Author: Web Secretary

To support SME’s we urge government to:

1. Raise the threshold for registration for VAT to 150k pa from its current 85k.
2. Employees should automatically opt in for work place pensions to reduce needless admin.
3. Free up to 1.2 Million SMEs from paying Corporation Tax rate (over 80% of companies) by lifting the minimum threshold to £100,000. (Raise rate from 19% to 20%)
4. For startups, the party would create a new “startup allowance” to help those businesses specifically with their “living costs”, and would also support fast-growing businesses seeking to scale up. 
5. Work with major banks to fund the creation of a local banking sector (regional mutual banks), dedicated to meeting the needs of local small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, expand the British Business Bank to perform a more central role in the economy, to ensure that viable small and medium-sized businesses have access to capital. (At least one regional mutual bank in every region i.e. Cornwall)

If you have ideas on how to promote small businesses, please a mail us at northwestliberalparty@hotmail.co.uk

The Liberal Party believes steps to reduce and delay the spread of coronavirus variants should be taken in a proportionate way.

We note that Italy has introduced testing and quarantine measures for visitors from China. Almost half of the arrivals to Milan on Monday this week, tested positive for COVID-19.

As China is soon to relax overseas travel restrictions, we believe that the UK Government should immediately introduce testing and quarantine measures for visits from China and Hong Kong (or insist on negative pre-departure testing). 

A review in a month’s time can analyse the infection rate data from visitors from China and Hong Kong. This would be comparable to measures already taken by India, Italy, and the USA.

Not to do so would ignore the unique surge of COVID-19 infections in China and leave the UK vulnerable to unknown strains of the coronavirus. 

Practically it would be impossible to test all those arrivals and ensure quarantine measures followed.

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party​

The Liberal Party notes with concern the renewed drive by the SNP to push for another Scottish Independence Referendum. 

After 15 years at the helm of the Scottish Government, The SNP’s failure on a number of key domestic fronts including Education, NHS and Policing to name but a few, has left many asking what credible mandate the SNP have to push for another independence referendum. 

In the light of the domestic failures by the SNP coupled with the parties’ strong federalist aspirations, The Liberal Party unequivocally reject the idea of another Independence Referendum and thus calls for a new model of governance to be implemented in the UK, namely, Federalism – whereby each of the devolved nations would have full responsibility over Taxation etc. 

In addition, the party believes that devolving further power away from Westminster and subsequently to the devolved nations, would not only enhance our degree of governance but also bring about a strong element of accountability to each of the respective governments of the devolved nations.

Kayed Al-Haddad, Scottish Liberals and Cllr Steve Radford, Leader of the Liberal Party

The Liberal Party welcomes the commencement of the COP27 conference in Egypt this week.

The target of containing a global temperature rise to within 1.5 degree is already in mortal danger and requires urgent action from world leaders of all political denominations.

Nations around the global share a common fate if they do not take action to contain global warming
as outlined in the opening address from the UN chief António Guterres.

We welcome the attendance of UK PM rishi Sunak at the summit  and believe the UK has a vital role in promoting the move to Net Zero and decarbonising the global economy.

The UK is not immune to the effects of a rapidly warming earth as this summer climate extremes of heatwave and torrential downpours have keenly shown and the political will and resources must be found to meet our national commitments.

The Liberal Party notes the publication of Liverpool City Council’s budget proposals as it struggles to fill a £73 million budget deficit.

Proposals to cut 150 jobs have been announced as LCC tries to save £32m from next year’s budget. Grants providing social care will be withdrawn and some voluntary groups will lose part or all their funding under the proposals.

The Benefit Maximisation Team is one of the services likely to be scaled back at this time despite the tremendous work it does with the most vulnerable residents.

Liberal Party Councillor Alan Tormey has written to Mayor Joanne Anderson and interim chief executive Theresa Grant stating:

“I am shocked that at a time when so many people are struggling financially, with those on benefits most severely affected, that the council are planning to reduce the number of staff there to support the most vulnerable.
As a fantastic service with people who do such a fantastic job with our most vulnerable, I believe that this proposal should be thrown out.
This is totally unconscionable in the current climate. The staff in this department are such positive ambassadors for the council and they do such a wonderful job in helping those who need it most”

Liberal Party Environment spokesman Cllr Alan Tormey from the Childwall Ward represented the Liberal Party Group at the Liverpool Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday 13th November outside St George’s Hall.