Police using 200-year old legislation to arrest hundreds of children for rough sleeping OECD inflation prediction: This is a damning verdict on the Government's economic record Bike theft faces being 'decriminalised' as nearly 9 in 10 thefts go unsolved Johnson "hosted friend" at Chequers: Public sick of subsidising ex-PM's legal fund Police using 200-year old legislation to arrest hundreds of children for rough sleeping Data uncovered by Layla Moran and the Liberal Democrats through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that police forces across the country have arrested 433 children over the last 5 years using the Vagrancy Act. ...
Jago Hazzard is our guide to York station and its history. It's noticeable that there are fewer platforms in use than there were in my students days in the city. You can support Jago's videos via his Patreon page.
This week (5-11 June) is Carers' Week, a chance to raise awareness of the pressures faced by carers, to recognise the work that they do, and to encourage those who care for their loved ones to see themselves as carers and access available support. Ed Davey, who has cared for family members from a very young age, has recorded a video to mark the event. Liberal Democrats are standing up for the millions of people across our country who are caring for loved ones. [IMG: 📺] Watch @EdwardJDavey's #CarersWeek message pic.twitter.com/RkJaWINC08 — Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) June 5, 2023 Making sure ...
One word; volunteering. It has amazing powers to transform and change lives. It enables us to grow, boost our confidence, connect with each other and our community. Volunteering enhances our opportunities to learn and develop new skills. It helps us to listen better, work well in a team as well as individually. The world today needs many more selfless acts, which shift away our attention from materialism, "what I am entitled to have" and focus our efforts to empower people around us. Volunteering means being able to put ourselves at the service of other people, who are often less fortunate ...
In 2021 childcare took 30% of the average UK wage compared with Finland (18%), Netherlands (17%) Canada (16%) and Denmark (9%). Overall it is clear that the UK lags far behind most other developed countries. At the same time, the UK continues to have the second-highest rate of social inequality in the G7, behind only the US, according to statistics published by the OECD. Our inequality is fuelled by educational disadvantage. Last week a survey of primary school teachers said that nearly half of their new entrants weren't toilet trained, could not give their name and couldn't eat by themselves. ...
I blogged the other day about Hope Instead of Handcuffs, the campaign against the handcuffing of child in care when they are moved between placements. In that post I asked if any Liberal Democrat parliamentarians had backed the campaign. This morning someone from the campaign been in touch to say that Munira Wilson, the party's spokesperson for education and MP for Twickenham. has given her support.
We are living through an acute housing shortage unprecedented in British history. The severe lack of homes drives house prices and rents, and there seems to be no end in sight. At its heart, the reason is simple: we haven't built enough homes for decades. The Liberal Democrats should be at the forefront of this debate, leading the charge for a localist and progressive housing policy that delivers the homes we need to see. Community Land Auctions were originally proposed with Ed Davey in 2007 and promise just this. Currently, communities that say yes to development near them get very ...
The BBC reports: Ian Blackford, the SNP's former Westminster leader, is to stand down as an MP at the next general election. Mr Blackford has been the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015, when he defeated former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy in a controversial campaign... Mr Blackford's campaign to replace Mr Kennedy as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber in 2015 became mired in controversy over online abuse aimed at the former Liberal Democrat leader and his long-running battle with alcoholism. Brian Smith, who was convenor of the local SNP branch, later resigned after it was ...
The Independent reports on the verdict of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the government is still being "too slow" to recover taxpayer money lost to fraud and error over the pandemic. The paper says that PAC has also warned Whitehall needs a "step change" in its approach to risk in order to prevent a similar "panic response" to future uncertainty: In a wide-ranging report published on Tuesday, the group laid bare a number of "repeated problems" affecting governance. Civil service churn means that those involved in commissioning projects rarely see them through to delivery, while "optimism bias" among ...
The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features Sam Freedman, talking about his recent excellent article on why apparently obvious policy ideas keep on being talked about, but not getting implemented. What's going on? Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Policy Paradox: The more obvious an idea is the less likely it will happen. David Gauke's proposal for an Office for Spending Evaluation. Lynne Featherstone on the Institute for Government's induction sessions for new ministers. The Shelter report on housing mentioned in the show. How ...
Recently Liverpool Lib Dem Councillors elected Carl Cashman as their group leader to replace Richard Kemp who stood down after the May elections. The Liverpool Echo recently did a profile of the 31 year old mortgage broker who has said that he wants the Lib Dems to appeal to the whole city, not just the suburbs: "I want to dispel this idea that if you are from a council estate or a poorer background then it is the Labour Party that you naturally identify with. The Lib Dems aren't just here for the leafy suburbs, we are here for the ...
A resident recently contacted us as follows : "I walk to Ninewells hospital daily from the Invergowrie end of the Perth Road. There is a lack of lighting as you walk down the path past the Maggie's Centre towards the Technology Park (that runs behind Carseview) and I wondered if this path can be considered for better lighting please? The path is used by many people and in the midst of winter when there is very little daylight, walking home doesn't feel terribly safe when you are walking alone to and from work." The council's street lighting partnership manager advised ...
