20 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrats : All News Feed

Tue 29th Jul 2008:

Video: Nick Clegg's summer message.

Nick Clegg has recorded a summer message for Liberal Democrat members and supporters. In it he talks about the problems facing Labour, how the Liberal Democrats would help families with the rising cost of living, and the party's plans for the autumn. You can watch a subtitled version of the video on Overstream. 

Thu 17th Jul 2008:

Nick Clegg launches 'Make It Happen'.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today launched the party’s Make it Happen document, which is a statement of the party’s vision and values. ‘Make it Happen’ sets out in clear language the party’s position on important issues such as the economy, taxation and the health service.You can read Make it Happen here.

Thu 7th Aug 2008:

Liberal Democrats outline youth crime proposals.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, today accused both Labour and the Conservatives of ‘falling over each other to be tough on crime’ as he promoted his party’s new plans for stopping young people from committing crimes.The ideas outlined in the document A Life Away From Crime also highlight how to stop children who have been found guilty of minor offences from committing more serious crimes.The main proposals include: Making young people pay back the damage caused to communities without involving the criminal justice system The formation of a Youth Volunteer Force to engage young people in activities that benefit local people Running nationwide restorative justice programmes, with a particular emphasis on early intervention in schools and care homes Creating a dedicated PCSO youth officer in every area to work with teenagers most at risk of offending Targeting guns and knives through intelligence-led stop and search, hot-spot policing and action in schools Chris Huhne said:"If we want to tackle the problem of youth crime, we need to take action early to stop kids from embarking on a life of crime before it’s too late. "The old parties are falling over each other trying to be tough on crime, but nothing is being done do stop young people getting sucked in to a cycle of crime."Ministers know that programmes to divert kids away from crime work, and are even happy to promote such projects. However, they have failed to fund them properly in favour of punitive policies that grab headlines but achieve little."It is time for a new approach to youth justice which both prevents crime and confronts young people with their actions if they do break the law." To read the paper click here.

Government must protect families facing homelessness - Cable.

Commenting on new Halifax figures which show that house prices are now falling at their fastest rate since 1992, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The collapse in house prices is concrete evidence of the strain British families are under. "People are now feeling the painful effects of a triple whammy of massive debts, high fuel costs and rising food prices. "With falling house prices and rising mortgage costs there is a real danger that many people could find themselves in negative equity and under serious threat of repossession. "It is critical that families facing homelessness and unaffordable debts are protected. The Government must ensure repossession is only ever an extreme last resort. "If action is not taken now the housing market may well suffer the same massive crash that we saw under the last Tory Government."

Ministers petrified to admit serious test result doubts - Laws.

Commenting on Ed Balls’ announcement that the publication of Key Stage 3 results at local authority level is to be delayed, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "Ed Balls’ announcement on Key Stage 3 results is a complete dog’s breakfast. It inspires no confidence at all in the quality of the results. "If the results are not now accurate enough to publish at a local authority level, they should have been held back at a national level too. "This announcement gives every impression of a Government which understands that there are serious doubts about the Key Stage 3 test results. But ministers are clearly too petrified to admit this. "It is getting clearer by the day that we need a radical overhaul of national testing, including the abolition of Key Stage 3 tests."

Home auction sale price has plunged by one fifth - Oakeshott.

The average price of homes sold at auction has fallen by almost one fifth since 2007, the Liberal Democrats warned today. Calculations by Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Lord (Matthew) Oakeshott found that the average price of residential properties sold at auction in the second quarter of 2008 was down 18.7% from the same quarter of 2007. This is an average fall of £32,000 (from £170,757 to £138,857). Commenting, Lord Oakeshott said: "Auctions are the real deal with real buyers who have to exchange contracts and pay their deposit when the hammer falls. The published house price indices are well behind the market drop. "Deferring or suspending stamp duty with house prices in free fall would be like throwing a bucket of water at the Great Fire of London and risks sucking vulnerable first time buyers into negative equity. "Stamp duty needs serious long-term reform, not a quick fix to save Gordon Brown’s skin."

Patients have a right to pest-free hospitals - Gidley.

Commenting on figures released today that reveal there have been 20,000 incidents of pest infestation in NHS hospitals in the past two years, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "People will be revolted by this news and need to know that vermin control is stopping the spread of disease. "Patients have a right to expect our hospitals are made pest free. "The public needs reassurance that these incidents are not large scale, not reaching clinical areas and are not endangering lives."

Prison overcrowding reveals Government's bankrupt policy - Howarth.

Commenting on today’s report by the UK Prison Reform Trust which reveals the twenty most overcrowded jails in Britain, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "These figures are truly shocking and show the bankruptcy of the Government’s penal policy. "The answer is not to build more prisons as they would soon themselves fill up. "We need a break with the past and a new approach that restricts prison sentences to those who really have to be there and uses more effective measures such as restorative justice and mental health treatment for those who do not."

Wed 6th Aug 2008:

Fresh food inflation more bad news for struggling families - Cable.

Commenting on a new survey from the British Retail Consortium which shows that fresh food inflation has hit double figures, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "This is more bad news for families who are already struggling to make ends meet. "Soaring food and fuel prices are already having a major impact on growth and this new makes it all the more likely that we are heading for a recession. "Gordon Brown allowed the British economy to get hopelessly out of control and we are no in fit state to weather the storm of higher food and fuel prices. "What Britain needs is real leadership to pull the economy through this downturn."

Patients have a right to pest-free hospitals - Gidley.

Commenting on figures released today that reveal there have been 20,000 incidents of pest infestation in NHS hospitals in the past two years, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "People will be revolted by this news and need to know that vermin control is stopping the spread of disease. "Patients have a right to expect our hospitals are made pest free. "The public needs reassurance that these incidents are not large scale, not reaching clinical areas and are not endangering lives."

Government must ensure China treats UK protesters fairly - Davey.

Commenting on reports that two Britons have been arrested for displaying Free Tibet banners in Beijing, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said: "Considering this was a peaceful protest, it is essential that these people are immediately provided with consular access and legal advice. Then they must be either charged or released as soon as possible. "The Foreign Office must put pressure on the Chinese authorities to ensure that these protesters are treated fairly and with dignity. "The Chinese Government should not be using heavy-handed and repressive tactics to deal with peaceful protests."

Tue 5th Aug 2008:

Suspending stamp duty will worsen budget deficit - Cable.

Commenting on reports that the Government may temporarily suspend Stamp Duty, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The Government shouldn’t be trying to bribe people into buying houses in a falling market. "With the economy grinding to a halt, we are already likely to see a shortfall in taxation. Suspending stamp duty, even on a temporary basis, will only make this situation worse. "The falls we are seeing in the housing market are painful, but necessary, if homes are to become affordable once more for those not on the property ladder. "Ministers allowed house prices to get hopelessly out of control. They must not now artificially prop up the market for political expediency. "The stamp duty is system is deeply unfair, as the slab structure creates massive distortions in the market, but this needs to be dealt with in a methodical way, not through panic decisions."

Economy on the brink of recession - Cable.

Commenting on today’s ONS announcement that the British economy may grow by only 0.1% in the second quarter, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The British economy is now teetering on the brink of recession. "As people tighten their belts in the face of high food, fuel and debt costs, it is inevitable that growth will fall. "We are now facing the consequences of an economy which has been driven on the back of an unsustainable level of debt for several years. "As the credit binge ends, we are now feeling the hangover. "After years of ignoring the instabilities in the economy, Gordon Brown must act now to stop a slowdown becoming a recession."

Cameron must investigate vile campaign of criminal damage - Liberal Democrats.

Following the arrest of Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Watford, Ian Oakley, and his guilty plea today on five charges of criminal damage and two charges of harassment, Liberal Democrat Chair of Campaigns and Communications, Edward Davey has written to David Cameron demanding that he holds an urgent inquiry into the procedures and activities of Watford Conservative Party. Mr Oakley has also asked that 68 similar offences be taken into account. Liberal Democrats in Watford endured a sustained campaign of intimidation which was conducted over a period of three years and involved over 150 incidences of criminal damage and harassment against their Parliamentary Candidate Sal Brinton, councillors, candidates and ordinary members of the public who supported the Liberal Democrats. Edward Davey said: "This was a disgraceful and criminal campaign aimed at intimidating candidates and voters and subverting the democratic process. It is vital that David Cameron takes action to determine why Watford Conservatives failed to investigate the matter properly and to ensure that such an appalling course of events is never repeated." Sal Brinton, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Watford said: "I am relieved that Ian Oakley has pleaded guilty and that the nightmare of the last three years may finally be coming to an end. This has been a traumatic period for all those who have suffered from his vile campaign to defame, intimidate and terrorise people, simply for expressing support for a political party."

Darling misled Parliament on Northern Rock loan - Cable.

Commenting on the announcement that the Government is converting £3.4bn of its loan to Northern Rock into ordinary shares, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "Alistair Darling assured Parliament that taxpayer loans to Northern Rock would be fully secured on mortgage assets. This is clearly not true. "£3.4bn of the Government’s loan to Northern Rock is now being converted into ordinary shares, which rank right at the bottom for repayment. Continuing losses at the bank put this money at great risk. "Other banks have taken the cream of Northern Rock’s mortgages, leaving the rest to curdle. "The scale of the problems at the bank underlines the extreme negligence and irresponsibility of Northern Rock’s previous management, and highlights the scale of the failure of regulation by the FSA. "The Government should now go after the former directors who have managed to shift the bank’s losses on to the taxpayer. Ministers must also go after the auditors who failed to spot glaring problems and mounting bad debt. "The Chancellor and the Government were totally irresponsible for failing to heed my warnings from last October that the bank should be stopped from giving out 125% ‘together mortgages’. These shocking figures show Northern Rock has £6.3bn in unsecured loans. It was clear even then that they could never be repaid in a falling housing market."

SATs shambles a disgrace - Brooke.

Commenting on today’s Key Stage 2 SATs results, Liberal Democrat Children Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said: "The shambles surrounding the marking of this year’s tests are a disgrace. 460 schools still do not have results for all of their pupils. "The Government must now waive the re-marking costs to schools for this year’s exams. It would be totally wrong for schools to pay the price for the Government’s and ETS’ incompetence. "Yet again, ministers have failed to meet their own targets. Too many children will be starting secondary school without having a good grasp of the core subjects.

Reckless lending has led to Northern Rock losses- Cable.

Commenting on the news that Northern Rock will tomorrow be announcing losses of half a billion pounds since nationalisation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable said: "These figures confirm the suspicion, held by many of us, that the Government and the regulators were badly deceived by Northern Rock’s former managers when they agreed to bail it out on the basis that it was a good bank with a good loan portfolio. "Some of us suspected at the time, and it is now clear, that reckless lending by the managers, in some cases to well in excess of the value of the property, was going to lead to large numbers of borrowers being unable to sustain their mortgage payments in difficult times. "I am encountering cases of people being repossessed as a result of deeply foolish loans and the bank and the taxpayer who now own Northern Rock are having to absorb the resulting losses. The one redeeming feature of the current situation is that when markets recover, the Government will be able to retrieve some value from the sale of the bank which would not have been the case had they underwritten the losses of a privately run bank, as was their original plan."

42-day proposal nothing to do with fighting terrorism - Howarth.

Commenting on today’s House of Lords Constitution Committee report on the Government’s proposals to extend the maximum detention of terrorist suspects to 42-days, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "The 42-day proposal has everything to do with politics and nothing at all to do with the struggle against terrorism. It should be dropped immediately. "The Government’s insistence that Parliament will not have to decide individual cases is incredible. I’m glad this committee has helped to expose ministers’ misleading claims."

Mon 4th Aug 2008:

Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year 2008.

The third annual Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year awards, run in conjunction with Liberal Democrat Voice, will be awarded at the party's autumn conference in Bournemouth.There are six awards, with new categories featuring alongside old favourites - including the Blog of the Year award itself.The categories are: Best new Liberal Democrat blog (started since 1st August 2007) Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office Best use of blogging or social networking by a Liberal Democrat Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2007) Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Nominations are open until midnight on 31st August and can be emailed to ecampaignteam@libdems.org.ukThe judging panel will include: Kate Bevan, technology writer for The Guardian Ryan Cullen of www.libdemblogs.co.uk Lynne Featherstone MP, one of the party's Parliamentary bloggers Last year's Blog of the Year winner James Graham Sunny Hundal of Liberal Conspiracy Will Howells, from the party's Innovations Department and a blogger himself Stephen Tall, Commissioning Editor of www.libdemvoice.org The judges will choose a shortlist for each category, to be published on Monday 8th September, from all of those nominated in each category. They will then pick the winner for each category, with the exception of the "Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog" category, which will be decided by an online readers poll hosted by Liberal Democrat Voice.The results will be announced at the awards ceremony at the party's autumn conference on Saturday 13th September.The decision of the judges will be final and the competition is not open to any blogs run by the judges or any postings written by them.

Top mandarins have 150m pension pot - Willott.

Top civil servants have pension pots worth almost £150m, funded entirely by taxpayers, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. The figures show that the average pension pot among the top ten civil servants from 19 Government departments is over £800,000 which could provide a retirement income of more than £60,000 a year. The average pension pot among members of the public is worth £25,000, which would provide an annual income of just £1,100. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: "While many people can barely afford to save for retirement, it is difficult to justify the extraordinarily generous taxpayer contribution they are forced to pay into top mandarins’ schemes. "These costs are clearly exorbitant compared to what the public can expect their own employers to put in. The Government cannot afford to stick its head in the sand any longer over public sector pensions. "We need an independent commission to look at the options for reform of pensions for the next generation of public sector employees. They must be fair and affordable both for civil servants and taxpayers."

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