Tim Farron has announced his new Shadow Cabinet team, saying: I am pleased to announce my new Shadow Cabinet team. Together we will provide the strong Liberal voice that Britain desperately needs to stand up to this Tory Brexit Government.
If Tim Farron's party can overcome the legacy of coalition, Witney and Richmond Park suggest it could give a voice to the groundswell of anxiety and outrage Mapping out the likely features of the Brexit Age, it is hard to know where to start. Headlines about government support for the Nissan factory in Sunderland and GDP rising immediately after the referendum do not detract from the big picture: the UK's post-EU future remains gloomy, and then some. We are, it seems, at the start of a new era of border queues, inflation, renewed austerity, with the prospect of rising unemployment, and the exit from Britain of banks and other financial services. They may be modern villains, but they are also one of the only dependable sources of tax revenue we've got left.
The Liberal Democrats are committed to better representing the communities they seek to serve and have voted through a raft of measures, including the Diversity Quotas and Electing Diverse MP's motions passed by members at Federal Conference in York and Brighton this year. As part of the party's ongoing commitment to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society; an independent review which will focus on the issues and/or barriers faced by BAME members and supporters has been commissioned by the Federal Executive. This review should help the party determine what and where the issues are and how we take action in this specific area.
The big by-election news this week has all been on the Parliamentary front, with the Richmond Park by-election now confirmed for 1 December. On the principal local authorities front there are just three council by-elections, two of which are in the same council. The Lib Dem picture is typically patchy in that pair - big vote increase in one, no candidate in the other. Although both saw a halving in the Ukip vote:
Revelations that Theresa May secretly warned about the economic effects of Brexit produced this sharp reaction from Tim Farron. It is disappointing that Theresa May lacked the political courage to warn the British public as she did a group of bankers in private about the devastating economic effects of Brexit.
The result in the Witney by-election was a substantial swing to the LibDems, jumping from fourth place on 6.8% to second place on 30.2%. Liz Leffman and her team did an outstanding job, and the party was clearly ready to rally to the cause. Over the next few days there were speculations about what that would mean if replicated at a General Election, with estimates of the number of seats likely to switch from Tory to LibDem put between 26 and 51. The statistician in me is wary of those extrapolations: there are lots of unknowns at by-elections, and British politics is especially turbulent at the moment.
Space is no longer science fiction – it underpins our economy, security, and daily lives. Our new policy will renew the National Space Strategy, support UK spaceports and hubs, and designate space as a strategic industry.
The UK’s asylum system is failing, leaving people fleeing conflict stuck in temporary housing, unable to work, and separated from their loved ones. Our new policy gives practical solutions to clear up the broken system left by the Conservatives.
The Online Safety Act was meant to protect people, yet its flawed implementation risks undermining privacy, free expression, and secure communication. Our new policy addresses our concerns and fights for a digital future where rights are protected.