Lincolnshire - a flawed reform of local government and why it matters

In the excitement of appointing a new Prime Minister, the Manchester Mayoral election, and Count Binface’s adventures in Clacton, the government’s proposals for local government reform in England have...

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Mathew on Monday – Andy Burnham must act on Social Care now

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is right about one thing: social care reform demands serious thought. But she is wrong to insist that the answer cannot involve asking those with the broadest shoulders (the ...

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ALDC’s By-Election Report – 23 July 2026

Five principal authority by-elections took place last Thursday, across four councils. The Liberal Democrats were not defending any seats, and though we did not win a contest during this relatively qui...

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The persecution of Palestine’s children

Two recent reports have drawn attention to what human rights organisations and UN investigators describe as one of the defining features of Israel's assault on Palestinian life: the systematic targeti...

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Welcome to my day: 27 July 2026 - and let the silly season begin…

Parliament is now fully in recess until September - the House of Lords sat for an additional week - and now there’s not much “politician on politician action” for five weeks, leaving the field open fo...

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Mathew on Monday: Starmer’s resignation and an increasingly ungovernable country

Keir Starmer’s resignation comes as little surprise. In truth, he always appeared ill-suited to the role of Prime Minister. He entered Downing Street with no clear governing project, no driving ideolo...

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Fairness First: Why Wealth Taxes Are a Natural Fit for the Liberal Democrats

Why are wealth taxes relevant in 2026? Billionaire wealth in the UK has skyrocketed since 1990. It represented 4% of GDP back then, growing to 22% of GDP in 2026. The trends of rising wealth accumula...

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Starmer goes, and the uncertainty returns…

And so, another Prime Minister is gone. Admittedly, it isn’t entirely clear yet in terms of what will change apart from the personnel, even if we can be pretty confident who will be in 10 Downing Stre...

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The Lib Dems created the triple lock – we should be the ones to set the terms for its end

When Sir Steve Webb introduced the triple lock as Lib Dem pensions minister in the coalition government, the aim was to close the gap between the state pension and average earnings and reverse years o...

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We are being held hostage by the Tory voters who have lent us their vote

How many people reading this article have been sat at a house party in the north – and when the conversation gets onto politics (which it usually does), no other attendees know a single thing about th...

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Dear United Kingdom: Anti-white racism and the attack of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI)

On the day of the 10th anniversary of the tragic passing of Labour MP, Jo Cox, who will poignantly be remembered for her maiden speech in which she said “We are far more united and have far more in c...

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The social media ban is illiberal, unworkable, and our stance is the wrong one

Well, after much haggling there is actually going to be a social media ban for under 16s, alongside social media curfews for those aged 16 and 17. Luckily for me, it won’t be introduced until Spring n...

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Caring doesn’t STOP at 67- so why should Carer’s Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance

My husband and I are not typical empty nesters. True, we have a daughter of 27 and a son of 23, but Archie has a learning disability and autism so he will never live independently. He requires constan...

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WATCH: Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture

You might remember that a few weeks ago we told you about the Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture organised by the European Movement. Nick Clegg talked about the path to closer alignment with the Europea...

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Mathew on Monday: Banning Under-16s from Social Media is the Wrong Answer

The newly announced ban on social media for under-16s may be politically popular, but popularity alone does not make good policy. As liberals, we should be deeply sceptical of blanket bans that restri...

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Spread it out: the liberal case for a wealth tax

We are at a crossroads. Trust in politics is low, and people are right to feel let down. The economy works beautifully for those at the top and barely at all for everyone else. Across the West, that f...

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We need a long term strategy with vocational education and apprenticeships at the heart

At a time when students face increasing academic pressure, uncertainty about future careers, spiralling debt and challenges related to mental health and wellbeing. Now is a good time to review our pos...

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Separation of Powers and Civil Liberties in the UK are now at breaking point

We need to discuss, as a Party, how we are going to put ourselves forward in defence of civil liberties. In March 2024, I, along with my girlfriend, helped a friend move from Wales to London, because...

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Welcome to my day: 15 June 2026 – some boldness on Europe… at last…

So, I ought to declare an interest as a former member of the Party’s Federal International Relations Committee, and a member of the Liberal Democrat European Group on and off over the years. You might...

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Actually, this Summer of Strategy could be quite good…

Party President Josh Babarinde wrote to all members and on this site this week inviting us to share our views on the development of the party strategy which will be debated at our Brighton Conference ...

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A Federal Britain: 2. Devolving power and redesigning the Constitution

Fair votes are essential, but they are only the first pillar of constitutional renewal. The second pillar is federalism: the redistribution of power away from Westminster and towards the nations and r...

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4 June 2026 – today’s press release

Cole-Hamilton presses Swinney to clean up Scottish politics At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for an inquiry into the actions of forme...

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Why community politics matters

There have been a number of articles in Lib Dem Voice about what the Lib Dems stand for. Tom Gordon MP asked this in what was partly a reflection on the recent local elections in the UK, and others li...

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Michael Meadowcroft, 1942 – 2026

Michael Meadowcroft has died at the age of 84. He had been suffering from a brain tumour in recent months and died peacefully with family present in Adel, Leeds. He continued to engage with friends th...

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A Federal Britain: 1. Renewing democracy through fair representation

The United Kingdom is undergoing a quiet constitutional breakdown. Not in the dramatic sense of institutional collapse, but in a slower and more corrosive way: voters increasingly feel unrepresented, ...

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Morven-May MacCallum MSP: No-one in Scotland should have to fight harder to be believed than to get well

When she was 14, new Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the Highlands and Islands Morven May-MacCallum contracted Lyme Disease after being bitten by a tick. Yesterday made her first speech in the Scott...

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3 June 2026 – today’s press release

Carmichael demands meeting with Coastguard boss after cuts to volunteer remuneration Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today written to the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguar...

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Adam Harley’s first speech

New Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Adam Harley made his first speech in Holyrood yesterday, highlighting the importance of providing young people with opportunities, protecting important community faci...

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A roadmap to Queer Equality

Rebuilding the trust of the Queer Community will be a long road. Yet, it is one we have now begun. I have written before about how the Party’s reluctance to meaningfully challenge the regressive tren...

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