Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 12th July 2026 - 10:30 am

NATO

The NATO summit was a wild diplomatic roller coaster ride. But then, how could it be otherwise with President Donald J. Trump in attendance.

Ankara was another example of his negotiating style: Start with the maximalist position delivered in the loudest and most belligerent style and then gradually back away from that and claim a happy agreement which is probably nowhere near the truth.

Trump arrived demanding Denmark give him Greenland. If the Danes refused, he would withdraw all US troops from Europe. He also said that the US was ending all trade with Spain because of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s refusal to let Trump use American airbases for attacks on Iran, or even to allow him to use Spanish airspace. Finally, he attacked Iranians “as vicious scum” and again criticised NATO allies for refusing to help him in the Middle East.

It didn’t work. Denmark, backed by the rest of the alliance, stood firm on Greenland and the Europeans are turning a deaf ear and blind eye to his rants about Iran. Trump started the war. He can finish it.

Spain is more interesting. US companies have billions invested in Spain and the trade between the two countries runs into billions more. Ending trade is not that simple and is self-defeating. Trump has instructed lawyers to come up with a plan. They will likely come up with some form of selective tariffs, but even that is difficult because of Spain’s membership of the EU.

What Trump achieved in Ankara was more headlines that he thinks made him look good for his MAGA base. What the rest of the Alliance achieved is confirmation that they are right to increase defence spending; become less dependent on American-built weaponry; become politically more independent of America and to continue to work towards becoming a separate Western political pillar supported by their own military-industrial complex.

Ukraine

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky went to Ankara hoping to buy more American Patriot missile systems. He left with a licence to manufacture them.

For months Donald Trump’s approach to Ukraine has been characterised by pressure on Kyiv. He has attacked Zelensky, paused aid, presented himself as the equidistant honest broker between Russia and Ukraine when he was leaning heavily towards Russia.

Then came Ankara. Trump publicly praised Zelensky. He spoke of his “very good relationship” with the Ukrainian leader. And then…Trump presents Ukraine with the gift of the license to manufacture Patriot air defence missiles in Ukraine.

Ukraine now ceases to be merely a consumer of Western weaponry (although its drone manufacturers were also steering Ukraine towards weapons independence) and becomes a producer of Western weapons. The licence to produce inside Ukraine also means that replacement missiles and components can be manufactured and moved more quickly to the frontline.

The license also represents another step towards integrating Ukraine into the Western defence-industrial base without having to grant it NATO membership.

But why the change in Trump’s policy? Mainly because the gods of war are starting to move to Ukraine’s side. For years, Vladimir Putin had Trump convinced that he was “holding the cards” in the Ukraine war. That there was no way that the Russian steam roller could lose.

Ukraine is not winning. But neither is it losing. The Russians continue to throw waves of suicidal attacks against a seemingly impenetrable Ukrainian frontline. Meanwhile the Ukrainians have started to score points with long-range drone attacks on Russian oil installations and factories.

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: Visions of America

By Tom Arms | Sat 11th July 2026 - 10:25 am

For those who looked carefully, there were two contrasting visions of America at its 250th birthday. Each was presented by a prominent American and could not have been more different.

The first Is Donald Trump’s America First vision. This is an America where immigrants are not only refused entry but are rounded up by armed agents; sent to overcrowded detention camps and deported. It is vision which is viewed through the narrow lens of American nationalism.

The second was rooted in the idea that America has a responsibility beyond its borders—a universal vision which is closely linked to immigration, human dignity and the belief that America’s ideals belong to everyone, not just Americans.

The universalist vision was expounded by another prominent American, Pope Leo XIV. The pope was invited to Washington for the 4th of July celebrations. He declined the invitation. The Vatican has never explained why the pope declined,  but some papal observers have speculated that Leo was concerned that his visit would be used for political purposes supporting Donald Trump.

Pope Leo did, however, visit via video link the day before the big day. On July 3rd, he was presented via Zoom link with the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia. The medal is presented annually to the individual whose “courage and conviction” has done the most to advance the cause of liberty around the world. The centre is strictly non-partisan, and former recipients have included Volodymyr Zelensky and the Dalai Lama

In his acceptance speech, Pope Leo was careful to echo the centre’s non-partisan tradition. He did not criticise the administration. He did not mention Trump’s name. He did not call for open borders. However he did express the hope that America would remain “ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave.”

He also praised the Declaration of Independence whose ideals he hoped would remain “a guiding light for the present moment and for the years to come.” Finally, the pope said that America had become a “byword for freedom” because of the way the country had welcomed successive generations. And he urged Americans to remain faithful to that tradition.”

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Josh Babarinde

The Draft Party Strategy is here!

By Josh Babarinde | Fri 10th July 2026 - 6:29 pm

I’ve been so inspired.

Up and down the country, members have been feeding into our “Summer of Strategy”, the process I launched with the Federal Board to draft a new party strategy. We’ve had thousands of contributions so far – thank you!

Where are we now?

Taking your ideas, workshop discussions, and survey answers, the Federal Board has published the first draft of the party strategy. It’s now ready for your feedback!

A few themes stand out: sharpening our national story and message, turbocharging our social media game to complement our pavement-pounding prowess, and consolidating in our areas of strength while being ambitious where we can win –  in Wales, Northern England, the Midlands, and urban Britain.

You’ll find the full draft strategy motion and the consultation response summary waiting in the email I sent you yesterday.

Now, the draft motion is a starting point that reflects what we heard.

But I want member’s voices to be heard at every stage. This strategy needs to come directly from your insights.

So, we want to know: what have we got right? What have we missed? What would you change?

Have your say

Tell us what you think. There’s a short survey linked in the email – please fill it in by 9am on Monday 10th August 2026.

You can also join one of our Zoom Town Hall sessions, chaired by members of our Federal Board, to share your views on the draft strategy directly:

  • Thursday 16th July, 5:15pm–6:45pm
  • Tuesday 21st July, 5:30pm–7:00pm
  • Sunday 2nd August, 10am–11:30am

Registration links for all three are in the email – come along!

And after this?

The Federal Board will review your feedback, with a view to drafting any necessary amendments to the motion ahead of Autumn Conference.

From there, members will debate and vote on the proposals.

And if it passes? Then the even bigger task begins, implementation.

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Nick da Costa

Autumn Conference 2026: Agenda Selection Report

By Nick da Costa | Thu 9th July 2026 - 12:31 pm

The Federal Conference Committee (FCC) met on Saturday to review motion submissions and begin finalising the agenda for Autumn Conference 2026, which will take place in Brighton from 19 to 22 September 2026. We are very much looking forward to returning to Brighton for what promises to be a busy and engaging Conference.

This Conferences comes roughly midway through the Parliament but very early in the premiership of Andy Burnham. He will spend the summer setting out his agenda and trying to maintain a sense of change and momentum. There are already some (small) signs of a Labour bounce and we shall see what happens with Farage’s fight against Count Binface. 

However, as we are all aware, the task facing Burnham is daunting and his honeymoon could be very short. The political landscape continues to change, and could change drastically between now and Conference. 

We received several updates in advance of Autumn Conference and also welcomed a new member of the Federal Conference Committee, following the resignation of Sarah Teather. Cllr Sandra Gidley was the winner of the recount, and rejoins the FCC after a short hiatus of about 10 years. 

Motions Submissions and Agenda Planning

As ever, we received a strong and diverse range of submissions, reflecting the breadth of engagement across the party. In total, the FCC received:

  • 61 policy motions
  • 10 business motions
  • 1 constitutional amendment

Following very detailed discussion and several rounds of selection, the FCC agreed to include on the agenda:

  • 20 policy motions
  • Up to 3 slots for emergency motions or topical debates
  • 1 business motion.

We are extremely grateful to all members, local parties, and Associated Organisations who took the time to draft and submit motions. The quality and thoughtfulness of submissions were high, which inevitably made the selection process challenging.

Alongside policy debates, there are mandatory business items. As always, we wish we could include more debates, but we have done our best to maximise discussion within the limited time available.

Transparency and the Motions Bundle

In line with the FCC’s commitment to transparency, we are publishing:

  • A list of all motions submitted, indicating whether they were selected and providing brief reasons for non-selection. These have just been summarised, those people who submitted motions will have had fuller feedback from the relevant FCC member.  (please note that motion titles may be edited before final publication).
  • The full bundle of motions considered by the FCC, which we hope members will find useful and informative. Please note that line numbers and correct numbering will be added when we produce the final agenda. 

For motions selected for debate, there may be some minor drafting amendments made between now and publication.

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Larry Ngan

Championing stronger AI resilience: Take-away from ALDE Congress 2026

By Larry Ngan | Thu 9th July 2026 - 10:04 am

ALDE Congress is the largest gathering of our party members alongside our European sister parties. The Liberal Democrats delegation was at the heart of Europe in Vienna last weekend. First, we got most of the resolutions we had cooperated on in the previous months passed. Moreover, Baroness Smith was elected as the ALDE Vice President.

While interacting with our European sister parties as the chairs of both the Liberal International British Group and the Lib Dems Friends of Hong Kong, I brought up interesting discussions on AI and especially how younger generations use such technology to engage in politics. AI and digital technologies have been used to challenge authoritarian regimes while allowing democracy activists to reduce their physical exposure in countries such as Belarus and Russia.

But given democracy campaigns have now engaged the use of AI, what is our commitment to AI resilience?

What shifts are needed in the EU’s economic model to create a more favourable environment for the AI industry to grow? You can read my summary of the resolution – ‘Building European Technology Sovereignty for Democratic Resilience’ here.

This is the resolution European governments need. I have long advocated that the EU needs to build up its resilience in the IT sector under the current chaotic geopolitical environment. The vulnerabilities posed by a potential US ‘kill switch’, geographically concentrated AI infrastructure, and reliance on US-led payment systems have been exposed by the Trump administration. Worse, Trump has used Europe’s vulnerabilities as leverage in negotiations, often to Putin’s advantage.

However, while I am glad to see the overwhelming support among our European sister parties, I am frustrated because our party lacks momentum on policy on AI and Cloud infrastructure, and other technical details.

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Jack Meredith

Introducing The Grimond Society

By Jack Meredith | Wed 8th July 2026 - 10:01 am

Embed from Getty Images

Last week, a comment appeared under my last LDV piece from Dennis Delice, in which he said he would be interested in an internal party group focused on furthering the case for economic democracy by encouraging a more co-operative and mutualistic economy. After reading it, I got in touch with Dennis via LinkedIn, and within a few hours, we had brought the idea to life.

The Grimond Society launched on Thursday, 2 July, to put economic democracy at the heart of Liberal Democracy policy.

We named it after Jo Grimond because this was the same cause he championed over six decades ago. He wanted workers to stand alongside shareholders in company law, praised employee mutuals long before they were fashionable, and helped found Job Ownership Limited; the forerunner of today’s Employee Ownership Association.

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Paul Walter

The proud independence of the Isle Of Man

By Paul Walter | Tue 7th July 2026 - 10:27 am

Recently I had the great thrill of visiting the Tynwald – the Isle Of Man’s parliament.

The Isle Of Man is, of course, proudly a separate nation – a self-governing British Crown Dependency. Jersey has the same status, but there is something a little more accentuated about the Isle Of Man’s independence – the distinctive flag with the motto of the three legs, which is seen everywhere; much evidence of a separate historical narrative etc.

So, it was worth visiting the island just because of its independent status.

The Tynwald tour was very interesting – we were told about the make up of the tri-cameral system with its lack of party politics.

We were allowed to sit in the speaker’s chair in the House of Keys and I took the liberty of handling the gavel for my photo (see above).

We were reminded of the independence of the Isle Of Man because, when we were there, the last amendments to the Assisted Dying Bill were passed, reading for the bill to be given royal assent.

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday: Carl Cashman is a Liberal Hero – and his critics would love his media reach

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 6th July 2026 - 7:00 pm

There has been no shortage of criticism directed at Carl Cashman over the past few days following his appearance as the cover star of Attitude magazines Pride edition. Yet, looking at much of the reaction, I cannot help but conclude that there is more than a hint of the green-eyed monster at work.

The truth is that many of those complaining would love to have Carl’s reach, his charisma and his ability to connect with audiences far beyond the traditional Liberal Democrat bubble. His interview is an excellent one. He speaks about the importance of promoting positive masculinity to young men, something desperately needed in an era when too many are being lured towards toxic online influences. He stands unapologetically alongside trans people at a time when far too few politicians – sadly, even within our own party – seen prepared to do so publicly. He criticises former leader Tim Farron’s stance on gay sex after losing the leadership, reflects honestly on the shortcomings of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat 2010-15 Coalition government, and consistently roots his politics in the liberal belief that individuals should be able to live their lives without unnecessary interference as long as doing so doesn’t stop others from doing the same.

That is liberalism with conviction.

When I sat down with Carl in Liverpool late last year for what became the first longform interview that he gave – available in three parts on this site – I came away convinced that his political future looked to be exceptionally bright. Nothing that has happened since has changed that judgement. If anything, it had reinforced it.

Of course Carl is undeniably photogenic. Politics has always rewarded people who communicate visually as well as verbally. But reducing his success to his appearance misses the point entirely.

The real reason he is becoming such an effective communicator is that he does not look, sound or behave like what many peoplr imagine a Liberal Democrat politician to be. He reaches parts of the electorate that the rest of us often struggle to engage. He’s authentic, comfortable in his own skin and able to communicate liberal values in a language that resonates well beyond Westminster or party conference. That is a gift.

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ALDC

ALDC’s by-election report – 2 July 2026

By ALDC | Mon 6th July 2026 - 1:45 pm

Twelve principal authority by-elections across England, Wales and Scotland took place on Thursday 2nd July, carrying on a trend of unusually high numbers of by-elections over the past few weeks.

Reform UK were defending three seats. The Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independents/Localists were defending two each. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives were defending one each.

Wales

Three by-elections took place in the county of Powys, with one in Torfaen. All four by-elections were triggered by a councillor winning a seat on the Senedd, and unlike in England, Welsh law dictates that you cannot hold both a council and Senedd seat.

Torfaen CBC, Llantarnam

The previous councillor in the Llantarnam ward in Torfaen won a by-election in 2023 as an Independent (he had previously been a Conservative councillor) before moving over to Reform UK. Three Independents had swept the ward in 2022, with Labour winning the two seats available at the election in 2017. While a technical gain from Independent, as the post had been occupied by Reform UK before the by-election, this can also be looked at as a Reform UK hold. This was not a Liberal Democrat target, standing for the first time here.

Thanks to Brendan Roberts for putting a Liberal Democrat choice on the ballot paper.

Reform UK: 505 (42.7%, new)
Labour: 362 (30.6%, +3.4%)
Plaid Cymru: 190 (16.1%, -1.6%)
Conservative: 58 (4.9%, new)
Green Party: 49 (4.1%, -6.8)
Lib Dem: 18 (1.5%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Independent

Powys CC, Glantwymyn

This race was an unusual one as Plaid Cymru ran unopposed in the Glantwymyn council election back in 2022. It was contested this time again by Plaid Cymru, as well as Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Unsurprisingly, Plaid Cymru held onto this seat with over 80% of the vote, given they have been the only party active here.

A huge thanks to Angela Strandrin for standing!

Plaid Cymru: 513 (81.8%, -18.2%)
Reform UK: 63 (10%, new)
Conservative: 28 (4.8%, new)
Lib Dem: 23 (3.7%, new)

Plaid Cymru HOLD

Powys CC, Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew

Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew had previously been held by the Conservatives who had beaten the Liberal Democrats in a two-horse race back in 2022 by a 16-point margin. No other parties stood. The Conservative councillor then defected to Reform UK before getting elected to the Senedd.

While our vote share fell from 2022 due to four other parties standing this time, we successfully fended off a strong Reform UK challenge while the Conservative vote collapsed, gaining the seat by a five-point margin. This race was supported by a grant from ALDC’s Fighting Fund.

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 6 July 2026 – a nation dares to dream?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 6th July 2026 - 11:44 am

We don’t often “do sport” here at Liberal Democrat Voice – perhaps a reflection of the Editorial Team’s interests – but it would seem strange not to mark last night’s extraordinary events in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium where an English team put up one of its most memorable performances to win 3-2 against Mexico.

From an English Nationalist (a.k.a. Reform) perspective, it’s obviously a mixed blessing. England win – good – but with a team mostly consisting of people whose families would be on the next available plane out if they could gain power at the next election.

I’d argue though that …

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Rosemary Runswick

The Jenkinsite Policy Network present a new vision for British liberalism

By Rosemary Runswick | Sun 5th July 2026 - 1:15 pm

In March this year we announced the Jenkinsite Policy Network after a members vote, and though it has taken longer than any of us expected, we have finally gotten to the stage where we can announce our statement of intent! The statement was drafted by myself, Andy Chandler and Mathew Hulbert (of Matthew on Monday fame) and is intended to set out the principles of Liberal Social Democracy that will inform the policies we intend to push going forward.

We have done this with the aim of …

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Caron Lindsay

Yi-Pei Chou Turvey MSP first UK “rising star”

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 5th July 2026 - 11:15 am

Hi-Pei Chou Turvey speaks after receiving ALDE’s Rising Star AwardI had a tear or too yesterday when I saw Yi-Pei Chou Turvey MSP become the first British politician to receive the European Liberal Forum’s “Rising star” award.

It is fantastic to see her recognised for her work on Aberdeenshire Council at the start of her term as the North East’s Lib Dem MSP.

Sal Brinton was there and sent me this video of the event and Yi-Pei’s speech.

Yi-Pei said:

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 5th July 2026 - 9:15 am

 July 4th

America is so divided that it cannot even decide how best to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.

Ten years ago Congress set up a bipartisan committee to organise America’s 250th birthday celebrations. The committee- which was called America 250—would have a budget of $100 million.

But almost as soon as he started his second term, Trump, decided to set up a rival organisation which he called Freedom 250. It was part of his anti-woke, anti-DEI and white nationalist campaign. Trump did not like the way America 250 told the American story. The bipartisan committee focused on the story of achievement but at the same time acknowledged failures and contradictions.

Freedom 250, on the other hand, presents  American history as an inspirational story of exceptionalism, patriotism and national greatness. Naturally, white men dominate.

The events that Freedom 250 organised were typically Trumpian: a NASCAR race in Washington; The UFC cage fight in front of the White House, athletic games, military displays and a “Great American State Fair” on the Mall which stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. At midnight on July 4, Freedom 250 will set off “the largest firework display  in history.”

Trump’s plans have run into difficulties. The UFC fight was roundly condemned. The numbers attending the Great American State Fair are significantly lower than expected and a number of singers who were expected  to perform have backed out when they realised that the president was behind the event.

Trump says he is not concerned about the cancelled artistes. Instead of singers he intends to “give the longest speech I have ever given.”

Meanwhile, America 250 is struggling to pay the bills. Only $25 million of the promised $100 million has materialised. Much of it is believed to have been redirected on Trump’s orders to the Freedom 250 account. Democrat Congressman have pledged to investigate.

NATO

Trump flies from the July 4 celebrations to Ankara for what has been billed as “one of the most consequential NATO summits” in the alliance’s history.

Reports suggest that the American president intends to arrive with both guns blazing; one of them aimed at the defence spending of his allies and the other at their refusal to become involved in the Iran War. “They weren’t there for us!!!” Trump recently wrote on his Truth Social platform. In Trump’s playbook, alliances are reciprocal.

The president’s long-term aim is probably not all that different from that of the Europeans and Canadians. He envisages an alliance where the US remains the primary nuclear guarantor. America would also provide strategic lift, intelligence and high-end capabilities. The Europeans would pay for and field the bulk of the conventional forces in Europe so that the US can concentrate on China.

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Andy Cooke

Richard Webber – 4th April 1946 to 28th June 2026

By Andy Cooke | Sat 4th July 2026 - 12:00 pm

Richard Webber, husband to Catherine, father to Edward, Rebecca, Richard, and Sophie, was my friend and mentor, and he died peacefully at home last Sunday after a long fight with oesophageal cancer.

Richard was an inspiring teacher, much respected councillor, entrepreneur, dearly beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.  He was a mainstay and stalwart of the Oxfordshire Lib Dem Party, stepping up to fight (and win) a District by-election in his home village of Drayton in 2005, following a long and successful career as a teacher.  He then fought a much harder series of Oxfordshire County Council elections from 2013 (in the depths of Lib Dem struggles), winning his first contest by 31 votes and holding on through 2017 and 2021.

He led the Oxfordshire Lib Dem Group through the wilderness years post-Coalition as the party rebuilt, until 2021, when they took control of Oxfordshire County Council, when he willingly stepped aside for Liz Leffman to lead the council.  He saw the party rebuild from single figures of District seats in Vale of White Horse, from third place in Oxfordshire County Council, and from no MPs in Oxfordshire to a super-majority in the Vale (wiping out the Tories completely in 2023), a majority on the County Council, and five of seven MPs in Oxfordshire.

Above – Richard and his wife Catherine, campaigning with Ed Davey in Oxfordshire

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: I am an Immigrant

By Tom Arms | Sat 4th July 2026 - 10:03 am

I am an immigrant. I emigrated from the United States to the United Kingdom on the 12th of December 1971.

I had studied for a year in Britain 18 months before and fell in love with the country and one of its citizens and moved back despite the dreary weather and traffic jams.

I did not flee a Middle Eastern War. I did not turf up at Heathrow claiming political persecution. I did not risk my life to cross the English Channel in freezing weather. Nor was I fleeing from poverty or conflict. In fact, if I had stayed in America I would probably be enjoying a comfortable country club existence.

Nevertheless, I feel an affinity with African, Asian, Hispanic, or any person from any race or country who left their homeland to seek a new life. It is not easy to leave the safety net of cultural familiarity, family and friends.

If you are born to a country your acceptance is automatic. As an immigrant you have to constantly prove your worth and justify your decision to uproot your entire life and start afresh. At the end of the day, you, more than a native-born person must feel that you have contributed something.

I feel I have succeeded. I started an international news agency which launched the careers of well over a hundred journalists. My children are all a credit to me as are the 200 boys—many of them now young men– who have passed through my scout group over the past 25 years.

I am not boasting. In fact, I don’t regard myself as particularly unusual. Immigrants in every country have outstanding records of contributing to their adopted homelands.

Think about it. By their very nature immigrants have proven through their actions that they are risk takers. They are adventurers. They are focused, determined and prepared to work hard to achieve their aims. Such people are assets to any community lucky enough to have them.

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Stephen O'Brien

Liberalism must mean something again

By Stephen O'Brien | Fri 3rd July 2026 - 5:06 pm

I have been a Liberal Democrat, and part of the wider liberal tradition, for my entire adult life. I believe there has rarely been a more important time for liberal politics to be at the forefront of British public life.

Yet too often, our party seems more comfortable talking about blocking 16 and 17-year-olds from social media than trusting the same young people we have long argued should have the right to vote.

That matters.

Liberalism is not meant to be timid. It is not meant to chase every passing moral panic. It is not meant to dress itself up as small-c social conservatism in the hope that people who do not share our values might suddenly decide to vote for us. They will not. Worse than that, it risks alienating the very people who naturally look to a liberal party for leadership, courage and principle.

In 2024, the Liberal Democrats got the campaign right. We returned to Parliament in significant numbers, and that achievement should not be dismissed. It was a remarkable electoral success.

But what have we done with it?

We have gone from being a party that once had a huge impact on British politics to one that too often seems willing to support almost anything if it gets a cheap headline. For a party with our history, that is not good enough.

We are the party of Gladstone, Lloyd George, Grimond, Ashdown and the long liberal tradition of reform, liberty, internationalism and individual freedom. Yet today, too many people remember us less for bold liberal ideas and more for stunts. That should worry every single one of us.

For me, the problem is simple: we are missing the moment, and in doing so we are forgetting our purpose.

The Liberal Democrats should be the party of liberalism. That means defending civil liberties, trusting individuals, challenging the overreach of the state, standing up for democratic reform, protecting human rights, and being radical where the country needs radical answers.

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Roz Savage MP

Andy Burnham has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to renew British democracy. He should take it.

By Roz Savage MP | Thu 2nd July 2026 - 5:37 pm

On Monday I had lunch with an American friend who was visiting London. I mentioned that later that day I was co-sponsoring an event in Parliament with Labour MP Clive Lewis on the subject of defending UK democracy.

Her expression changed immediately. “Please,” she said, “learn from us.”

She wasn’t talking about Donald Trump as an individual. She was talking about what has happened to the institutions of American democracy over the past few years, especially in the 18 months of Trump 2.0.

“We assumed the system would protect itself. We assumed there would always be enough guardrails. We assumed no one would really push it that far.” Then she paused. “Please don’t let our pain have been in vain.”

We need to look across the Atlantic, and pay heed. Because I fear we sometimes comfort ourselves with exactly the same assumptions. Britain, we tell ourselves, is different. Our institutions are older. Our democracy is stronger. Our traditions will protect us.

But democracies are not self-defending. They need rules and structures that don’t assume only good people acting in good faith, but can withstand bad actors willing to exploit every weakness they can find.

That was the central message of the Defensive Constitutional Reform report that was the basis of our panel discussion on Monday night. It argues that Britain has relied for too long on what Peter Hennessy famously called the “good chaps” theory of government: the comforting assumption that those who attain power will generally exercise it responsibly. In an era of disinformation, billionaire influence, hostile foreign interference and growing political polarisation, that assumption no longer looks sufficient.

Rebuilding trust in democracy

Last week, I argued that first-past-the-post is no longer simply unfair. It is becoming dangerous.

This week I want to ask a different question. If we agree our democracy needs strengthening, how should we go about it?

The answer matters because we are living through a profound crisis of confidence in politics itself. Too many people no longer believe their voice matters. Too many feel governments are imposed upon them rather than chosen by them. Too many look at Westminster and conclude that politics is something done by elites, for elites.

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Nick Baird

Why the Lib Dem Defence Bonds plan is a bad idea

By Nick Baird | Thu 2nd July 2026 - 2:00 pm

The recent (and long overdue) release of the UK’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has only intensified the long-running debate about how to fund an increase in the UK Defence Budget, a debate that has already cost the Labour Government two Ministers. Cursory examination of the Government’s plans soon revealed that rather than being “fully funded”, the plan actually requires a further £4.7bn of cuts to other departments and £10.7bn of “efficiency savings” in the next 4 years, neither of which have yet been identified. It also fails to provide any budget for 2030 onwards, with that can kicked down the road for the next Prime Minister.

In January of this year, Ed Davey announced our solution to the problem – Defence Bonds (https://www.libdems.org.uk/press/release/ed-davey-calls-for-defence-bonds-to-fund-pound20bn-boost-to-military-spending-and-reduce-reliance-on-us), a policy announced without consultation or debate within the Party. This plan proposes raising £20bn over 2 years, ring-fenced for defence capital spending, to “give ordinary people the opportunity to contribute to Britain’s security”.

In my opinion, this plan is both a bad way to fund defence, and also won’t work. For background, I spent over 30 years working in the defence industry, the last 20 of those as a Director and part-owner of a manufacturing SME. I lived with the daily challenges of budgeting and planning, and in that time experienced both the best and worst of UK defence procurement. While I enjoyed the dubious “pleasure” of being a supplier on the infamous Ajax armoured vehicle programme, it’s important to note that despite the bad press UK defence procurement is not all bad. I was also directly involved in numerous projects where the MOD and industry worked together to achieve amazing results, delivered quickly and on budget, that saved lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My first objection is that a short, sharp injection of £20bn over two years is not nearly as helpful as it might sound. What the MOD, and just as importantly industry, needs is the certainty of a long term (10+ year) cash budget to plan against. Uncertainty leads to inefficiency, and suddenly throwing £20bn at the MOD would lead to some terrible outcomes. The MOD would of course do its level best to spend that money, because it would fear any under-spend getting clawed back by the Treasury. But as we have seen before during the Pandemic, when the Government tries to spend a lot of money quickly it leads to failure, waste and fraud. While some good, innovative solutions might be funded, it would also act as a honeypot to every snake-oil salesman with a glossy powerpoint and no track-record.

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Vince Cable

Vince Cable writes: Manchesterism and Localism

By Vince Cable | Wed 1st July 2026 - 2:55 pm

Andy Burnham’s launch speech in Manchester raised hopes of a sustained plan to devolve power away from Whitehall.  If the reality matches the rhetoric, that will be a massive achievement and will greatly improve our system of governance.

But any Liberal Democrat who has been battling for decades for genuine local, community-based decision making and against the infantilisation of local government is entitled to some scepticism.  My own formative experience is somewhat different: serving in the Coalition Cabinet which first launched the idea of devolving powers to elected mayors for city-regions broadly on the London model (prompted by a report for the Coalition by Michael Heseltine) ; and having earlier served as a  – then, Labour – City Councillor in Glasgow) in the early 1970’s, before Scottish devolution, and when councils had serious powers (inter alia, we could appoint head teachers, build council houses and set the rents).

The fundamental idea that decisions by public. authorities should be made as close as possible to local communities – subsidiarity- is not in dispute. As a leading force in local government- and, at times, the leading force, Liberal Democrats have sought to apply that principle and have often tried to devolve further to lower, ward, levels.   But they have been swimming against the tide of gradual centralisation as successive governments have stripped away local powers in the interests of a national ideology or of financial control. As a result, we are highly centralised (and especially so in England after substantial devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Devolution of power is not the same thing as decentralisation or relocation. Various governments have despatched government departments to the provinces to be administered locally. Under the Boris Johnson administration, Darlington became a northern outpost of government. Andy Burnham envisages some Cabinet Office activities being based in Manchester. In the day, I recall advocating the relocation of the Treasury to Liverpool as a means of shifting thinking regionally. But none of these approaches empower people in towns and cities outside London.

There is an important distinction between devolution of power to spend central government tax revenue on local priorities and fiscal autonomy with responsibility for local revenue raising. British devolution is largely the former albeit with very limited (income) tax raising powers for the Scottish and Welsh governments. There is nothing like the revenue raising responsibility of Danish local government or German Lander, let alone US states and, so far, city mayors have none. Arguably, city mayors have become popular- or at least unobjectionable – precisely because they can spend without having to tax, though spending discretion is better than none. 

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Lord William Wallace

William Wallace writes: What do Liberal Democrats have to offer the “left behind”?

By Lord William Wallace | Wed 1st July 2026 - 12:55 pm

Regional redistribution from the wealthy South-East to Britain’s poorer cities, towns and villages is a sensitive issue for Liberal Democrats.  When Britain left the EU and English regions and the devolved nations lost their share of EU regional funding (part of the balancing gains to the UK that the Leave campaign successfully ignored) the imbalance of investment and funding between the wealthy south-east and the rest of the UK tipped further.  Boris Johnson breezily promised to ‘level up’ the country, raising expectations that were shattered when he failed to follow through.  Andy Burnham may be more serious about reviving our poorer regions, and we as Liberal Democrats will have  to respond carefully.

I have had a number of difficult arguments with colleagues in the party about this over the years.  Liberal Democrats are above all local champions, standing up for neglected communities within the areas they represent.  When I and others have argued for larger regional transfers MPs and councillors have reminded us of the pockets of poverty in north and east London, Kent, Somerset and beyond.  Our parliamentary party spreads broadly across southern England, but sadly has few champions yet for Lancashire, Yorkshire or the North-East.  We’ve already heard some champions of London – not in our own party – protesting that ‘taking money from London’ would be a betrayal of Londoners’ interests.  It’s hard for some of our own to resist similar responses.

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John Armah

Battling Burnham: a Liberal Democrat response

By John Armah | Wed 1st July 2026 - 11:15 am

From Gladstone and Home Rule, Grimond and Regionalism, Ashdown and Devolution and even Daisy’s plan to move the Treasury,decentralising the British state has always been a Liberal Democrat ambition. Glad to see Andy Burnham and the Labour Party are finally catching up. The right’s Brexit warcry of Take Back Control can be repelled like a skilled Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and transformed from scapegoating minorities to truly rebalancing our country.

However in our algorithm-driven age, the British people are unfamiliar with our approach to place, devolution,federalism or electoral reform. As Mark Carney has told us ‘Nostalgia is not a strategy! We must regain the initiative on the devolution debate and expose Labour’s belief in the State being the answer with a more considered approach. Modern politics is a battle of stories and we need to become better storytellers because we have a great story to tell.

While we should welcome Burnham’s conversion, we should push him to make truly meaningful change. Metro Mayoralties and Combined Authorities face a democratic deficit with only the Mayors facing their entire regional electorate. London is a better model with a London-wide Assembly and elected Mayor. For English regions from the South East to the North West to the Senedd and Scottish Parliament, it is time to devolve all domestic policy to regional assemblies with elected First Ministers and tax-raising powers.

Let Westminster set minimum standards but the regions and nations decide what their NHS, Health and Social Care, Housing and Infrastructure policy should look like. English Regional Assemblies will require a smaller Westminster focused on national taxation, foreign affairs and defence and finally an elected Upper House under a reformed voting system. But why should the British people care?

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Jack Meredith

Burnham, co-ops, and Grimond: my thoughts

By Jack Meredith | Wed 1st July 2026 - 9:36 am

“If people in 1844 could form the co-operative movement… to lower the price of food, then why can’t we now…?”

This is an extract from Andy Burnham’s speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, in which he partially laid out his economic vision for Britain, focused on social democracy and cooperativism, or more specifically, “Manchesterism“.

Now, I’m not going to do a deep dive into Burnham’s achievements and drawbacks as Mayor, as I’m sure someone else can do a much better job than me on that. But what I do want to draw attention to is how Andy Burnham managed to introduce an idea, supported by a bastion of British liberalism and former Liberal Party leader Jo Grimond, much more effectively than we have for a long while: the transition from discussing power in terms of public and private ownership to social ownership.

Among other things, Grimond was a strong advocate for worker cooperatives and employee co-ownership, championing them as a sort of “third-way” between state socialism and unregulated free-market capitalism. And while the Liberal Democrats aren’t necessarily against these ideas, we have allowed our vocal support for them to fall by the wayside over the last few years. I, myself, like to talk a lot about the need for more cooperatives, mutuals and social enterprises in our society, so to hear Andy Burnham talk about the movement in such a positive light did bring a smile to my face, even more so that it seems he plans on making cooperativism a big part of his governing style.

With all that said, I have to ask: what about us? Aside from cooperatives, Burnham also spoke about the need for federalism, something we also believe in, and in his book “Head North”, he discusses the need for proportional representation and replacing the House of Lords with a Senate of Nations and Regions, not too dissimilar to our stance, either. Granted, he didn’t speak about these issues, which does raise the question as to whether he’s actually going to go through with them once in power, but it’s interesting nonetheless to notice the overlap between us and Burnham; there’s arguably more in common between us than there is between him and the current Labour Party.

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Christian de Vartavan

The Climate Clock Is Ticking: Reflections from the International Seminar on Culture and Climate Change at Somerset House last Friday

By Christian de Vartavan | Tue 30th June 2026 - 8:34 pm

Thanks to a Brazilian friend, I had the opportunity to attend the International Seminar on Culture and Climate Change, which took place on Friday afternoon at Somerset House in London.

The event was organised by several institutions, including a department of my alma mater, UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and was attended by His Excellency Antonio Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil (pictured speaking above). Given last week’s heatwave, the seminar took place in a particularly warm room, with a humid atmosphere that created an almost symbolic reminder of the Amazon rainforest, which was central to many of the discussions.

The central theme of the seminar was the recognition of the inseparable — yet still insufficiently understood — relationship between culture and climate change, and the need to involve local Indigenous communities because of their deep ancestral knowledge of nature and ecosystems.

Some of the strongest arguments in support of this approach were expressed by the multi-award-winning founder of the aforementioned UCL department, Professor Mariana Mazzucato CBE, both during her speech and in the latest Policy Brief No. 36, published this month, a copy of which I was fortunate enough to obtain. The publication concludes with several key recommendations that policymakers, including the Liberal Democrats, should carefully consider:

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Dennis Delice

The state we’re in – musings from a new young member

By Dennis Delice | Tue 30th June 2026 - 4:40 pm

The desire for a sense of control is a deeply futile effort, because despite being individuals, we find ourselves in a social paradigm, shaped by what is beyond our control – for example, where we are born. The person we grow into is also often a product of their environment, often not only inheriting their parents’ genes, but also their ideas and mannerisms. We are all woven in a tapestry of human experience, for we were not born in the wilderness and raised by wolves, without any social contact.

In our growingly atomised age, where our identities are now less bound to our nationality and class as they used to be but increasingly linked to our protected characteristics, conservative backlash bears electoral fruit. It is therefore no longer surprising that in developed countries, we vote not in economic terms, but primarily social now – previously hardened identities of old, such as class or gender, become blurred and less well-defined. This leads to a mismatch between increasingly academic and arbitrary language and lived experiences, which far too often translates as resentment towards liberalism, which feels moralising and detached. For example, Labour struggles with capturing the working-class vote, whilst the Conservatives have lost their affluent but socially liberal support. The left-right axis is becoming ineffective at describing political persuasions as Reform voters are ambivalent on economics, yet hardcore on social conservatism. The floor for liberalism has opened as an alternative, but communicating it without alienating people, as progressives did during the Brexit vote, is key.

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Ray Georgeson

Can “Manchesterism” work for our rural communities?

By Ray Georgeson | Tue 30th June 2026 - 1:00 pm

Here we are again, with the body politic latching on to another -ism that lacks definition yet carries allure for those of us desperate to see devolution and real localism really spring into life. I say this as a Mancunian now resident in the Scottish Borders, so perhaps you can forgive my instinctive pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism.

When, as Andy Burnham pointed out in his gently jocular manner, even the Mayor of Liverpool was applauding when he said “This is Manchesterism” when setting out his first policy platform, you know that something is happening.

Pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism is one thing, but what does it mean in reality? At the very least, Andy Burnham has managed to kickstart a fresh debate on devolution, and it gives Liberal Democrats the chance to sharpen our ideas and contribute to the debate.

Here in Scotland, the reaction of the SNP was predictable in its puerility. Publishing a badly drawn map pointing out where Burnham’s No10 North will be located and reminding us how much British land mass lies even further to the North isn’t particularly helpful or mature, but it’s nothing more than we expected from the performative and superficial Scottish Nationalists.

There are, however, fundamental questions to consider about the nature of devolution and local control alongside the geography and demography of the United Kingdom.

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Charles Quinn

ALDC’s by-election report 25th June

By Charles Quinn | Tue 30th June 2026 - 12:00 pm

Our report on last week’s by-elections is a little late again. This is because there were an unusually high number of by-elections last week. There were 24 principal authority by-elections or countermanded election, across 23 wards, with several again counting on the Friday.

It was a mixed set of results for the Liberal Democrats. In many places we didn’t get the result our local teams deserved for all their hard work, but we still registered some strong results in seats that are up for election again next year, and we also achieved one excellent hold which is where we start:

Teignbridge DC, Dawlish South West

Lib Dem (Pat Hackett): 692 (45.3%, +6.6%)
Reform UK: 451 (29.5%, new)
Green Party: 230 (15.1%, +3.8%)
Conservative: 154 (10.1%, -12.8%)

Lib Dem HOLD

Congratulations to Councillor Pat Hackett on a resounding result in Teignbridge – increasing our vote share by 6.6%, holding off Reform UK who were contesting the seat for the first time, and retaining the ward for the Lib Dems.

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Charlie Larkin

What would Keynes do?

By Charlie Larkin | Tue 30th June 2026 - 10:29 am

Embed from Getty Images

I don’t tend to be the type to give more qualified people lectures about what to do and think, however in this case I feel it is of the utmost importance.

As a party it feels that we forget what our politics is really about, Liberalism. We chase headlines and create policy as a result of emotion and popularity rather than using our liberal roots to form it. Whether it’s Ed complaining about a banknote or a hapless policy of moving departments to Birmingham, we seem to lack core liberal ideas.

As a young person I can see what issues I will face as I enter adulthood. This is scary but also allows me to give a unique view of how I think we can create a better future for me and my peers. I see real Liberalism as the answer, not culture wars or hapless policy, but real liberal values that can build a stronger Britain. I also see other young people and how they see the world. A lot of them tend to be left-wing socialists who have a rather silly view of economics. However, I cannot say I blame them, they are being given a rather dross start in life and they are right to demand better. However, despite my left-wing sympathies I am a critic of class politics, I see it as no better than the race or gender politics of others.

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday – Place must be at the heart of Britain’s renewal

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 29th June 2026 - 5:30 pm

Andy Burnham’s major speech today contained a message that deserves to resonate well beyond Labour politics. His call to put place at the heart of government, to deliver “good growth in every postcode” and to devolve power away from Westminster is one of the most compelling ideas to emerge from British politics in recent years… likely because it echoes much of what we Lib Dems have been saying/calling for for years now. For too long, Britain has been governed as though every problem can be solved from Whitehall. The result has been an increasingly centralised State that often fails to …

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Iain Donaldson

Why Britain should be wary of Andy Burnham’s Devolution Revolution

By Iain Donaldson | Mon 29th June 2026 - 11:08 am

Andy Burnham’s political appeal is easy to understand. At a time when Westminster appears remote, ineffective and disconnected from much of England, his call for devolution speaks directly to a widespread belief that power is too concentrated in London.

Burnham’s argument addresses a genuine problem. Britain is one of the most centralised democracies in the developed world. Decisions affecting communities hundreds of miles from Westminster are routinely made by ministers and civil servants with little understanding of local circumstances. The frustration this creates is entirely justified.

Yet supporters of constitutional reform should be careful not to confuse devolution with democracy.

The question is not whether power should leave Westminster. It should. The question is what happens to that power once it arrives elsewhere.

In “Head North”, Burnham and Steve Rotherham set out a vision of stronger regions, more powerful metro mayors and greater local autonomy. It is an attractive idea because it promises to rebalance the country and revive local decision-making.

The danger is that it may simply replace one concentration of power with another.

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Caron Lindsay

Alistair Carmichael challenges “bizarre” Europcar policy on Shetland

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 28th June 2026 - 1:30 pm

A lionness defening her cubs would bave nothing on Alistair Carmichael in defence of the island communities he represents.

Alistair’s constituents from Shetland had booked a car hire in Glasgow. Europcar insisted they present their passports, which they hadn’t thought to bring given that they come from Shetland, clearly part of the UK. They were told that this was because they were from a “British island”. They were later told that this is defined as “one who, at the time of rental, is not resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Included in this definition are residents of the Shetland, Orkneys, Hebrides, Isle of Man, Isle of Scilly, Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight.”

They therefore ended up stranded and out of pocket. After Alistair’s intervention, they got heir money back but have not changed their absolute nonsense of a policy.

Alistair explained in a video:

Alistair said:

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