged from taxpayers”

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report which states that the Government has been “dangerously-flat footed” in recovering taxpayer losses from fraudulent Covid loans, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Nearly a year after the Government announced its Covid corruption czar, it’s unacceptable that there’s still no sign of the billions of pounds that were mugged from taxpayers.

The Conservative Party oversaw awful abuse of the public finances, essentially allowing a dodgy get rich quick scheme to operate at the expense of people struggling with the catastrophe of the Covid pandemic. But now under this Government, those people seem to be getting off scot free.

Ministers cannot allow this situation to drift any longer. We must see real focus at the top of Government so that these people have to bear the full force of the law and these billions are returned to taxpayers pockets.

Lib Dems demand mandatory vote in Parliament before any British forces sent to conflict zones as nearly 60% of Britons back a vote ahead of any UK action in Iran

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a bill to legally require a Parliamentary vote ahead of the Government deploying British soldiers abroad, as compelling polling commissioned by the party shows that nearly 6 in 10 Britons (57%) believe Parliament should vote on any UK military action taken in Iran.

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Whatever happened to political leadership?

The style of political campaigning today has become infinitely more professional than when I first became involved in politics.   In the 1960s the news cycle was far slower and gentler; TV and radio interviewers treated politicians with respect, and would allow them to offer long answers without interruption.  Now we have ‘breaking news’, daily opinion polls, multiple staff to advise and aggressive interviewers.  Political leaders are far better equipped to follow the headlines and shifting public moods.  But do they still dare to lead?

The UK’s debate on public spending represents a classic example of government and main opposition doing their utmost not to explain underlying choices to the public, while following conflicting evidence of popular preferences – lower taxes, higher public investment, resistance to cuts in health and welfare.  Ever since Margaret Thatcher used the additional revenue streams from North Sea Oil and the proceeds of privatisation to fund current government spending rather than to build a sovereign wealth fund, Conservatives (like their Republican allies in the USA) have declared themselves the party of low taxation and a smaller state – without explaining to voters what cuts would be needed to reach those goals.  Labour was so wary of challenging that myth that it pledged not to raise any of the largest sources of revenue if it won the 2024 election.   The only party that has explicitly entered an election campaign with a pledge to increase taxes was Paddy Ashdown’s Liberal Democrats in 1997, with our ‘penny on income tax for education.’  A senior Labour adviser told me when we published our manifesto that ‘nobody will vote for a party that says it will increase taxation’ – though quite a few did.

Labour leaders knew very well before the 2024 campaign started that the rising number of pensioners is driving up the welfare and health budgets, that Tory cuts in public investment had left an urgent need to rebuild hospitals, schools, railways and roads, and that leaving the EU had damaged our economy and thus the Treasury’s revenue stream – by some £40 billion, according to think tank calculations.  Facing the wrath of the right-wing media, the challenge of Reform and the Tories, they did not dare to explain the position to our uninformed electorate.  On top of all that, we now face additional challenges: a downturn in the global economy and international trade, resulting from Trump’s disruptive tactics and spreading international conflicts and the unavoidable commitment to increase defence spending substantially.  Keir Starmer has made very little effort, however, to explain to the British public the choices that we face: he’s not a natural political leader, more a manager.

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Lib Dem Stockport awarded Local Authority  of the Year at Municipal Journal Awards 

At the Municipal Journal Awards last Friday, Stockport Council were given the award of “Local Authority of the Year “  with the judges singling out their “ ‘standout’ submission for its ‘clarity of purpose and impact’ and a ‘commitment to people-centred progress’.. 

The judges also said that  “The “OneStockport” ethos shone through bold investment, strong service delivery and genuine co-production.”

In an article earlier this   year Cllr Mark Hunter (until May 2025 Leader of Stockport Council)  explained their approach.  

 I was particularly struck by the attention to building new homes: 

Our ‘One Stockport’ approach unites public, private and voluntary sectors, ensuring everyone has a stake in our borough’s future. For example, our Mayoral Development Corporation has delivered more than 1,200 new homes and is on track to reach 8,000 by 2040, creating vibrant communities and opportunities for all.

And helping poor families:

Since April 2023, we have helped 49,000 residents’ access nearly £20m in benefits and written off £3m in debt. These are not just numbers, they are lives transformed.

Lib Dem Councils were shortlisted for numerous awards 

and  Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council won the award for Senior Leadership Team of the Year.   Council Leader Millie Earl said: 

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The Action Day – a good thing?

A lot has been said about the value of ‘Action Days’. I have no doubt that for a parliamentary or council by-election it is a vital tool in getting outside help to where it is most needed. I am certain that there is great camaraderie and that it seems more effective to be working in a group and appear to cover a lot of ground.

Is this a tool to be used when council wide elections are happening alongside say a Mayoral election, where lots of people are seeking election or re-election. Is it productive to move people around instead of focussing on your own ward? Do action days add to the number of leaflets delivered or doors knocked?

I want to suggest that they don’t. In my early days as a campaigner and councillor, I found very soon found that me knocking on doors to ask people to vote for me was the most effective tool in the armoury. Taking time to go and knock on other people’s doors or deliver their leaflets reduced the number of doors I could knock on in my own ward. Moving local members around the council area is a bit like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic! 

The alternative to all this busy organisation is to spend the non-election period recruiting deliverers, getting poster sites agreed and running training sessions for members who haven’t canvassed before, so that wards can run largely self-sufficiently during elections.

There is one caveat. There does need to be a mechanism for funnelling volunteers from outside the area to where they are needed and for sorting out where a mayoral candidate is to go during the campaign, but action days add a layer of complexity that may actually detract from getting things done.

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19 July 2025 – Social Liberal Forum Conference: Building a Liberal Vision for Britain’s Future

Tickets for this event are available via the Social Liberal Forum website.

The Challenge We Face

Nine years have passed since the Brexit referendum divided our nation. The narrow Leave victory, driven primarily by the “left behind” communities in Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England—areas that felt abandoned by decades of economic neglect—set us on a path that has fundamentally reshaped British politics.

Those of us who supported Remain were left grappling with profound questions: How do we understand what happened? How do we respond constructively to the concerns that drove that vote?

The 2024 election brought hope that Labour might finally deliver for these “left behind” communities after 14 years of Conservative mismanagement and Brexit failure. Yet early signs suggest this promise may go unfulfilled. The result? Growing disillusionment with mainstream politics, with voters either staying home or turning to Reform UK—a dangerous trend we’ve witnessed across the democratic world, from Trump’s America to populist movements throughout Europe.

This presents a stark warning for the next general election expected in 2029: unless we act decisively, Britain risks following the same destructive path toward authoritarian populism.

The Liberal Democrat Opportunity

The Liberal Democrats now with 72 MPs can offer something different. But seizing it requires fundamental changes:

  • Higher national profile so that voters know what we stand for
  • Ambitious economic policies that directly tackle inequality and public sector decline
  • A compelling vision for Britain’s future where voters can feel that their vote makes a difference
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More thoughts on GDP and growth

My thanks to Tony Vickers for usefully setting out his take on the subject of GDP in last Friday’s Lib Dem Voice, Global Capitalist Economics: time to unmask GDP?. Here in response is my own take, which isn’t far from his.

I see the fundamental aim of any progressive movement to be the enhancement of human well-being, including that of future generations. A progressive government needs to recognise four preconditions for sustainable and enhanced well-being: a supportive physical environment, such as a stable climate, clean water and fertile soils; a healthy economy free from such scourges as poverty, squalid …

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Mark Pack’s June report to members

It’s the Lib Dems who can beat Reform

Here are some statistics that should both encourage us and spur us on. They are for principal authority council by-elections since May 1st where a Reform candidate finished as one of the top two:

  • Reform and Conservative in the top two : 0% Conservative wins
  • Reform and Labour in the top two: 17% Labour wins
  • Reform and Lib Dem in the top two: 78% Lib Dem wins

In fact, the figures are even better than that, because those other 22% of contests where Reform finished first and the Lib Dems second were all contests in previously Labour held seats and where we had moved up from further behind to second. Even though we did not win in those, they were still good results for us, taking significant steps forward.

In other words, just as liberalism is the philosophical answer to populism, so Liberal Democrat campaigning is the practical answer to populism.

Thank you, Dick Newby

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the Lords, Dick Newby, has announced that he is standing down as leader of the group after almost a decade in post. That period has been a real rollercoaster for the party, and included a long stretch when the Lib Dem Lords group had to take on a big extra burden of work due to the shrunken size of the Commons Parliamentary Party.

Huge thanks for everything you have done, and for making me so welcome as one of the newest members of the group.

Constitutional amendment

The Board is still consulting on the wording of a ‘tidying up’ omnibus amendment to submit to Autumn Federal Council. This is designed to tidy up slight ambiguities of wording, missed cross-references and the like rather than to make any substantive change. Such periodic housekeeping does however end up saving time and making things easier.

So please grab your constitutional magnifying glass, ready your pedantic skills and take a look at the consultation.

Posted in Party policy and internal matters and Party Presidency | 9 Comments

Mathew on Monday: Why are we sitting on the fence on America’s strikes on Iran?

Sometimes our party or, at least, its leadership, leaves me with my head in my hands. This past weekend and, indeed, today is one such occasion.

On Wednesday at Prime Minister’s Questions, or deputy PMQs as it was as Starmer was at the G7 in Canada, our own deputy leader Daisy Cooper reminded the House of Commons of the Lib Dems brave and right leadership of the opposition to the Iraq War back in 2003 and warned against the UK once again backing another United States misadventure in the Middle East.

Well all I can ask is: what happened between Wednesday and Sunday? Did we think the UK should oppose action against Iran when it was only a theoretical idea? Has Ed overruled Daisy? Or have our leadership as a collective had a case of the jitters and (as always, some might argue) are they running scared of Tory voters in the shires?

The statement our leader put out yesterday managed to basically use up quite a number of words to absolutely nothing at all.

Do we support the action? No answer.

Do we oppose it? No answer.

We are sitting on the fence, yet again, when we could be, in the spirit of Charles Kennedy, leading the opposition to a President of the United States who is chaotic, unhinged, and who is riding roughshod over Congress and the usual way things are conducted.

A convicted felon who cares not one jot about checks, balances, and due process, who cares only about himself and his agenda. He apparently doesn’t even care about his own MAGA base to whom, pre election, he made very clear his opposition to American military participation in other people’s wars and who stridently made clear that, in his view, America should not act as the world’s policeman.

Then again, Trump is using the American military against U.S. citizens using their first amendment right to protest his disgraceful stances on immigration including ‘deporting’ U.S. citizens (which is rightly being challenged in the courts).

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Here we go again…

I have woken most mornings since President Trump came to power with a feeling of foreboding as I switch on the radio in the morning to discover his latest announcements. Add to that a sense of déjà vu when events in the Middle East top the news and I can’t say I start the day in the best of spirits.

Back in 2002 an American President was convinced that regime change in a Middle Eastern country would put a stop to terrorism carried out by so called Islamic groups and avenge the atrocity that occurred on the 11th September 2001, better …

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A Monument to the Past, a Barrier to the Future

“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us,” said Winston Churchill, defending the decision to retain the adversarial layout of the House of Commons during its post-World War II reconstruction. Looking at the way our political system functions today, it’s hard not to agree with him.

Entering the Palace of Westminster, one is immediately immersed in centuries of history. The very walls radiate tradition. Westminster Hall — where Queen Elizabeth II lay in state — dates back over 900 years. The weight of British history is tangible, steeped in the legacy …

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Happy 80th birthday, Mary Reid

Today is an incredibly special day.

Our wonderful Thursday and Friday editor Mary Reid celebrates her Ruby Jubilee.

We are sure that everyone she ever taught, anyone who has been on the receiving end of her patient and generous help with their articles for this site, anyone whose campaign she has helped, anyone whose problem she solved as a councillor, anyone who has benefitted from the Conference access fund she pushed for, anyone who has benefitted from her wise advice, anyone who has enjoyed her incredible hospitality, will wish her the most fantastic of celebrations. The above, by the way, is a lot of people.

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Ed Davey: we must work for diplomatic solution

Ed Davey has commented on the US attacks on Iran:

Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a grave threat to regional stability and global security. That threat can only truly be eliminated through robust diplomacy.

Following the US strikes, it is essential that we work to deescalate the conflict and achieve that diplomatic solution.

Do you think this is the right approach? Should he be more vocal in opposition to Trump’s actions?

let us know your views in the comments.

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Tom Arms’ World Review

 

Trump

MAGA is divided. Its strength in the past that it has been united behind one man—Donald Trump.

Whatever he said was taken as gospel. Whatever he did was heroic.

But now there is a possibility that he may decide to join forces with Israel and drop a bunker-busting bomb on Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facilities. As a result some of the shine is coming off MAGA’s great leader.

“This has not been thought through,” said Trump’s former campaign manager Steve Bannon. He added: “Stopping forever wars is one of the three planks of the MAGA Movement.”

Tucker Carlsson is known as Trump’s lead trumpeter. “I am afraid this (the US bombing of Iran) will see the end of the American Empire,” he said.

And then there is loony MAGA to the core Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Forever wars, intervention, regime change, put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke and will ultimately lead to our destruction.”

Then on the other side are figures such as senators Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell. They have both called on the president to support Israel and strike Iran while it is at its weakest. But then they are Old Guard rather than MAGA.

Iran

Iran desperately needs friends. Unfortunately for Tehran they appear to be backward in coming forward.

The two most likely candidates for a supporting role are China and Russia. The Russians have been the grateful recipients of Iranian-made drones which are making an impact in the Ukraine War.

Moscow was quick to condemn the Israeli attack which it said was unprovoked and in breach of the UN Charter. The Russians also accused Moscow of undermining diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to peacefully abandon any nuclear ambitions.

That all sounds very warlike, and in January of this year Tehran and Moscow signed a 20-year “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” which covered a wide range of interests including, defense, intelligence sharing, nuclear technology and energy. The agreement, however, does not commit Russia to come to Iran’s defense if the latter is attacked.

On Thursday Moscow closed all of its diplomatic offices in Iran and withdrew its entire diplomatic staff. They were needed if Putin was going to provide substantive aid.

China—in total disregard of sanctions—gets 20 percent of its oil from Iran. In 2021 Tehran agreed to become a key link in China’s Belt/Road Initiative. In 2023 China brokered a diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

China wants to increase its influence in the Middle East and its sees Iran as its Trojan horse in achieving that goal. Unfortunately it took four days for President Xi Jinping to get around to even making a statement on Israel’s attack. And then it was to offer China’s good offices as a peace broker rather than as no-holds barred Iranian supporter.

The fact is, Tehran is a rogue state. It exports terrorism and destabilises the world order. Few people outside of Iran would grieve its demise and many inside would also be glad to see the fall of the theocracy. But that could only make the mullahs more dangerous as they are backed into a corner with no option but to lash out in return for a guaranteed ticket to an Islamic paradise.

Gaza

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David Boyle (1958-2025) – the nicest of reluctant philosophers

When the histories of modern UK liberalism are written – and the tally of inspirations, ideas and motivations are drawn up… then the name of David Boyle (1958-2025) should feature.

It was lunch with Cllr Lord Greaves of Pendle, I think, when we agreed that local government and the Liberal Democrats needed an injection of energy. Tony’s reply was without hesitation: David Boyle. Cllr Richard Kemp had seen David speak at a conference on mutuality and ecology-led economies and had recently become leader of the Lib Dem Group at the Local Government Association (LGA): he also wanted to mobilise David’s talents.  In no time at all I had the privilege of offering David a contract to write an account of Liberal Democrat councils who were in control and positions of power: Power Actually.

And so began an LGA funded programme with David as he surveyed, met, interviewed and researched what Liberal Democrats were doing locally when they were in positions of power. Power Actually: a study of Liberal Democrat localism in action (2007) was followed by Greening Actually: environmental action through the local perspective (2009).

What David had enabled as a manifesto of achievements and with it a transformation in our approach to local government. Saying what we did, why we did it and what difference it made. That work and its legacy will stand the test of time and it is there for all to read. David was rightly pleased with both publications.

When ‘Power Actually’ came out David was immensely proud at the reaction – it was his compilation and collation of ‘our’ story. I recall at the launch Council Leader, the late Cllr Serge Lourie paying tribute to David – “David not only heard what we said, but he listened to what we were trying to say.”

David was not new to the Liberal Democrats – a longstanding activist and indeed former Young Liberal – he knew our political landscape.  When the Editor of Liberal News, Mike Harskin, died suddenly in 1992 David was asked by Chris Rennard to take over as Editor. David rose to the moment and was to be there for six years, editing a weekly paper that was driven by its diverse readership and reflecting both geography and quirkiness that it entailed.

And after he served as editor he served four years on the Federal Policy Committee where he was a calm, genial and inspiring source of ideas and wisdom.

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Former Lib Dem News Editor David Boyle has died

It was a huge shock to wake up to the awful news that former Lib Dem News Editor David Boyle died suddenly yesterday.

David was one of the foremost thinkers in the party. He contributed much to the debates in this party, often on the pages of this site. And when he sent a piece in, he was always really humble about it. “Might you have time for this?’ he’d say. I mean, his writing was always so thoughtful, relevant and intrinsically liberal.  There was never any way we were going …

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Observations of an Expat: End of Empire

Trump’s metaphorical coin-tossing decision-making over the bombing of Iran is the clear result of imperial over-reach cloaked in dangerous isolationism.

But whichever way the president decides, the fact that he has to sit in the Oval Office with a handful of yes men and women underscores the fragility of American foreign policy and the rapid decline of a great power.

Previous post-war presidents could rely on an elaborate and carefully constructed network of alliances, treaties and international laws to help with the decision-making. The decisions were not always right. But if they were wrong the burden of the blame could be shared and recovery was easier.

Trump suffers from hubris – aka excessive pride – has extended that hubris to a significant portion of the American electorate and wrapped it in a cloak of isolationism. This in turn has led to the withdrawal – or threatened withdrawal – from alliances, treaty obligations, and international and domestic law.

In 1987 the British historian Paul Kennedy wrote the seminal geopolitical history “The Rise and Fall of Great Powers.” In it he set down the axiom that great powers decline when their military commitments outstrip their economic base—a process he called “imperial overstretch.”

Before Trump the United States appeared to be set to avoid the Kennedy Trap. For a start the fount of its power was liberal democratic values rather than the naked greed which drove the imperial age. It then concentrated on forming alliances and diplomatic cooperation with the countries – Western Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada… –  with which it shared those values.

Those countries in return provided military bases and support. MAGA Republicans claim that America’s allies have exploited American goodwill. That is true. But they have also delivered the facilities that have provided America with a global reach which in turn has increased its trading and economic power.

Trump has rejected liberal democratic values and attacked the countries and political leaders that continue to espouse them. He has rejected the rule of law at home and abroad. Trump is a 17th century mercantilist who is governed by the belief that might is right. Billionaires are mighty so they must be right. America is mighty therefore it must be right.

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ALDC by-election Report, 19th June

This week saw the first time that the Liberal Democrats had stood a candidate in the Ashford Town ward (Spelthorne) since 2007. An extremely strong campaign by us saw the Lib Dems gaining the seat from the Conservatives. Well done to Gregory Neall and the team for leaping ahead of the others and winning the seat, despite not standing in Ashford Town for nearly 20 years.

Spelthorne BC, Ashford Town
Liberal Democrats (Gregory Neall): 539 (27.4%, new)
Reform UK: 459 (23.4%, +21.0)
Conservative: 374 (19.0%, -18.4)
Labour: 234 (11.9%, -2.2)

Liberal Democrats GAIN from Conservative

The Highlands saw two by-elections being held. Whilst Cromarty Firth saw a missed opportunity for the crowded field of independent candidates, in Eilean a’ Cheò we came a close second place, greatly improving on our vote share. Thank you to Ross Costigane, Fay Thomson and the Highland team for their efforts, particularly in Eilean a’ Cheò.

Highland Council, Eilean a’ Cheò
Independent (Gillies): 823 (23.5%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Fay Thomson): 741 (21.6%, +18.1)
Independent (Dickson): 655 (18.7%, new)
SNP: 527 (15.1%, -7.1)
Independent (MacDonald): 276 (7.3%, new)
Scottish Greens: 239 (6.8%, new)
Reform UK: 157 (4.5%, new)
Conservative: 86 (2.5%, -8.2)

Independent (Gillies) GAIN from Independent

Highland Council, Cromarty Firth
SNP: 568 (23.8%, +6.8)
Independent (Cross): 503 (21.1%, +9.1)
Independent (Rattray): 368 (15.4%, +1.8)
Reform UK: 348 (14.6%, +11.4)
Liberal Democrats (Ross Costigane): 290 (12.2%, -8.1)
Scottish Greens: 92 (3.9%, +0.1%)
Alba: 91 (3.8%, new)
Labour: 77 (3.2%, -0.0)
Conservative: 48 (2.0%, -0.4)

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Britain is a tinderbox and our efforts to confront Islamophobia are not good enough

At this week’s Mayor’s Question Time, I asked Sadiq Khan a straightforward but urgent question: why is there still no dedicated Islamophobia training across London’s public institutions?

It’s a question I asked not just as an Assembly Member, but as a Muslim woman who knows what it feels like to live in Britain right now. Recently online, I’ve been told I’m an immigrant who doesn’t belong here. At a street surgery, I was told all Muslims should be killed. At London Bridge station, I was called a Paki and told I should go home.

Islamophobia has been normalised in politics, in the media and in daily life and it now stands at record and alarming levels. Muslims in Britain today live with legitimate fear of being harassed in the street, targeted online, or being viewed with suspicion simply for existing.

And that fear isn’t paranoia. It is rooted in an ugly and worsening reality. The horrific stabbings in Southport last year didn’t just shock the nation—they unleashed something darker. We witnessed terrifying mob violence targeting asylum seekers, Muslims, and anyone perceived as other.

One year on, little has improved. Britain remains a tinderbox. The conditions that led to those outbreaks of hate are not only still here, they are deteriorating by the day. Meanwhile, the silence from much of the political establishment has been deafening.

Worse still, those in power have not helped calm the situation – they’ve inflamed it. When the Prime Minister uses hostile rhetoric about immigrants, it legitimises the very forces that seek to dehumanise entire communities. Meanwhile, GB News and the Reform Party are given free rein to pump conspiracy theories into the mainstream, with barely any challenge.

All of this is happening while many of our public institutions remain fundamentally unequipped to respond. That’s why the absence of Islamophobia training in key London bodies, including the Met Police and the London Fire Brigade, is so dangerous. This isn’t just a symbolic omission, it’s a critical operational failure.

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