Archive Press Releases/News

The Liberal Party notes with dismay the recent comments by the Israeli Ambassador to the UK that Israel will not accept a two-state solution in the West Bank or Gaza Strip nor support an immediate ceasefire to restore humanitarian aid whilst its military operations continue.

The party believes that a long-term solution to the Middle East conflict can only be achieved by the creation of a viable Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, free to develop its own cultural identity and economic independence.

Whilst Israel has the right to defend itself from armed attack to include the deplorable attack by Hamas on 7th October, it does not have the right to inflict disproportionate harm on the Palestinian civilian population nor deny them statehood.

The Liberal Party reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to their internationally recognised border. We see merit in a United Nations presence in the Gaza Strip to restore humanitarian aid to the civilian population and prevent further provocation by either side in the region.

The elections for Liberal Party leader and the party NEC are due in the Autumn of 2023 and the nomination window will be open between the 1st November and the 31st December 2023.

A total of 20 nominations from party members will be required for nomination as party leader.

A total of 3 nominations from party members will be required for admission to the NEC for which the party constitution allows 20 members.

We would ask that all nominations are e-mailed to the address NECElections@liberal.org.uk

There are currently 2 candidates seeking nomination for the role of party leader:

– Kayed Al-Haddad from Glasgow, who is the party treasurer and resides in Glasgow.
– Cllr Steve Radford from Liverpool, the current office holder.

Once the tally of nominations has been completed, the Secretary of the NEC will be advised if any elections need to be held and ballot papers distributed.

It is envisaged the newly elected NEC will hold its first open meeting on the 3rd February 2023, with the venue to be announced.

The Liberal Party has watched with horror as the unfolding conflict in the Middel East spawned by the brutal Hamas attack on Israel.

The escalating conflict has seen world opinion becoming dangerously polarised between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian camps and this threatens to obstruct moves to end the violence, deliver humanitarian supplies, and create a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The party believes that the road to peace in Gaza and the West bank is a long and difficult one, which requires many hard truths to be confronted.

Israel has failed to be magnanimous in victory since 1967 and has progressively eroded the potential for a 2-state solution in the region. It has encouraged a policy of illegal settlements on the West Bank, the eviction of Arab families in Jerusalem and discrimination against Palestinians across the West Bank and Israel.

All of this has fed into a cycle of increasingly violence, drawing in increasing fanatical factions such as Hamas and Hezbollah who have fed on the desperation of ordinary Palestinian’s who only wish to live in peace on their own land.

A conflict which traces its roots back beyond the creation of the Israeli state in 1948 has heaped misery and suffering on all sides for want of tolerance, compromise, and compounded by the failure of the international community to enforce a durable settlement.

“As more is known about polluted rivers and coastlines it is untenable for these private water companies to send profit dividends abroad, exert a monopoly over such an essential resource and fail to protect environmental safety standards” stated Liberal Party leader Cllr Steve Radford-.

Liberal Party members also supported calls for a Cornish Assembly recognising the unique history and culture of the Duchy.

The Liberal Party Leader in Cornwall, Cllr Paul Holmes urged that a Cornish Assembly should take control over the Duchy of Cornwall estates to maximise the benefits to the people of Cornwall and the District Councils be restored respecting that at the last referendum 83% of the voters rejected the then Labour Government’s plan to abolish them.

“We need devolution from Westminster and Bristol to Cornwall , we also need devolution from County Hall to the towns and districts of Cornwall” rounded Cllr Paul Holmes.

The Liberal Party views with horror the outbreak of brutal violence in Gaza and Israel following the attack by Hamas.

The violence which has left over 1500 people killed in Israel is indefensible and unjustified in its brutality and indiscriminate nature.

Such an attack risks not only provoking Israel into a military response but giving the country the justification for causing unrecoverable damage to the Gaza Strip potentially rendering it unihabitable for its 2 million residents.

The resulting Israeli response has already left over 1000 killed in Gaza and threatens a humanitarian crisis in an area already suffering from the effects of the Israeli government’s economic blockade.

The failure of the Middle East Peace process over recent decades has allowed extremists in Gaza and the West Bank to drive a cycle of open-ended violence.

Terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon have no interest in peace or accommodating an Israeli state nor does the Israeli state wish to see a viable Palestinian state.

Such a deadlock can only be broken by the isolation of extremist groups on all sides, the deployment of UN peacekeepers to curtail provocations at the border and a comprehensive international intervention to create a lasting regional peace deal which recognises viable Palestinian and Israeli states.

Cllrs Steve Radford and Billy Lake support patients protest outside Liverpool Integrated Care Board Officers in Hanover Street where they handed in a 2000 plus petition.
Speaking to the rally Cllr Steve Radford hit out that an alternative Doctor who wants to run the surgery is being blocked because of an objection by another doctor who will gain patients and income from the potential closure. This is a disgraceful restrictive practice and should be thrown out as a blatant conflict of interest.
We would like to thank The Liverpool Echo and Radio Merseyside for their continued coverage and support.

The Liberal Party Merseyside Association is supporting a community campaign to stop the closure of the Park View Medical Centre in Tuebrook, Liverpool.

This important local resource faces closure within 2 months as it’s contract with the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside integrated care board (ICB) finishes and no replacement provider has been found.

Following a recent  campaign meeting at the Tuebrook Hope centre, city councillor and Liberal Party leader Steve Radford told the Liverpool Echo “We’re fighting for every surgery in the community because every surgery will suffer if this closes.”

In the same article Tuebrook Larkhill ward member, Cllr Billy Lake, was quoted as saying  “We’ve seen this before, we’ve fought it before, and we’ll fight it again.”

Every one of the 2800 patients to be moved will add to the waiting lists of local surgeries where people are already struggling to gain access to health services.

In light of the recent budget by the Tory chancellor Jeremy Hunt, one cannot help but note the lack of any real radicalism in taxation policy on the part of the Tories. Tories have a very good knack of tinkering round the edges in every consecutive budget and implementing certain ‘good’ taxation policies when it is politically convenient to do so, most notably recently in the budget, ‘Full Expensing’. 

The Liberal Party has historically always taken a radical approach when it comes to implementing policy, especially, taxation. We as a party affirm the view that Fiscal Policy should always prioritise those on the lowest end of the income-spectrum first as well as the millions of SME’s. 

Furthermore, with the public finances having seen a real strain in recent times with Tory austerity, coupled with the outbreak of the pandemic – now more than ever would be the right time to implement taxation policies which not only delivers in the public interest but also sets out a clear and concise agenda as to what direction we as a country want to be heading in. 

The party has a whole myriad of radical taxation policies, which would not only plug the gap in the public finances but also set the country on a more sustainable and equitable footing – everything from replacing Business Rates/Council Tax with a Land Value Tax, equalising Capital Gains and Dividends Tax with Income Tax, increasing the Personal Tax Threshold up to 20K and lastly, implementing a Carbon Tax at £250 per metric tonne. 

If you would like to see more of our radical taxation policies, then please check out our policies on the website https://liberal.org.uk

The most profound experience I had as an RAF officer was serving with the United States Air Force. I was posted to the Pentagon, but I also served alongside the men and women of the USA on many occasions.

The picture is of a pennant American colleagues bought for me from my time with them in Kabul. We lag behind the US in terms of how we respect our serving personnel and veterans.

I recall being stopped in the street in Washington and being thanked for my service. I recall going to pay for breakfast in Atlanta Airport only to be told that the bill had been settled by a stranger I will never meet. That was because I was wearing uniform (and a foreign one at that).

Recently I spoke with the US owner of a British football club on a range of issues to help UK veterans. Not once did he seek to work out where the profit was or what was in it for him. He spoke of freedom and how we all owe a debt to those who serve. Every word was sincere.

As a society, it is time we reviewed our relationship with those who serve – and have served – the cause of freedom. No more token gestures. I see far too much lip service and people talking a good game. I see fakeness and, far, far worse, I see downright hypocrisy.

I’m not fooled because I have seen a society that does it well – naturally – and is not ashamed to do so. We might never catch up, but I am pleased that I have first-hand experience of the US example to follow.

Allan Steele WS
Liberal Party Défense Spokesperson