Archive Press Releases/News

The Liberal Party notes resumed media speculation that the government is engaging with potential administrators prior to Thames Water being placed in administration.

Whilst the company is reported to have sufficient funds in the short term, the party believes it should be brought back into public ownership as quickly as possible to reduce uncertainty and to protect consumers and the environment.

The company’s current and previous owners should be bailed into any recovery plan to reduce taxpayers’ exposure to the liabilities of a company with almost £18 billion in debt, having experienced over £7 billion in dividends extracted from the company over previous decades.

Under public ownership the water utility can re-invest in infrastructure and the supply of clean water without having to pay out unjustified dividends to predominantly foreign owners with no regard for the impact of their ownership.

Following the resignation from the House of Commons of the MP for Runcorn and Helsby there will now be a parliamentary by-election.

Danny Clarke who stood in the constituency at the general election for The Liberal Party has accepted the party nomination to contest the seat.

“I believe that Runcorn & Helsby needs a strong Liberal voice. In this election we are the only centre ground party that believes in sensible and responsible policies that will benefit all in the constituency.
People are worried about the cost of living or the most vulnerable having benefits cut. I will push this government to help get those who can work into work and protect the most vulnerable from unnecessary cuts. As a liberal I believe people should be free from poverty.”

“I was born in Crewe before living in Winsford and then when I turned 13, I moved to Runcorn. I have now lived in Runcorn for 24 years.”

Dan Clarke
The Liberal Party Candidate

On the 26th March the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish a an Economic and Fiscal Forecast for the year as the Chancellor makes a supporting statement to parliament.

The Liberal Party believes that if the government is to fulfil its of stated aim of creating economic prosperity, funding public service and reducing public debt it needs to recognise the part played by small business in our local communities.

We believe that the imposition of an increase in Employer NI contributions has already created adverse trading conditions for all business, slowed economic activity and curtailed recruitment.

To support the small business sector, we would advocate:

Raising the VAT threshold to £150k to enable businesses to get established before being faced with the disproportion burdens of tax administration.

Business Rates should be replaced with a Land Value Tax and simplified so that the business rates regime aligns with the costs of a small bushiness locally, not as a revenue stream.

Providing small business with advice and training via local business hubs and better financial support.

Liberal Party leader Cllr Steve Radford recently visited both Old Swan and Breck Road Post Offices in Liverpool with his colleague Alan Tormey.

There was a nonstop flow of customers, and as so many bank branches are closing it is vital to save these facilities. The party also sees an opportunity to utilise local churches to deliver banking services as is done at All Hallows Centre in Allerton.

Please sign the 38 Degrees online petition https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/keep-post-offices-open calling for the withdrawal of plans to close 115 Post Offices.

Allan Tormey’s letter to concerned parties addressing the potential closures of Crown Post Offices in Liverpool, particularly Old Swan and Breck Road, can be read here.

Merseyside Liberal Party Reporter covering the Post Office campaign – click here.

he Liberal Party notes with disappointment the decision of the government to decline to hold a public enquiry into child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester and to instead pass the responsibility back to Oldham Council to conduct their own inquiry.

The Jay enquiry into sexual abuse in Rotherham covered similar ground but largely seems to have been ignored or glossed over in the 27 months since its publication and recommendations made in the report have yet to be fully implemented.

The Jay report specifically identified ‘predominantly men of Pakistani heritage’ being involved in such activity.

The Liberal Party would support a root and branch judge led statutory enquiry in England (which gives the power to compel witnesses) into the whole issue titled:

Child Sexual Exploitation from 1997 to Date.

Including within its remit would be the response of :

Councils
Police
Crown Prosecution Service(CPS)
Social Services
The courts – family and criminal.
Other child focussed bodies – schools and the NSPCC

The full enquiry would potentially take years but an interim report to be published within 18 months into the current situation with interim recommendations, would not be unachievable.

The Liberal Party believes that the removal of the Assad regime in Syria offers an opportunity for the creation of a self-governing Kurdish region including Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey.

We recognise that the Kurdish regions include mixed communities, and those nations mentioned are unlikely to ever not concede independence. However, we urge them to support devolution in their territories in order to promote stability and dignity for all their communities. 

We urge all governments to show restraint in facing the expansion and aggression being pronounced by President Erdogan of Turkey. The course of stability and participation of the Kurdish region of north and east Syria will be undermined by Turkish aggression and could lead to the release of thousands of ISIS prisoners.

We hope that a Kurdish nation will emerge in due course, but we believe that limited autonomy, which can be done without full independence, is a reasonable starting point.

The Liberal Party wishes to be seen as the party for small business and is proud to be launching its Small Business Big Communities Policy Initiative.

Small and micro business, not for profit organisations and charities should be at the heart of our communities to create economic activity, prosperity and employment.

We would welcome feedback from small business owners, people in the charity sector and others within this sector to enhance our policy initiative.

This includes a 4-point plan to support them to reach their full potential within our communities.

The full document can be accessed from here.

On Sunday the 10th November Allan Steel(left) attended the Remembrance Service in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire in his capacity as vice chair of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity in the area and Cllr Bill Lake(right) attended an event in Liverpool.

The Scottish Liberal Party welcomes some of the announcements made by the Scottish Government. However, Scottish Liberals maintain that more could have been done to improve the lives of the Scottish people. The Scottish budget had three main areas of concern: responding to public services badly in need of repair, reducing child poverty and boosting economic growth.

Scottish Liberals welcome the reversal of the two child benefit cap, increase in NHS spending and no change to the income tax rates .

Scottish Liberals would have liked to have seen an increase in the personal tax threshold for Scottish taxpayers to at least £15,000, a reform of council tax (to be replaced with a Land Value Tax) and greater fiscal autonomy for Scottish councils to allow them to raise (and reduce) their own taxation without being restrained by Holyrood.

Scottish Liberals note with concern the lack of any real meaningful economic growth in the Scottish economy; Scotland’s economic growth has averaged at 1% over the last 20 years. We call for a more comprehensive set of policies aimed at simplifying the tax system, increasing the proportionality of tax paid by those with the wherewithal and finally, a substantial increase in infrastructure spending across the whole of Scotland. 

Kayed Al-Haddad (Chair, Scottish Liberal Party)

In light of the recent announcement by the Chancellor that the government will have to plug a £22 billion black hole and the subsequent budget on the 30th of October 2024, The Liberal Party notes with concern some of the announcements made by the Chancellor in the lead up to the budget.

The Liberal Party Economics Spokesperson Kayed Al-Haddad outlines an alternative 4 step approach to tackling the financial black hole and dealing with the state of the public finances.

Read our response here.

The Liberal Party NEC