Mark Valladares

18-19 October 2025 – the weekend’s (non-Conference) press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sun 19th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”
  • Lib Dems: Govt must “break the link” with gas prices to reduce bills

Lib Dems: Badenoch must reverse Lowe appointment to avoid “lurch to the extremes”

Responding to the news that Rupert Lowe will joining the Public Accounts Committee in place of a Conservative, Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs, commented:

Huge numbers of decent British people – including many Conservative voters – will be rightly appalled to hear that Kemi Badenoch has decided to support somebody with Rupert Lowe’s views.

This decision proves yet again just how far the

…

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Christian de Vartavan

The UK Digital ID: a lawful project with serious political risks

By Christian de Vartavan | Sun 19th October 2025 - 5:05 pm

There is no constitutional or legal barrier preventing the creation of an identity card in the United Kingdom, whether digital or otherwise.

If such a system were to be introduced, it would logically fall under the UK Data Act 2025, adopted on 19 June 2025, which establishes the legal framework for digital identity services in the country. This Act, known as the DUAA, is overseen by a newly formed body called the Information Commission — a name confusingly similar to the existing Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The new Commission has regulatory powers comparable to those of Ofcom or the Competition and …

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Larry Ngan

LGBT rights in Asia and the challenges ahead

By Larry Ngan | Sun 19th October 2025 - 2:30 pm

The defeat of Hong Kong’s 2025 LGBT Bill marked a sobering moment for equality advocates across Asia. The bill would have granted limited rights, such as in medical and funeral matters, to same-sex couples who had already registered their unions overseas. Moreover, it was meant to comply with a 2023 court ruling. City legislators, however, voted it down 14 to 71.

What made sentiments harsher was that the failed bill neither legalised same-sex marriage nor established civil partnerships. Same-sex couples would still have to resort to registering civil partnerships in nearby countries such as Taiwan and Thailand. They would continue to face discrimination in society, especially regarding funeral arrangements and medical treatment. The Guardian even went so far as to criticise the bill for offering only the “bare minimum” of rights to same-sex couples.

Hong Kong society, however, overwhelmingly supports same-sex marriage. According to opinion polls, over 83% of Hong Kong citizens do not oppose same-sex relationships, and more than 60% agree with legalising same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, of the 14 legislators who voted “aye,” most will not stand again, making the chances of passing the bill even slimmer.

Hong Kong’s struggle is not unique in the Asia-Pacific region. Traditional Asian familial values remain the dominant factor, particularly among the older generations.

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Mark Valladares

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s speech to Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference

By Mark Valladares | Sun 19th October 2025 - 11:15 am

Conference, when I first met Adam he introduced himself to me as a former pirate. Not the strangest introduction I’ve had from a Liberal Democrat, but it’s up there.

While living and working in London, Adam was a homework volunteer with The Hackney Pirates. They help disadvantaged kids, often from single parent families with their schoolwork in the evenings.

He’s worked as a Deliveroo driver, a RADA-trained actor, and a charity worker fighting to secure life changing treatments for cystic fibrosis patients. But he always found time to offer mentorship to those adrift from school or at risk of offending.

That speaks to a community spirit that has punctuated his approach to life and politics.

Adam is now raising a young family where he grew up, just up the road in Bishopbriggs. So go and knock doors for him. Susan Murray won the equivalent seat last year, and like then it’s a straight fight between us and the SNP.

Because he’s on the verge of making history, as the first ever Liberal Democrat representative for Strathkelvin & Bearsden in the Scottish Parliament.

It’s great to be back in Glasgow. Home to one of our country’s greatest seats of innovation, creativity and learning, and the alma mater of Charles Kennedy, and of course our dear friend Ming Campbell.

Three weeks ago, Ming slipped away from us. A giant of our party and a regular at our conferences since the 1970s. He grew up in a flat a short walk away in Kelvinbridge.

Conference, my first political act of any kind, took place on the morning of the 1987 General Election. I was nine years old.

At 4am my father woke me from my sleep and bundled me out the door to help him deliver Good Morning leaflets to the entirety of our village in Fife. They were for Ming Campbell.

I did so without complaint because Dad had taken me to his adoption meeting a few weeks previous.

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 19th October 2025 - 8:30 am

As I write this, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, is preparing to sit down in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump.

The Ukrainian leader had high hopes for this meeting. Trump had broadly hinted that he was prepared to give Ukraine Tomahawk missiles. These weapons can be launched from air, land or sea and have a range of 1,500 miles and carry an enormous payload.

That means that Ukraine could launch the missiles from anywhere inside Ukraine or on the Black Sea and easily hit targets in Moscow and beyond. Up to now the West has been reluctant to provide Ukraine with long-range weaponry for fear that it would escalate the conflict. These missiles are a game changer.

Then, while Zelensky, was in mid-flight, Trump and Vladimir Putin had another marathon telephone session—two and a half hours.

Putin held out the golden carrot of “colossal” trade projects for America once the Ukraine War ended and sanctions were lifted.

Nothing tempts Trump more than money. Putin stressed that money came with peace and that he had control over when that peace came—not Zelensky.

So, Trump agreed to hold another meeting Putin; sometime in the next fortnight in Hungary. It is likely, but not certain, that the Tomahawks to Ukraine deal will go on ice or out the window altogether.

In the meantime, Putin is increasing the military pressure on Ukraine. On Thursday night there were dozens of Russian missile attacks and 300 drone attacks on Ukrainian targets. They mainly hit gas and electricity infrastructure as Ukrainians prepare for another hard, cold winter.

These attacks—and a wavering Trump—seem to be Putin’s main cards. The frontline is at stalemate and the Russian economy is struggling from sanctions and Ukrainian attacks on oil depots.

Britain’s collapsed Chinese spy case has brought into focus the structure and nature of Chinese intelligence.

Basically, when we talk about the Chinese intelligence service we are talking about the Ministry of State Security, aka MSS. Although, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is responsible for military intelligence.

The MSS is huge. One unofficial estimate puts the number of employees at 100,000. One former diplomat pointed that is only the ones on the payroll, “the rest of the population are unpaid interns.”

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Mark Valladares

18 October 2025 – the Scottish Conference press releases

By Mark Valladares | Sat 18th October 2025 - 10:00 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good
  • Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland
  • Scottish Lib Dems back proposals to support night-time economy
  • Lib Dem conference backs new plans for dementia support
  • Scottish Lib Dem conference backs measures to tackle violence against women and girls

Scottish Liberal Democrats set out radical plans to end ferries fiasco for good

Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow has today backed plans put forward by West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene to end the SNP”s ferries fiasco for good.

It follows a consultation run by Mr Greene which heard from local people, workers, ferry experts and businesses who have been messed around.

The party”s new plan calls for a series of measures including:

  • A new Ferries Bill within the first year of the new Parliament which guarantees that island communities are served by a reliable network, which listens to the needs of island communities and empowers them in decision-making.
  • New requirements to replace ageing vessels and produce a rolling 30-year strategy for ferries and port infrastructure, so no community is ever left without a viable lifeline service.
  • Restructuring the current tripartite governance arrangements of Scotland”s maritime assets, making them independent of government and putting community voices at their heart.
  • Expanding the compensation scheme for those affected by the SNP’s ferries fiasco, removing the current arbitrary limits that are unfair to so many businesses in island and coastal communities.

Jamie Greene said:

Islanders and coastal communities have paid the price for the failure of the Scottish Government to provide the ferries they need, manage maintenance, and procure new vessels on time or on budget.

They deserve better than SNP ministers who’ve shown that they don’t understand local needs and can”t be trusted with lifeline links.

We need to get Scotland moving again. By backing this motion, conference has sent a clear message that we have a realistic plan to get things done.

We will end the ferries fiasco for good through a new Ferries Bill that puts fairness for these communities at its heart. They deserve a new strategy that guarantees vessels are replaced in time and a real say on how their ferries are run, on top of proper compensation for the disruption they”ve suffered.

We are poised to beat the SNP in seats where their ferries fiasco has hit hard, but wherever you are a vote for the Liberal Democrats on the peach ballot next year can fix the ferries for good and get Scotland moving again.

Lib Dems call for a fair deal for rural Scotland

The Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference has today backed proposals from Highland Liberal Democrats which would ensure that all legislation works for rural communities.

The motion also calls for a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities and funding formulas – subject to their request – to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities.

It was put forward by the party’s candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green and candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber Andrew Baxter, and backed overwhelmingly by conference.

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate David Green said:

Scotland’s rural communities are vital to our economy, our environment, and our culture – but are too often left behind by the SNP’s centralised, urban-focused policy. People in the Highlands are tired and frustrated with always feeling they are at the back of the queue.

Many rural communities have a wealth of opportunities but also face significant challenges, including depopulation and the loss of young people; a chronic shortage of affordable housing and childcare; and poor transport connectivity.

Liberal Democrats successfully championed legislation to ensure that the needs of island communities are considered in every piece of legislation. That same consideration should apply to Scotland’s rural communities.

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch candidate Andrew Baxter said:

Highland council covers an area almost the size of Belgium. People living in Skye, Wick and Aviemore don’t necessarily have exactly the same interests. Meanwhile it is distant SNP ministers in Edinburgh who are making decisions about what local services should look like. That’s not good enough.

The motion also calls for the Scottish Government to enable a review of the shape and size of rural local authorities – subject to their request – and funding formulas to ensure local services are properly resourced and meet the needs of local communities. If communities want to see local authorities broken up then they should be able to decide that for themselves.

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Clive Jones

By The Voice | Sat 18th October 2025 - 5:20 pm

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Clive Jones’ contribution tells of Ming’s solidarity with someone whose journey to the Commons was similarly long:

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am sure that Ming would have been delighted with the tributes paid to him today by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey) and many others. Just as importantly, I think Elspeth would have been equally delighted. She would have been raising a glass of champagne in celebration.

Ming is remembered as a brilliant and successful athlete and an accomplished, distinguished advocate. He was a real fixture in this House, utterly authoritative on foreign policy and defence matters for more than two decades. Less well remembered is the fact that it took him three elections and a decade to be elected to represent Fife, a seat he then held for 28 years. He was, therefore, sympathetic and hugely supportive of my similarly numerous efforts to win in Wokingham.

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Humphrey Hawksley

The need for cross-Party policy on China

By Humphrey Hawksley | Sat 18th October 2025 - 2:15 pm

Why is there not yet a cross-party policy toward the way Britain handles China? After all, we have cross-party support on Ukraine and Russia.

Like oil and water, intelligence does not mix well with public debate, and the current spy case would be better handled with less damage behind the scenes by mature politicians.

The Labour government is still finding its feet. The Conservatives snap around like playground bullies.

The Liberal Democrats could take a lead here by making clear that the security of the nation stands way above political scalp hunting and click-bait sound bites for the 24-hour news cycles. …

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The Voice

Cole-Hamilton plots election breakthrough on the peach regional ballot

By The Voice | Sat 18th October 2025 - 11:00 am

Today, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton will use his speech to his party’s autumn conference in Glasgow to say that his party is on the brink of an electoral breakthrough and urge voters to back Scottish Liberal Democrats on the peach regional ballot at next year’s election in every corner of Scotland.

Mr Cole-Hamilton is expected to say:

The opportunity is such that we could be standing on the threshold of a historic breakthrough for our party across Scotland.

But that breakthrough is not inevitable, we are going to have to work for every single vote.

Our message is unapologetically positive, it speaks

…

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: Gaza’s Future

By Tom Arms | Sat 18th October 2025 - 8:30 am

Peace in Gaza has hit a snag. Actually it has hit three, but one is bigger than the others.

This is not surprising. No one but a total naiveté could have thought that total peace and harmony would have descended once Donald Trump had spoken.

There are decades of mistrust, hatred, violence and lies to overcome. In fact, more than a century if one goes back to the Balfour Declaration and the Jewish settlements of the 1920s.

But back to the present day when both sides have been accusing the other of bad faith and breaches of the ceasefire/peace agreement. Hamas has accused the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of continuing to fire on their fighters. They also complain that the promised aid has not arrived. The Israelis are angry that Hamas is slow in returning the bodies of dead hostages.

The IDF admits that since the ceasefire it has shot and killed Hamas fighters. Hamas claims that 24 have died. The Gaza Ministry of Health puts the death toll at four. The number, however, is less important than the fact that Palestinians who should be alive are dead.

Israel says that the Palestinians who died attacked Israeli soldiers and that they reserve the right to defend themselves. They probably did attack. How they attacked we do not know because journalists are now allowed inside Gaza. But we do know that the IDF has a reputation for shooting boys who throw stones. Hamas, however, has a reputation for ruthlessness and an inability to control its fighters.

Hamas’s other complaint is linked to a complaint from Israel—the supply of aid. There are three crossings from Israel into Gaza: Rafah, Erez and Kerem Shalom. All aid must go through these land crossings as Israel maintains a tight naval blockade. Two of the crossings are still closed by Israel. Therefore not enough aid is getting through and the Gazans are continuing to starve to death.

The Israeli government, however, is under pressure from the hostage families to withhold aid until all the bodies of the dead hostages are returned.

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Mark Valladares

17 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 17th October 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Number of serious childbirth injuries spikes by over a fifth
  • Lib Dems winners of by-elections Super Thursday, sweeping the board in once true blue Surrey as Conservative council tries to delay elections again
  • Farron: No Govt change on family farm tax is a “kick in the teeth” to farmers
  • Chamberlain to set out plans to tackle violence against women and girls

Number of serious childbirth injuries spikes by over a fifth

The number of third and fourth degree perineal tears following child birth has spiked dramatically since 2021 with the injuries now affecting almost 3% of all births.

The data found that, as of 2024, almost 29 in every 1,000 births now results in a serious perineal tear, up from 23.5 in 2021, the first full year of comparable data. That is a rise of more than a fifth. The number has risen every year between the comparable years since that data began to be recorded. Throughout 2024 there were 7,995 third or fourth degree tears reported.

The research also revealed that the number of readmissions following childbirth has risen on last year, with more than 5% of all childbirths resulting in one with more than 14,000 reported in 2024.

It comes as previous Liberal Democrat research has also found that the number of maternal deaths has also risen from 209 in 2015-17 to 254 in 2021-23. The NHS has faced a £27 billion bill for maternity failings over recent years, far more than the health service’s £18 billion budget for newborns over that period.

In April the government announced cuts to the national Service Development Funding (SDF) for maternity services from £95m in 2024-25 to just £2m in 2025-26. The fund had been introduced following the Ockenden Review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford to improve the quality of maternity care.

The Liberal Democrats said the figures were “heartbreaking” as more mothers had to endure these traumatic births. The party has called on the Government to immediately implement all of the actions from the Ockenden report into maternity care and to reverse the cuts to the SDF.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

Behind these figures are heartbreaking stories of women suffering unimaginable trauma at a moment that should be full of joy.

The Conservatives neglect of maternity services was unforgivable, putting mothers and babies under threat, but Labour risks kicking action on this problem into the long grass. We of course need to understand why these awful injuries are on the rise but the Government’s inquiry cannot be used as a shield against taking meaningful action now.

It is unacceptable that, while so many women die or are injured by poor maternity care, the Government raided the key ring-fenced fund for improving maternity services. Their promises to improve safety will ring hollow until they change course.

If the Government is serious about ending the disaster unfolding on our maternity wards, they must reverse these cuts at once, support our hard-working NHS teams, and implement every measure in the Ockenden Review without delay.

Lib Dems winners of by-elections Super Thursday, sweeping the board in once true blue Surrey as Conservative council tries to delay elections again

  • Party wins 7 out of 10 council by-elections this week, including all 6 out of 6 in Surrey.
  • Wins include Caterham in East Surrey constituency, held by Claire Coutinho, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, as Ed Davey says “what remains of the Blue Wall is crumbling away.”
  • ⁠Lib Dems also gain from Labour in Preston, beating Reform to the win.
  • ⁠Conservatives in Surrey looking to delay elections again in bid to remain in power for another year.

The Liberal Democrats have won the most by-elections on what has been dubbed ‘Super Thursday’, winning 7 out of the 10 council seats up. The wins came in Surrey but also in Preston, Lancashire, where the party gained from Labour, beating Reform to the win.

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Liam Yip

ALDC By-election report 16.10.25

By Liam Yip | Fri 17th October 2025 - 4:34 pm

4 parallel white vertical lines on orange background ALDC logoThis week saw ten local by-elections across the country, with there being a Liberal Democrat candidate in all of these.

We start in Preston, where a close-fought contest emerged between us and Reform UK. We were able to gain this seat from Labour, whose vote share collapsed by over half. Congratulations to Councillor Ronan Hodgson and the local Liberal Democrat team for winning this seat off Labour!

Preston City Council, Ashton

Liberal Democrats (Ronan Hodgson): 659 (35.5%, +14.0)
Reform UK: 548 (29.5%, New)
Labour: 429 (23.1%, -35.7)
Independent …

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Tim Farron

By The Voice | Fri 17th October 2025 - 2:55 pm

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

I wish to add my words of tribute to my friend, Ming Campbell. He had an impact on me long before I met him. The first general election I was active in was 1987. No offence to any other Liberal MP at the time—none of them are present here—but I was very impressed with Ming Campbell. He struck me as not being like other Liberal MPs: he looked like he could actually run the country. He had gravitas. I am pretty sure that is what I said to my mother in the early hours of, I think, 12 June 1987, when he gained North East Fife from the Toggle showing location ofColumn 213Conservatives: “You look the real deal. You look incredibly competent.” And of course, in the years that followed, he demonstrated that.

We have talked about the Iraq war. What Ming Campbell did—yes, applying his legal expertise and insight into international law as well as the law of this land—was to make the connection, in what is often thought of as the esoteric business of human rights, that human rights are about human duties. They are about making sure that nobody is above the law—no Prime Minister and no President. He made that clear and made it crossover into public consciousness in a way that was really very remarkable.

I then realised I had a connection with Ming. When I met my wife, Rosie, in the ’90s, it turned out that her now, sadly, late father, Mark Cantley, opened the bowling with Ming at Glasgow Hillhead. They had not spoken to each other for 30-odd years until Ming came to do a talk at the university at Ambleside shortly after I had been selected, and the two of them continued a friendship until Mark’s passing just two years ago.

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Rodrigo Palmer

Climate change is here: coral reefs are dying – but ecological economics provides an answer

By Rodrigo Palmer | Fri 17th October 2025 - 11:55 am

According to the Global Tipping Points Report published by the University of Exeter and other partners, “The world has entered a new reality. Global warming will soon exceed 1.5°C. where multiple climate tipping points pose catastrophic risks to billions of people.” Most tragically, “warm-water coral reefs are crossing their thermal tipping point and experiencing unprecedented dieback, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of millions who depend on them.”

This is a betrayal of a generation, and the product of systemic political failure. A failure to recognise the climate crisis for what it is – an urgent crisis with serious, long-lasting consequences for the most vulnerable. A failure of politicians to understand the implications of what a warming climate truly means for those who will live, and are living to suffer it. Where surpassing Earth System Tipping Points poses “a potentially catastrophic, irreversible outcome for humanity.”

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding by politicians and conventional economists as to why we are currently facing the problems we are facing. The economy is a social construct, which means you cannot have an economy without a society, and you can’t have a society without a home: our planet. The economy is not external to our environment; you cannot have an economy without a society nor an environment. However, our current dominant economic paradigm, neoclassical economics, which is advising our policymaking, is based on complete fiction. For example, it puts forward a circular flow diagram, which states that all you have is households and businesses, and as long as there is a flow of capital and labour between them both, growth can continue forever. But this is pure fantasy. Where do you extract resources from? Where does the waste that households produce go? Our environment – but yet it is nowhere to be found in this diagram.

Economics is in desperate need of an update, and in the wake of the first tipping point being passed, the time is now for us to call on our party for a new economic vision for our country. We cannot continue to desperately chase fairytales of endless growth without looking at the costs of our increasing consumption on the environment. If you accept that the economy is a social construct within our environment, then you also accept that we must live within planetary boundaries and limits. However, because our current economics does not recognise the environment as the fundamental basis for our society or economy, these limits are being far exceeded.

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Calum Miller

By The Voice | Fri 17th October 2025 - 10:25 am

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Here is Calum Miller’s contribution:

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. It is an honour to follow the tributes of so many across the House. Ming Campbell was an inspiration to me and to many others who admired his integrity, courtesy and tenacity. I am lucky to have known Ming all my life, and I know how much his death will be felt by his family and the many friends who loved him. I share their grief.

Ming’s athletic achievement showed a man determined to work hard and make sacrifices to push himself to the limits. His international success has already been mentioned, but I remember him—in his mid-40s at that point—saying with some feeling that the annual school sports day had become a major focus, since he was the one the other dads wanted to beat in the fathers’ race. Behind that gracious façade was a true competitor.

Ming was of that remarkable generation of Glasgow University debaters from all parties who strove for a better society. Across a lifetime in politics, he maintained close friendships with those of other parties, yet he was clear on his politics. Ming’s tenacity was shown in his dedication to Scottish liberalism, working hard to win the North East Fife seat at his fifth general election.

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Rob Blackie

Britain must crush Musk

By Rob Blackie | Fri 17th October 2025 - 8:55 am

What should our democracy do when a very rich man encourages violence on our streets?

That’s the question that Britain faces today with Elon Musk’s recent behaviour.

Traditionally, this hasn’t been a problem. While media tycoons like Rupert Murdoch had influence, they did not provoke criminality. They didn’t call for violence on the streets. They didn’t transfer cash to criminals. And their companies didn’t openly flout the law.

Today things have changed. A few weeks ago, Elon Musk spoke to a nationalist march in London calling for a dissolution of Parliament, and going on to say:

My message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here. Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think.

There is no reasonable doubt that this was Elon Musk calling for violence on Britain’s streets. Ignoring this is to ignore our ears.

And if he had said this on the stage in Westminster, rather than beaming in from America, it is possible that Musk would have been arrested for encouraging violence.

Yet the British government did virtually nothing in response. A few days later the Prime Minster complained, but didn’t go as far as taking action.

This isn’t just a one off.

Last week, Elon Musk revealed that he was bankrolling Tommy Robinson, an extremist with a string of criminal convictions. 

And, as British Future’s Sunder Katwala has amply documented, Twitter continues to allow extreme racism, and effectively refuses to enforce the law against racist abuse.

The British government can’t let this keep happening. If we allow a foreign billionaire to encourage law breaking, it could lead to deaths on our streets.

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Mark Valladares

16 October 2025 – today’s Scottish press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th October 2025 - 11:37 pm
  • Scottish Liberal Democrats to debate plans to end ferries fiasco for good
  • Scotland has Britain’s highest rate of violent injuries to school staff

Scottish Liberal Democrats to debate plans to end ferries fiasco for good

On Saturday 18th October, Scottish Liberal Democrat conference will debate plans being put forward by West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene to end the SNP”s ferries fiasco for good.

It follows a consultation run by Mr Greene which heard from island communities directly, respondents included ferry experts and businesses who have been badly affected by endless ferry disruption.

The motion calls for a series of measures including:

  • A new Ferries Bill

…

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Mark Valladares

16 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th October 2025 - 10:52 pm
  • Lib Dems say China witness statements raise “more questions” than they answer and call for statutory inquiry
  • Hospices: Govt must reverse NI hike to deliver real change
  • GDP growth: Govt must kickstart growth and “quit slowcoach approach”
  • Lib Dems: Summon US ambassador over secretive meetings with Farage on rolling back women’s rights in UK
  • If China is a “daily threat” then “insane” not to cancel super-embassy, say Lib Dems
  • Chinese embassy plan must be “put out of its misery”

Lib Dems say China witness statements raise “more questions” than they answer and call for statutory inquiry

Responding to the Government publishing evidence regarding the collapsed China spy case, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Calum Miller MP, said:

These witness statements are only part of the puzzle and raise yet more unanswered questions.

Did emphasising the government’s desire for a positive relationship with China effectively cause this trial to collapse? What evidence was the CPS requesting which the government failed to provide?

And who was aware of these statements and the evidence being asked for both among ministers and in Number 10?

We clearly need a statutory public inquiry to get to the bottom of this whole fiasco.

Hospices: Govt must reverse NI hike to deliver real change

Commenting on the Government’s announcement on hospice funding, Liberal Democrat Care and Carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP said:

While this announcement goes some way to help children’s hospices, it entirely ignores the profound issues in funding adult hospices. The Government must go much further to deliver the real change hospices are crying out for.

For starters, to have any chance of tackling this ticking time bomb, the Government must reverse their cruel National Insurance hike that cost hospices £34 million last year, and make sure funding keeps pace with local need.

For too long, the vital role played by hospices in our health and care system has been overlooked. The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save the nation’s hospices. Everybody should have access to the very best palliative care, and to dignity at the end of life. This will never happen while government ministers are burying their heads in the sand.

GDP growth: Govt must kickstart growth and “quit slowcoach approach”

Responding to the news that GDP only grew by 0.1% in August, Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:

Today’s figures show the economy climbing slower than a sloth under a government simply not doing enough to kickstart growth.

The Chancellor must quit her slowcoach approach to the economy and finally drop her damaging national insurance hike, which has stifled business and hit high streets up and down the country.

The Government must take today’s news as a wakeup call and put an ambitious growth plan front and centre of their Budget later this Autumn – starting with a bespoke new UK-EU customs union which would unleash the potential of British exporters to trade more easily with our European neighbours.

Lib Dems: Summon US ambassador over secretive meetings with Farage on rolling back women’s rights in UK

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to summon the US Ambassador to explain why the US embassy in London held secretive talks with Nigel Farage on rolling back women’s rights and online safety laws in the UK.

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Ed Davey

By The Voice | Thu 16th October 2025 - 1:55 pm

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Ed Davey said:

I want to let the House into a secret about Ming Campbell: he was obsessed with sport—as one might expect from someone who was the captain of the Scottish men’s team at the Commonwealth games. I remember him talking about how he had been captivated by the 1948 London Olympics at the age of seven, listening to it on the radio with his mother, and how he had decided back then that he wanted to run at a future Olympic games. It is a dream of so many young boys and girls, but Ming—thanks to his determination, drive and work ethic—actually made it happen: he represented our country at the Tokyo games in 1964.

For a man once known as “the Flying Scotsman”, who set a new British 100-metre record at 10.2 seconds and who was probably the fastest person ever elected to this House, Ming was never one to brag about his sporting accomplishments. In fact, he was such a gentleman and so averse to boastfulness that it could be hard to get him to talk about them at all. I remember when Wayne Rooney broke a metatarsal in his foot ahead of the 2006 World cup. Ming had told us a story about how he had suffered an injury before the 1964 Olympic games and how hard he had worked to overcome it. We were all begging him to go on the radio, tell that story and encourage Wayne Rooney—a rare chance for the Liberal Democrat leader to break into the biggest sport story of the day—but Ming would not do it. I have to admit that Toggle showing location ofColumn 208it was frustrating at the time, but it was also a mark of why he was so respected and admired. That level of modesty is rare in anyone, especially in a politician, but those of us who knew Ming knew that it was simply the kind of man that he was.

It says a lot about Ming’s many and varied accomplishments that his extraordinary sporting achievements—being Britain’s fastest man and representing his country at the Olympics—will not be what he is most remembered for. Nor will he be most remembered for his law career, though he excelled at that too. He was even offered the chance to become a judge on Scotland’s High Court in 1996, but he turned it down because by then, as he put it, politics had got into his blood. And so, what Ming will be most remembered for is his enormous contribution to British politics—a parliamentary career spanning five decades, including 28 years representing North East Fife.

I got to know Ming early during his first Parliament, when I was the party’s economics adviser based in our Whips Office. Even then, he already had so much gravitas. He was so charming, so thoughtful and so respected. Ming was among those few MPs who were genuinely grandees from the first day they were elected, but his calmness, reasonableness and intense decency masked a radical politician: a man who never forgot his roots after growing up in a Glasgow tenement, and who was driven by a deep commitment to social justice. He said it was his role and the role of the Liberal Democrats to “rattle the cage” of British politics, and he did—especially, as you said, Mr Speaker, when it came to foreign affairs and defence, on which he led for our party for over 18 years, including, of course, in the lead-up to and after the Iraq war.

I remember how difficult a decision it was for us to oppose that war. It felt like we were not just going against the Government, but taking on the full might of the British state and the United States too. The way Ming tackled it, with his typically steady, forensic and lawyerly approach, gave us both the confidence and resolve to speak up strongly for what we believed. He made our position firmly rooted in respect for international law. At a time when the world was in turmoil following the horrific terrorist attacks of 11 September, Ming provided principled leadership with his trademark combination of morality, courage and wisdom, and he continued to do so, whether as leader of our party, as a respected member of the Intelligence and Security Committee and of the Foreign Affairs Committee, or in the other place.

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Sam Bennett

We have to be our best selves to fight Reform: that means Prue for President

By Sam Bennett | Thu 16th October 2025 - 11:55 am

Prue Bray standing next to logo Prue for PresidentIn a few months’ time, members in Wales will be facing a massive test; a test we have proven we can manage at local government, but have yet to prove at a Parliamentary level. How do we respond to the rise of Reform? How do we put our best foot forward and be the Liberal anti-authoritarian alternative to the populist right?

It is through that lens with which I am viewing our Presidential election. It is important now more than ever that we have a strong voice for Liberalism, pushing the party to be our best selves and come out fighting with our values. We need a President who will promote these values, bringing with them decades of experience in local government, and the structures of our party. To do this, we need to make sure our party is fighting fit and in the best place to fight each election that comes our way during this Parliament.

The strength of our party has always come from the way we engage our membership and having known Prue since I was in the Young Liberals, I know she understands the strengths our membership brings, as our party’s secret weapon. Her willingness to help people engage in the party, and harness people’s enthusiasm is what we need in a President, especially when the role is so critical to running our large, and often complicated organisation.

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Wendy Chamberlain

By The Voice | Thu 16th October 2025 - 10:25 am

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Here is Wendy Chamberlain’s tribute:

I stand here as a friend of Ming’s, but also as the current representative of his seat. I know how much he felt the privilege of being elected to this House for 28 years as the representative for North East Fife. I also know the very high regard in which he was held in the constituency. All I have had—both myself and the MSP for the constituency, Willie Rennie, who was previously a Member of this place—are very kind thoughts from constituents and stories about Ming that we have taken to our hearts.

He first stood for Parliament in Greenock in 1974. Greenock is my hometown. I was quite reassured, when I was first engaging with Ming, that we at least had something in common. What the Prime Minister said was right: he had the opportunity to switch to other parties, but he chose not to. Although he first stood in 1974, it took until 1987 before he was elected in North East Fife. That shows the spirit and determination he had as an individual, but also the work he did to build the constituency and build the local party.

I have had lots of thoughts from the local party, too. One of them I thought would be worth sharing with the House. Shortly after his election, which was a close contest against the sitting Conservative MP, they decided to take a celebratory boat trip out to the Isle of May to see the puffins. Unfortunately, the boat broke down on the way. Ming and Elspeth kept everybody calm. It was interesting that even people who did not vote for him came out and rescued the boat. That was the respect with which he was regarded.

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Mo Waqas

When barbarism knocks on your door: why the Taliban must be confronted, not tolerated

By Mo Waqas | Thu 16th October 2025 - 8:55 am

I can’t watch what’s happening on the Pakistan–Afghanistan border without feeling both anger and heartbreak. Anger at the Taliban a barbaric force that has dragged an entire nation back to the Middle Ages and heartbreak for the innocent people who will pay the price of yet another war they didn’t start.

It’s 2025, yet in Afghanistan, women are being treated worse than cattle. The Taliban’s idea of governance is to lock women indoors and call it “virtue.” They’ve banned girls from secondary school and university, stopped women from working, and ordered that no woman can travel without a male guardian. In July this year, dozens of young women were arrested in Kabul for wearing colourful clothes. Their so-called “vice police” humiliate and beat them for what they wear. The United Nations calls this gender apartheid and it’s hard to argue with that.

Nearly eight out of ten young Afghan women are excluded from education, jobs, or training. Hospitals are turning away female patients who come alone. Pregnant women die because they’re not allowed to travel without a man.

And now this tyranny is spilling over into Pakistan. In October 2025, heavy fighting broke out along the frontier in Kurram and Chaman. Pakistan says 23 of its soldiers were killed when Taliban-linked fighters attacked border posts. The Taliban claim they’ve killed 58 Pakistanis in return. Whatever the truth, one thing is certain civilians are dying on both sides.

Markets have shut. Villages are emptying. Families are fleeing through the night. Those who can’t escape huddle in their homes, praying the next shell doesn’t land on them.

But I understand why Pakistan has lost its patience. For years, militants based in Afghanistan particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have terrorised Pakistani towns and cities. I’ll never forget the images from Peshawar in 2014, when 132 schoolchildren were murdered by the TTP. Or the mosque bombing in 2023 that killed 84 police officers during prayer. Just a few months ago, in June 2025, a suicide bomber in Mir Ali killed 16 soldiers and injured dozens more. Pakistan’s critics often forget: this is a country that’s buried tens of thousands of its own citizens because of terrorism.

But I’ll be honest Pakistan helped create this monster too. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, its generals thought they could use the Taliban as “strategic depth” against India. They armed them, trained them, and looked the other way as extremists spread. Western governments, including our own, played along during the Cold War. We all did this. And now, the same monster we fed has turned on its maker.

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Mark Valladares

15 October 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 15th October 2025 - 10:45 pm
  • Budget rumours: Reeves must rule out “cloak and dagger” efforts to drag people into paying more tax
  • China case: Lib Dems call for release of all legal advice — including evidence needed for spy case to proceed
  • Angus MacDonald MP calls for common sense on rural helipads
  • Murray presses PM over small business national insurance in East Dunbartonshire

Budget rumours: Reeves must rule out “cloak and dagger” efforts to drag people into paying more tax

Responding to Rachel Reeves admitting there may be more tax rises in this autumn’s Budget, Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, said:

Millions of people up and down the country are worried they could face more damaging tax hikes, after the Conservative party saddled them with a stealth tax and this Government hit them with an unfair jobs tax.

Prolonging this uncertainty for weeks will leave people deeply worried about what this could mean for their payslips and bills.

Rachel Reeves must rule out a cloak-and-dagger effort to raise revenue by extending the Conservatives’ stealth tax and dragging even more working people into higher tax rates. What we need is a proper growth plan and for the big banks, social media giants and gambling companies to pay their fair share of tax.

China case: Lib Dems call for release of all legal advice — including evidence needed for spy case to proceed

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of his plan to publish the witness statements by the deputy national security adviser on the China case, the Liberal Democrats are now calling on the Government to put the full legal advice they received on the public record.

The party is calling for the Government to publish advice including on what evidence would be needed for the spy case to proceed.

Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, said:

The public have had enough of the constant blame game between the Conservatives and Labour on the collapse of the China spy case.

The Government must bolster their publication of witness statements and put all the legal advice they’ve received on this case on the public record – including advice on what evidence would be needed for this trial to go ahead.

Number 10 must also urgently launch an independent inquiry so we can finally get to the bottom of what actually happened in this labyrinthine case.

Angus MacDonald MP calls for common sense on rural helipads

Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, has called on the UK Government to cut through “bewildering” red tape that has stopped search and rescue helicopters from landing on community helipads in rural areas.

While leading a Westminster Hall debate on Access to Community Helipads in Rural Areas, Mr MacDonald raised the case of the Portree and Braes Community Trust helipad, which serves the north end of Skye, including the local hospital. Despite being purpose-built and refurbished to high safety standards, search and rescue helicopters operated by Bristow are not currently able to land there.

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The Voice

Tributes to Ming: Christine Jardine

By The Voice | Wed 15th October 2025 - 8:30 pm

This week, tributes to Ming Campbell were made in Parliament. We always knew how well respected he was across the political spectrum and it was quite emotional to see his wisdom and kindness universally recognised.

Here is Christine Jardine’s tribute:

I would also like to pay tribute to Ming Campbell, whom I met personally in later years, but whose political influence has hung over my entire adult life.

As an 18-year-old student at the University of Glasgow, I heard about these three great figures of British politics who had studied together and been great friends: Donald Dewar, who became the first First Minister of Scotland; John Smith, whose legacy as leader of the Labour party is well respected; and, of course, Ming Campbell. I found that his persona, his influence, his attitude to politics and his integrity influenced me. It was one of the things that pulled me towards the Liberal party, as it then was.

The first time I came across Ming personally was years later, about a year after he had stepped down as leader. When I made my maiden speech to the Scottish conference, I discovered that I was speaking on a motion proposed by Ming Campbell, which was, of course—this will come as no surprise to many—about RAF Leuchars, its future and what we needed to do to defend it. That was a thread that ran through.

In 2017, when I was standing in Edinburgh West, Ming came to launch my campaign—in fact, he helped me up on to a chair so that everybody could see me. He was there to be supportive. I learned a lot about his kindness and thoughtfulness a few weeks later, when my husband died and Ming took the time to take me aside and make sure I was okay and that I had the support I needed to get through the campaign.

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The Voice

House of Commons pays tribute to Ming

By The Voice | Wed 15th October 2025 - 7:08 pm

Yesterday the House of Commons paid tribute to our former leader Ming Campbell. It was very clear how highly he was regarded by people from across the political spectrum. We’ll highlight the cross-party contributions here and publish the Lib Dem contributions in full over the next few day.

The Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, kicked off the proceedings:

Ming was universally liked and respected across the House, regardless of people’s party allegiance. Unflappable, kind, principled, incredibly active and held in great esteem by all parties, Ming achieved success as an Olympian, as a lawyer and as a formidable politician in both Houses of Parliament, as well as leadership of the Liberal Democrats. He was one of Westminster’s most authoritative voices on foreign affairs, particularly in articulating his party’s opposition to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

On a personal level, Ming was a loyal friend to me and to my family. He served with my father on the Trade and Industry Committee, where they conducted many inquiries, most notably into the Iraq supergun affair. The two often vented their frustration about the thwarting of their efforts to get Ministers, officials or even fellow Members to appear before their Committee, but despite that, they pursued the inquiry fearlessly in order to get to the truth. Some things have never changed.

I know that Ming was hit especially hard by the death of his wife Elspeth; they were, of course, married for more than 50 years. Courage, wisdom and integrity were Ming’s hallmarks. We have lost a dear colleague and, for many of us, a wonderful friend. Our thoughts are with Ming’s family, his friends, and his allies across the political parties.

The Prime Minister continued:

Ming Campbell was authoritative on the subjects that he was passionate about, so it was no wonder that he had the respect and admiration of colleagues across the House, who recognised his wisdom and unfailing kindness over 28 years of service as a Member of this Parliament. Today we remember his commitment to Scotland and in particular of course to Fife—championing its industries from fishing to, in his case, flying—as well as becoming chancellor of the University of St Andrews, where he spoke of his joy at meeting students and young people full of hope for the future—a future he had done so much to shape. It was a full life, well lived alongside Elspeth, his beloved wife of more than 50 years. We are all enriched by his sense of duty and commitment to this country. He stands in the finest traditions of this House, so it is a privilege, on behalf of the Labour Benches, to pay tribute to the “Flying Scotsman”. May he rest in peace.

John McDonnell remembered his contributions on the Iraq War:

I want to thank Ming for the legal advice that he provided and the way that he addressed that debate, because he did so without seeking any party advantage. He simply set out the legal principles on which he was making his decision, and he did so with compassion and with the recognition of the moral duty that we all had. Many of us agreed with him and voted with him, and many did not, but everybody respected his judgment as a result. I believe he was a model MP, always speaking and voting on the basis of his conscience and the interests of his constituency and the country overall.

ALex Shelbrooke served with Ming on the NATO Parliamentary Alliance and told how well regarded he was and had a funny story:

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Stephen Harte

Campaigning is not a burden

By Stephen Harte | Wed 15th October 2025 - 2:58 pm

Stephen Harte out delivering in the sunshineAs the Scottish Lib Dems prepare on gather for Autumn Conference in Glasgow on Saturday, we have a long campaigning slog ahead of us…..a Holyrood General Election May 2026 and then straight into preparing for the five yearly Council elections in May 2027.  And we will be campaigning hard to gain seats in both!

That may sound daunting but I’m sure I’m not alone in actually looking forward to it.  I joined the party in my late teens (during the merger debate) because I actually want to campaign for a better world. I’d rather do that than sit at home being depressed and frustrated by the mess unfolding around us. And it’s great exercise!

One thing I have noticed is the campaigning burden on our hard working MPs, MSPs and Councillors. They each have a job of work to do to serve their constituents and campaigning comes on top of that. And many of them (especially local councillors) see themselves as the fallback to fill all the delivery gaps they can’t find other folk to volunteer for.

This is neither fair nor realistic if we want our elected folk to deliver for their constituents and not have them burn out in the process!

When it comes to campaigning activities, an elected person is no different from any other   Lib Dem activist. We do it for the party and our shared mission to created a better society – locally and beyond. We should never see campaigning as a favour to the MP, MSP, councillor or candidate.

So, fellow Lib Dems, could we agree the following:

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Hina Bokhari

Hina Bokhari writes: In these divided times, the Liberal Democrats must be the voice for fairness and community 

By Hina Bokhari | Wed 15th October 2025 - 11:55 am

Editor’s Note: In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.

When marginalised communities around the UK are under constant attack by populists looking for easy solutions to complex problems, it is more important than ever for the Liberal Democrats to champion fairness, openness and community. That’s why I’ll be voting for Josh Babarinde MP to be our next Liberal Democrat President.

I first met Josh when I was standing to be a London Assembly candidate for the party, and one of the key issues we faced in the capital back then – and continue to face today – was knife crime. I wanted to learn more about the work of his social enterprise, Cracked it, and how it was changing the lives of young people across London by employing ex-offenders and at-risk youth to repair smartphones and earn a living. Josh introduced me to a young person who had left prison with little hope and prospect, but whose life had completely changed because of what Cracked it had been able to do for him.

Later, as part of my campaign, Josh joined an event I’d organised at the Islington Youth Centre and introduced me to mums whose sons had died because of knife crime. Not only did examples like these fill me with admiration for Josh and his sense of community, but it deeply influenced my own political thinking and the importance I place on driving change for young people in the capital.

As a national party, it is vital for us to better understand the wide range of communities that we represent – whether in Westminster, Cardiff, Holyrood or in local councils up and down the country. For my part, I have tried to foster a stronger connection between the Liberal Democrats and the Muslim community of which I am a member. And I’m so grateful for the support that Josh has given me as I embarked on that mission – yet another example of how focused he is on championing our core values.

As an example, back during the pandemic, I organised the first ever Lib Dem Iftar. I intended it to be a very practical way for the party to take part in a really significant moment in the Muslim faith calendar, and in doing so learn more about this community and deepen our connection.

The plan was for non-Muslim party members to fast for a day during the month of Ramadan, and Josh jumped at the opportunity to take part. He woke up early to have his first meal before sunrise, and did a full fast for the rest of the day, before joining an online get-together where we broke our fast together with all the usual treats like dates. Speaking to Josh afterwards, he reflected how taking part in this helps you understand your privileges and how easy it is to take them for granted. The ability to come back to a warm home and a hot meal on the table is not something that everyone in our communities can count on.

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew meets: Carl Cashman Part 3 – A Lib Dem vision for Liverpool

By Mathew Hulbert | Wed 15th October 2025 - 10:25 am

Mathew Hulbert and Carl Cashman resplendent in yellow

This is the final part of my interview with Liverpool Lib Dem Council group leader Carl Cashman. In this instalment, we talk about the sort of city he wants to see.

So what is the Carl Cashman vision for Liverpool?

One of the first things I want to do is get the Council in the service of people and when you’ve got Labour Councillors saying ‘shouldn’t we move to four weekly bin collections’ that’s a Council that’s out of touch with people and for me if you go round Liverpool, it’s the most beautiful city in the world, but it’s a very dirty city at the moment, it’s very litter ridden city, because the Council aren’t getting the basics right and for me it’s about giving people a real voice over their community, making sure that we tidy up the city and make it a city to be proud of.

He wants to build Council houses:

I want to give people that security in their tenancy again. I want people to have a house for life. I want people to not have to worry about if they’re going to get evicted from one week to the next and I actually want to create communities in Liverpool again.

At the moment we’ve got really big issues with companies like Serco that we’ve got to deal with and we’re not dealing with and I think that’s because Labour haven’t got the guts to do it. I think it takes someone to come in and say one how do we solve the homelessness problem because it is a bad one and two how do we get the temporary accommodation list down and three how do we build Council houses.

The perception people like Boris Johnson and others have tried to create about Liverpool is as one with a sense of victimhood, but Carl rejects that.

I think it’s a city that has got an inherent sense of social justice, more than any other place that I know and it’s an understanding that if the little person’s being picked on we don’t like that. So maybe we call that out a little bit more than other people do. (The city’s been through a lot) we’ve had Hillsborough and several other things where the city’s had to come together and one thing about Liverpool is we always do come together in those situations.

Tragically Reform are on the rise seemingly everywhere, could that possibly include Liverpool?

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Jack Meredith

Why the Welsh Lib Dems must confront Reform on Ukraine

By Jack Meredith | Wed 15th October 2025 - 8:55 am

Wales has shown the world what solidarity looks like. We became a Nation of Sanctuary, opened our homes to thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and stood firmly on the side of democracy and the rule of law. Yet at the same time, Reform UK, the party now desperate to present itself as the Voice of Wales, was long represented by Nathan Gill, a former Brexit Party and Reform UK politician who pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery payments in return for pro-Russian statements.

This is not some abstract Westminster scandal, but one too close to home, in Wales. It strikes at the heart of our national security and our values. If Reform UK cannot even keep Russian influence out of its own ranks, why should the people of Wales trust them with our future?

And speaking of Reform UK, let’s take a look at its leader, Nigel Farage, a man who has been consistent with his defence of Putin’s illegal expansionist war in Ukraine. In a BBC Panorama interview, Mr Farage claimed that the West provoked Russia to attack Ukraine with “the ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union“, despite these two institutions operating on a democratic basis; countries only join because they want to, not because they’re forced.

Mr Farage has also previously called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to seek a peace deal with Russia, despite most of the democratic world, Ukraine included, calling on Russia to end its illegal expansionist war, respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and pull all of its troops out immediately.

While Reform UK flirts with Kremlin narratives, the Liberal Democrats have been absolutely clear: Ukraine’s fight is our fight. It is a fight for democracy, international law and the security of Europe.

From the outset, the Liberal Democrats have consistently:

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Larry Ngan

Challenges for youth campaigners against authoritarian regime: from today’s Georgia to yesterday’s Hong Kong umbrella revolution

By Larry Ngan | Tue 14th October 2025 - 3:00 pm

Democracy movements are getting younger. But youthful energy alone isn’t enough. Movements for freedom can be hijacked by malign influence or twisted into populist causes. The real challenge is keeping them liberal, disciplined, and resilient.

Take Georgia. With intensifying demonstrations from Presidential elections to local elections earlier this month. The ruling Georgian Dream party — aligned with Moscow — was accused of manipulating the process, prompting opposition parties to call for a boycott and mass protests in Tbilisi.

While the protests unfolded, the Atlantic Council (23 October 2024) published a report detailing Russia’s interference in Georgian society. The findings were alarming because the Kremlin’s methods closely mirror what happened in Hong Kong between 2014 and 2020.

Russia’s playbook begins with hijacking narratives through targeted misinformation. These campaigns are not just broad — they are personal. Democracy leaders are singled out with lies, threats, and psychological pressure. Moscow’s intelligence networks, including the SVR, push the familiar “foreign invasion” line — claiming that Western powers are orchestrating coups to topple so-called “legitimate” pro-Russian governments.

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