20 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrats : All News Feed

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.

Mon 14th Jul 2008:

Liberal Democrats launch proposals to tackle youth crime - Huhne

The Liberal Democrats will today outline radical plans to tackle youth crime.The dual approach aims to stop young people committing crimes in the first place by enabling them to play a full role in society through increased training and volunteering, as well as stopping criminal behaviour early by making young offenders face up to their crimes.The main proposals contained in the paper A Life Away From Crime include: The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Affairs Secretary, Chris Huhne said:"This Government has spent 10 years trying to sound tough while failing to cut youth crime. "In fact, ministers have embarked on the mass criminalisation of a generation of young people. By dragging more and more young people through the criminal justice system, they have reduced the fear of a criminal record and contributed to the problem."Instead of shock tactics to grab headlines, we need practical measures that are proven to work. "Only the Liberal Democrats propose a dual approach to stop kids from getting involved in crime in the first place, and measures to make them face up to the consequences of their actions if they do." To download a copy of the proposals click here.

Wed 23rd Jul 2008:

Olympic quango wasting 600,000 - Foster

A quango set up to give National Lottery money to the Olympics has spent almost £600,000 on salaries despite having only six members of staff, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats. The Olympic Lottery Distributors Annual Report has revealed that it had only made two grants in the last year. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: "It beggars belief that we’re paying an enormous amount of money for yet another Olympic body which seems to do little more than hold the purse strings. "With the 2012 budget stretched to the limit, and so many other bodies already scrutinising expenditure, the Government must look at getting rid of this type of unnecessary cost. "It’s quite clear that there are a number of other Lottery distributors who would be more than competent at carrying out this job for a fraction of the price."

Land Girls announcement long overdue - Lamb

Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Lamb today welcomed the news that tens of thousands of women from the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps during World War II are to be formally recognised. The announcement came after a campaign by Norman Lamb on behalf of a member of his constituency to recognise the contribution made by the women during the war. Commenting, Norman Lamb said: "Recognition of the role these women played in World War II is long overdue. It is right that their massive contribution to the war effort is being celebrated today. "This is a fantastic breakthrough, and will mean a great deal both to the women who served in the war and to their families."

Doctor assessments must not be bureaucratic - Lamb

Doctor assessments must not be bureaucratic - Lamb Commenting on Government plans to introduce a system of five-yearly assessments for all UK doctors, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Plans to ensure that patients receive a higher standard of care are naturally welcomed. "However, ministers must ensure that this system is not bureaucratic or overly burdensome. It would be counterproductive to take doctors away from critical patient care."

Knife sellers allowed to ply deadly trade - Huhne

Knife sellers allowed to ply deadly trade - Huhne None of the people caught selling knives to young people in the last five years were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence, according to figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats The figures also show that the average fine given out was just £411. The information, given in Parliamentary Answers to Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, shows how: · Only 71 people have been successfully prosecuted for selling knives to the children in the last five years · None were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence · 56 were fined, of those 11 were given a fine of between £50 and £100, a further 10 were given fines of less than £200 · In the last 5 years 42 people (75% of all those fined) were given fines of less than £500 · The total value of the fines levied against the 56 people caught selling knives to kids between 2002 and 2006 was £23,025 · The average fine was just £411.16 Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "Unscrupulous shopkeepers who sell knives to kids are profiting from the violence on our streets. "It is unacceptable that so few of them are being punished and those that do are being given such pitiful fines. "If we are to tackle knife crime, a strong message must be sent to those who ply this deadly trade. "Fining them a few hundred quid is not going to do that."

DWP must learn from mistakes - Willott

Commenting on today’s National Audit Office report on complaints-handling in the Department for Work and Pensions, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: "The department will keep making the same mistakes at huge cost to the taxpayer if it doesn’t improve how it records and reviews complaints. "It is absurd that there is no system in place across the DWP to ensure civil servants are learning from complaints and mistakes, not simply repeating them. "Ministers must ensure that all complaints are recorded accurately and lessons learnt, or the cost will keep rising."

Legal advice must sound death knell for eco-towns - Goldsworthy

Commenting on today’s publication of advice from leading lawyers, which claims that local authorities will be able to challenge the Government over its approach to eco-towns, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: "Not only is Gordon Brown’s pet eco-towns project facing opposition from residents and councils up and down the country, but now we learn that legal challenges are also likely. "This must sound the death knell for this attempt to bypass the local planning process and local public opinion. "What this Government fails to understand is that centrally-imposed solutions are doomed to failure. The real solution to the housing crisis is to free councils to build the homes that their areas need."

Chequers being used to entertain the rich - Lamb

Commenting on the Chequers visitors list published today, Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Lamb said: "This list is in marked contrast to what we were told about Gordon Brown being a more frugal premier, with the use of Chequers being scaled down. "In reality, while we have lost the B-list celebrities, we have in their place a lot of wealthy individuals, including the Rothschilds. "The glitz and glamour may have gone, but Chequers is still being heavily used, this time for the Prime Minister to entertain some of the richest people in the country."

Brown increasing bloated No 10 machine - Baker

Commenting on the news that Gordon Brown has increased the number of No 10 advisers from 18 to 24, Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Baker said: "Gordon Brown is further increasing the already bloated No 10 machine. "He seems to be pulling every political string in a desperate attempt to hang onto power. "There are now even more people giving Gordon Brown advice, which may explain why he’s dithering so much."

Tue 22nd Jul 2008:

6m ministerial car bill is shameful - Baker

Commenting on figures showing that ministerial cars have cost the taxpayer more than £6m in the last year, Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said: "It is shameful that ministers are now spending more than £6m of taxpayers’ money a year on being ferried around in the lap of luxury. This is yet more money at public expense to feather ministers’ beds. "While Gordon Brown is at a motor show arguing for greener, more economic vehicles, one third of the cars used by his Ministers are pollutant spewing gas guzzlers. "The fact that it has been released on the last day before recess in one of 30 ministerial statements shows that the Government is trying to bury its bad news."

Government has abandoned common sense over nuclear power plans - Webb

Commenting on today’s publication of the Government’s siting assessment for new nuclear power stations, which says that they could be built in areas at risk from flooding, tsunami and erosion, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: "The Government appears to have abandoned common sense when it comes to new nuclear power. "Ministers are so desperate to get new nuclear plants going, they are willing to look at sites at risk of falling into the sea. "This irresponsible approach has all the hallmarks of a Government in a hurry. "They are sweeping aside any local accountability in the planning system, and now they are willing to consider nuclear plants even in areas at risk of storm surge, tsunami and coastal erosion."

Criminal record checks are hole in airport security - Huhne

Commenting on the Government-commissioned report on airport security, which calls for compulsory criminal record checks for all airport workers to combat the ‘terrorist insider threat’, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "It is a crazy hole in our airport security that we will do criminal record checks on British employees, but can’t do the same for foreign ones. "This problem will not be solved by unnecessary and illiberal ID cards. The sooner there is an EU-wide system of criminal record checks the safer we will all be."

Brown's refusal to rule out backing for Israeli Iran strike deeply alarming - Clegg

Gordon Brown today again refused to rule out the prospect of UK support for unilateral Israeli action against Iran, in response to questioning from Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg. Asked to make it clear that he would not give even tacit support to a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran, the Prime Minister said he would ‘not rule out any options’. Commenting, Nick Clegg said: "Gordon Brown must learn the lessons of Israel’s devastating incursion into Lebanon two years ago, which received the tacit support of this Government. "His refusal to rule out supporting similar unilateral action by Israel against Iran is deeply alarming. Such action would have disastrous consequences, not just for the region but also for our own troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Despite President Ahmadinejad’s vile language towards Israel, it seems that now, with US participation, a diplomatic solution with Iran is increasingly possible. "Two years ago, the then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that an attack on Iran would be ‘completely nuts’. He was right then and he is right now. "It is madness to keep open the option of military action at exactly the time when a diplomatic solution appears to be in reach. "Gordon Brown must break with his predecessor and stand up to the hawkish voices who advocate what would be a disastrous policy for the Middle East."

Drop in police numbers deeply disappointing - Huhne

Commenting on the drop in the number of police officers, revealed by the Home Office today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "High visibility policing is already hampered by red tape and ridiculous central targets, without being further eroded by reduced manpower. "When fear of crime is so high it is deeply disappointing that police numbers are falling. "To help communities feel safer, the Liberal Democrats would put 10,000 more police on the beat by scrapping the unnecessary and illiberal ID card scheme."

Women's sport finally being paid the attention it deserves - Foster

Commenting ahead of the launch of the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: "Women’s sport has been consistently overlooked. This new commission is welcome, but it’s ludicrous we’ve had to wait so long for it. "While ministers have twiddled their thumbs, sports participation by women has dropped through the floor. "Let’s hope this new commission will be the start of some real progress for women’s sport."

Government failing to tackle problem drinking - Foster

Commenting on the publication of the Government’s alcohol consultation and three independent reviews which showed that drinking related health problems now cost the NHS £2.7bn a year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: "Today’s reports completely blow apart ministers’ claims that they are making progress in tackling alcohol misuse successfully. "People in towns and cities across the country know just how serious this issue is, and will not forgive the Government for its gross complacency and incompetence in dealing with it. "If we are to have any chance of getting a grip on binge drinking then we need urgent action to reduce the availability of incredibly cheap alcohol and to ensure that the law is actually being enforced. "The alcohol industry clearly hasn’t been paying the blindest bit of notice to the Governments current approach. "The time has now come to send a clear message - if you don’t start selling alcohol responsibly, then you will lose the right to sell it at all."

Prison overcrowding leading to gross deterioration of conditions - Howarth

Commenting on a report into Doncaster prison, which found that inmates had been forced to sleep in toilets to deal with overcrowding, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "As the Liberal Democrats have said for many months, the overcrowding crisis is now leading to a gross deterioration of conditions for prisoners. "In the long term this will lead to less effective rehabilitation of prisoners and more crime. "The Government’s policy of mass incarceration coupled with ministers’ failure to introduce effective community penalties is clearly having a disastrous effect on the whole prison system."

Brown's support for electric cars yet more greenwash - Baker

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s support for electric-powered cars, which he announced today at the British International Motor Show, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This is yet more greenwash from Gordon Brown. Once again, he’s talking green but only last week the Government announced a further £6bn expenditure on widening roads at a time when traffic levels and carbon emissions continue to rise. "The Government’s bungled changes to Vehicle Excise Duty have given green taxes a bad name. "We have all had enough green hyperbole from the Prime Minister. It’s now time for some green action."

Key Stage test marking remains a shambles - Laws

Commenting on today’s Parliamentary statement by Ed Balls, revealing that nearly a quarter of Key Stage 3 English papers have still not been marked, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "This latest information shows that the marking of the Key Stage tests remains a shambles. "Almost a quarter of Key Stage 3 English tests have yet to be marked and released to schools. This means that over 130,000 children are still waiting for results two weeks after these were due. "The marking of the tests has been such a mess that there will now be real concerns about the reliability of the results - with schools facing potentially huge bills if they request re-marking. "Ministers must consider the case for waiving re-marking costs this year, and they must ensure that not a penny of public money is paid to ETS until the results of the independent report have been carefully considered. "Ed Balls should scrap the Key Stage 3 tests for next year, and re-invest the money saved where it is needed most - in early intervention to tackle poor maths and English skills."

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