Liberal Action

Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Anna Sabine MP has launched a scathing critique of Conservative proposals to slash the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) budget by £1 billion. ​The proposed cuts would amount to roughly half of the department's total budget, threatening essential community assets across the country.   ​Highlighting the scope of the department's responsibilities, Anna Sabine MP warned of the widespread local fallout. She stated: ​"In case you're not clear on what DCMS covers, it covers youth provision, heritage, arts organisations, sport, all those kind of things. And in practice, what it means is a massive cut to sports facilities locally, organisations that support young people, all the kind of arts, heritage, museums, orchestras, all that kind of stuff." ​A Misguided Trade-Off for Prison Places ​The Conservative Party intends to redirect the saved funds toward building 50,000 new prison places. Howev...

​The Liberal Democrats have renewed pressure on the government over the state of the UK's social care system, warning that current proposals risk repeating past political missteps. Party leadership has stressed that families struggling under a broken care framework cannot afford to wait until after the next election, nor should reforms be funded at the expense of vulnerable older adults. ​The debate intensified following correspondence between Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP and Andy Burnham concerning recent social care proposals. In his letter, Davey voiced strong opposition to suggestions that funding social care could require dismantling the state pension triple lock. ​" Fixing social care is too important and too urgent to leave until after the next election, and I am disappointed to read that is now your plan," Ed Davey MP wrote. " Moreover, it is surely wrong to say the price of proper social care must be scrapping the pensions triple lock, wh...

​As the nation marks the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, fresh calls are being made to tackle the mounting piles of perfectly edible fruit and vegetables being rejected before they even leave the farm. ​Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Sarah Dyke MP has reignited her campaign to get more imperfect British produce onto supermarket shelves, warning that strict cosmetic standards are driving up household bills, harming the environment, and threatening national food security. ​" A forked carrot? A knobbly potato? A lopsided tomato? A wind-blemished apple? If it's fresh and tasty, it shouldn't go to waste,"  Sarah Dyke MP ​This summer’s extreme heat has left thousands of cosmetically imperfect yet safe and nutritious crops discarded at the farm gate. According to the Liberal Democrat MP, the issue goes far beyond aesthetics, dealing a heavy blow to both British farmers and consumers. ​" Every rejected crop mean...

​As families across Britain continue to grapple with economic instability, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has placed tax relief at the forefront of his party's agenda. Launching a direct appeal to voters, Ed Davey MP urged the public to support the Liberal Democrats as the only viable political alternative capable of lowering household tax burdens and steering the country out of its current fiscal crisis. ​Ahead of a major keynote address, party leadership unveiled an aggressive transportation and tax-cutting package aimed at easing immediate financial pressures. Central to the proposal is an immediate reduction in fuel duty, alongside lowered public transport costs and cheaper electric vehicle charging options designed to counteract soaring inflation. ​ Addressing the Cost-of-Living Crisis ​Speaking on the pressures facing everyday households, Ed Davey MP, heavily criticised the economic trajectories of both major parties. He argued that years of mismanagement have l...

​New analysis of NHS data by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the risk of life-altering childbirth injuries has reached record-high levels, exposing a deepening national safety scandal across maternity services. ​The figures show that severe health risks to mothers have surged dramatically since 2021, driven by critical staffing shortages, missing consultants, and inadequate training. CQC data indicates that over 54,000 women last year were left alone during the late stages of labour or childbirth as NHS maternity wards are pushed to breaking point. ​ Escalating Rates of Severe Injuries ​The analysis highlights significant increases in two major categories of childbirth trauma: ​ Severe Tears: Three in every 100 women undergoing a vaginal birth now suffer severe 3rd or 4th-degree tears, requiring emergency surgical repair in an operating theatre. Rates have surged by 29% since 2021. ​ Postpartum Haemorrhages: Severe bleeds involving a blood loss of more than 1.5 lit...

Family farms across the UK have been hit by a fresh blow after the second window of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) budget was completely exhausted within six hours of launching. The rapid closure has sparked widespread outrage across the agricultural sector, leaving thousands of farmers unable to access critical environmental funding intended to keep their businesses viable. ​The Liberal Democrats have condemned the government’s handling of the application process, criticizing the reliance on a "first-come, first-served" model that penalizes smaller family operations in favor of larger landowners. The sudden exhaustion of funds mirrors similar issues seen during the SFI24 scheme, raising serious concerns about long-term support for Britain's rural economy. ​Liberal Democrat Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP criticized the government's approach, arguing that the system fails to accommodate the reality of m...