Caron Lindsay

A piece of Liberal history destroyed in Edinburgh fire

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 15th July 2026 - 8:24 pm

Last week, a fire destroyed the former Debenhams building in the heart of Edinburgh. The Princes Street building was once the home of the Scottish Liberal Club. The premises were sold in 1970 and many of the artefacts, including a bust of Gladstone, were removed by the Scottish Liberal Club. However, the beautiful wood panelled library was destroyed in the fire.

This was covered by the Edinburgh Evening News in which Convener of the Scottish Liberal Club Faith Sutherland and President (and LDV contributor) Lin Macmillan were quoted:

The Scottish Liberal Club, which once owned the property, has urged Historic Environment Scotland, the Cockburn Society and the City of Edinburgh Council to “work together towards restoring these historic buildings”.

In a joint statement, club president Lin Macmillan and convenor Faith Sutherland said: “We deeply regret the loss of 109 Princes Street and the damage to the adjoining premises.”

They confirmed a “fine bust” of former Prime Minister William Gladstone was saved after being moved into storage, but noted valuable oak panelling and other original features were left behind in the Gladstone Memorial Library, which remained a centrepiece of the store until its sale in 2023.

First opening its doors as the Palace Hotel in 1869, the building spent much of its pre-Debenhams days as the Scottish Liberal Club – a centre for political and social activity during the decades of Liberal Party dominance in Victorian Scotland.

During the creation of the Debenhams department store in the late 1970s, it merged with the neighbouring former Conservative Club. Despite the major construction project, the building retained much of its Victorian grandeur, including an ornate entrance hall, elaborate ceiling plasterwork, and the historic library.

John Lawrie, the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ wisest counsellor and co-writer of its constitution, was also interviewed by Edinburgh Live. He gave his memories of the building which he first visited as an 18 year old in 1961.

“I went there for meetings, and other functions too, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and you know it was a very fine building and it’s so sad. Princes Street doesn’t have that number of fine buildings, and it’s a great shame that this has happened.

“I suppose the first time I remember going there was for the Scottish Liberal Party, I think it was it twice a year council meeting something in the spring or summer of 1961 I would guess, when I was an enthusiastic 18-year-old young liberal.

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Lord William Wallace

William Wallace writes: The case for higher taxes

By Lord William Wallace | Wed 15th July 2026 - 11:55 am

Liberal Democrats believe in a limited state and a market economy.  We are naturally cautious about how much of the economy should be taken by the state.  Our party started out strictly opposed to high taxes: ‘peace, retrenchment and reform’.  But the largest share of 19th century central taxation went on the army and navy, and Liberals opposed imperial expansion and geopolitical strategy.  At the local level Liberals taxed and spent, on the ‘municipal socialism’ of water, public health, gas, electricity and transport, against Tory opposition.  From W. E. Forster’s Education Act onwards, Liberals committed government to spend on improving the opportunities and welfare of British citizens; and under Keynes the party also committed to investment in public infrastructure and the promotion of economic growth.  We have even fought an election campaign, in 1997, on a commitment to raise income tax, against comments from Labour strategists to our manifesto team that ‘no-one will ever vote for a party that wants to raise taxes.’

Again in 2024, Labour campaigned cautiously on a manifesto that committed to holding down the three most important revenue-raising taxes, in spite of recognising the enormous backlog of public investment that had built up since 2008 and the challenges of our ageing society and rapid technological change.  The two years since then have further exposed the neglect of our armed services in the face of rising foreign threats and an unstable world.  The Conservative Party denies that there is a serious problem, and is still calling for tax cuts, suggesting that welfare spending that rose sharply when it was in government can be cut back enough to fund stronger defence at the same time. Burnham’s government thus faces some hard choices.  Either it cuts back again on public investment and research and development, as well as squeezing welfare, or it raises taxes to fund both stronger defence and rebuilding our economy.

How should we react, as a responsible opposition party?  The easiest line would be to attack Labour for betraying their manifesto, without saying what we would recommend instead.   The Tories have adopted a radically economic liberal line, assuming that the market will sort most things out and that cutting public spending – after 35 years of privatization and austerity (yes, the Blair Government did not entirely break with the Thatcherite model) – will leave more space for entrepreneurs to flourish.   But the free market model is now questioned even in the USA, while the hybrid Chinese model of market and state capitalism has unbalanced the global economy,  ‘Geoeconomics’ – the combination of political, industrial and economic objectives in state strategies, coherently in China and incoherently in the USA – has overturned many of the assumptions of economic globalization, strengthening the case for participation within a regional confederation, the EU, capable of bargaining with both.

Accepting the case for higher taxes now does not mean rolling over into uncritical support for the government.  It recognises that the country has to spend more on defence – not on more aircraft carriers or F-35 interceptors, but learning the lessons of the Ukraine war, sharing security with our neighbours and investing in homeland defence.  We should be calling for a major programme of tax reform, to sort out the horrifying complexity of our tax code and the loopholes it contains.  We should support welfare reform, under careful parliamentary scrutiny, recognising that housing allowances can only be brought down if more social housing is built and that paths to training and employment are vital elements in reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training.

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NewsHound

“I’ve worked with Andy Burnham. There is much to look forward to”

By NewsHound | Wed 15th July 2026 - 10:37 am

An interesting perspective on working with Andy Burnham comes from former Special Adviser to Nick Clegg Shabnum Mustapha. Shabnum advised Nick on Scotland media matters during the coalition years.

In 2019, she moved to Manchester to take up a job with the Greater Manchester Authority as Assistant Director of news and media. She writes about how then Mayor Andy Burnham, before he was King of the North and Future PM, operated:

My experience of working with him is that he gets things done. He has a strong work ethic, he’s very driven and he’s ambitious about what he wants to deliver. For those of us who had to get on and do the delivering, it could be tough with long hours, and we were being constantly stretched to go further and faster. However, Burnham’s strength is that he keeps people motivated, he takes people on the journey with him, and he always went out of his way to thank and acknowledge colleagues for their work.

He’s likeable and he makes people feel that he’ll stand up for them which is why the showdown during Covid resonated with a lot of people outside of Greater Manchester and led to the moniker “King of the North”. He reminds me of the late Charles Kennedy who had the charm to put people at ease, he could speak human and he had the ability to transcend party politics.

He also has a bit of Vince Cable about him. Having worked for both, I never knew what they were going to say in a speech until they said it because they didn’t use notes. It may sound like I’m a Burnham fangirl but I’m not. I’m actually a card-carrying member of the Liberal Democrats and I worked as a political adviser to Nick Clegg when he was Deputy Prime Minister during the coalition years.

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Joe Nutt

ALDC’s By-Election Report 09.07.26

By Joe Nutt | Wed 15th July 2026 - 8:57 am

4 parallel white vertical lines on orange background ALDC logoSixteen principal authority by-elections took place across England, Wales and Scotland last week, with two taking place on Tuesday and 14 on Thursday. 

The Liberal Democrats were the main defenders this week, attempting to hold onto five seats. The Green Party and Plaid Cymru were defending three each, with Labour and the Independents defending two apiece, and Reform UK on just one this week. 

Triple race in Haslemere

Both of Tuesday’s principal authority by-elections were triggered by the sad passing of Liberal Democrat Cllr John Robini, who as well as sitting on both Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council, was also a town councillor in Haslemere. The Liberal Democrats won all three seats in the ensuing by-elections. 

An important side note on the Borough and County level races. Because of LGR, both Waverley and Surrey will cease to exist next year, with the unitary authority of West Surrey taking their place. Oli Leach, who stood in the Borough by-election, and Terry Weldon, who stood in the County by-election, both won election to the Haslemere ward on the new authority in the May 2026 local elections.

Here’s a closer look at the District and County level races. 

Waverley BC, Haslemere West 

In 2023, the Liberal Democrats took control of Waverley for the first time since 2007, with it being solid blue territory in the intervening years. 

The two-member ward of Haslemere West was only created at the last set of elections in 2023, where the Liberal Democrats won over 60% of the vote against the Conservatives and Labour. This time Labour did not stand a candidate, but the Green Party and Reform UK did this time. We stomped to victory with well over half of the vote. 

Lib Dem: 551 (58.6%, -5.4%)
Green Party: 164 (17.4%, new)
Conservative: 141 (15%, -7%)
Reform UK: 84 (8.9%, new)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

 

Surrey CC, Haslemere

The Conservatives have run Surrey County Council for decades, with a strong Lib Dem performance in 1993 the only time they have run the council without a majority. The last election in 2021 was at the peak of the Conservative party’s popularity under Boris Johnson. 

In the shadow elections for West Surrey this May though, the Liberal Democrats won majority control. 

The Haslemere seat has had a chaotic recent history: narrowly won by an Independent against the Conservatives in 2013. The seat turned blue in 2017 before a big swing to the Liberal Democrats meant we won it in 2021. The Conservatives lost even more ground this time as Reform UK and the Green Party also stood candidates. 

Lib Dem (Terry Weldon): 1,181 (47.8%, -2.2%)
Conservative: 797 (32.3%, -10.7%)
Green Party: 280 (11.3%, new)
Reform UK: 213 (8.6%, new)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

No Liberal Democrat candidates 

To start the reporting on Thursday’s races, let’s briefly analyse the two races where a Lib Dem candidate was not on the ballot paper.

South Lanarkshire, Larkhall 

Only one race in Scotland this week in South Lanarkshire caused by the sad passing of the incumbent Labour councillor. South Lanarkshire last went to the polls in 2022. Negotiations following that set of elections saw a Labour/Lib Dem minority administration come in. 

At the last election in Larkhall, the Liberal Democrats did stand a candidate who was knocked out in the sixth round of voting. Two seats were taken by Labour, and one apiece for the SNP and Conservatives. 

This time around, Reform UK managed to overcome the SNP on the fourth round of voting. Below are just the first preferences. 

Reform UK: 1150 (35.2%, new)
SNP: 975 (29.9%, +1%)
Labour: 799 (24.5%, -8.5%)
Conservative: 342 (10.5%, -14%)

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Flintshire, Connoh’s Quay Central

At the last set of elections in Flintshire, only Independent and Labour candidates stood in the ward of Connah’s Quay Central, with both Independents prevailing by a large margin. While the Liberal Democrats did not stand a candidate in this by-election, all other major parties in Wales did, alongside a couple of Independents in this crowded field. Reform UK ultimately won by a big margin.

Reform UK: 256 (48.1%, new)
Labour: 101 (19%, -15.1%)
Plaid Cymru: 71 (13.3%, new)
Independent: 59 (11.1%, new)
Conservative: 21 (4%, new)
Independent: 13 (2.4%, new)
Green Party: 11 (2.1%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Independent

More elections in Wales

The long running series of Welsh by-elections – caused by new Senedd members not legally being able to hold onto their council seats – sees another seven races take place this week. 

Pembrokeshire, Pembroke Dock Market

The last election in Pembrokeshire saw the Pembroke Dock Market ward being taken by an Independent in an uncontested election, who sadly passed away in April. This time, three Independents were joined by candidates from the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats. 

Pembrokeshire has a strong tradition of electing Independents, with over half the seats being taken by independent candidates in 2022. At this by-election though, the Conservatives scored a somewhat surprising win.  Thanks to Lee Herring for offering a Lib Dem choice. 

Conservative: 143 (36%, new)
Independent: 100 (25.2%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 79 (19.9%, new)
Reform UK: 48 (12.1%, new)
Independent: 11 (2.8%, new)
Lib Dem: 9 (2.3%, new)
Independent: 7 (1.8%, new)

Conservative GAIN from Independent

Flintshire, Argoed & New Brighton

The second race in Flintshire was the only Liberal Democrat defence in Wales this week in the ward of Argoed & New Brighton, where two of our four councillors on Flintshire Council come from. The race was triggered by the sad passing of Hilary McGuill. 

Last time both Lib Dems finished above individual Labour, Plaid Cymru, Independent and Green candidates. Both right-wing parties entered the race this time, but the Liberal Democrats fended off astrong Reform UK challenge to beat out every major party in Wales, with an increased share of the vote! Fantastic win from Cllr Faron Hadfield-Jones.

Lib Dem: 614 (39.8%, +3.8%)
Reform UK: 490 (31.7%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 191 (12.4% , – 2.2%)
Conservative: 113 (7.3%, new)
Labour: 113 (7.3%, -17.3%)
Green Party: 23 (1.5%, -8.8%)

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Vale of Glamorgan, Baruc 

In the Vale of Glamorgan, Plaid Cymru were looking to hold onto one of the three seats in Baruc. In 2022, they won all three seats on offer, with their Labour, Conservative and Green Party competitors running quite a close contest to be runners-up. 

This time, Reform UK joined the contest and finished in second place, though far behind an insurgent Plaid Cymru who increased their majority, mirroring a strong performance in this part of Wales in the 2026 Senedd elections. Thank you to Gabriela Ferguson for getting the Lib Dems on the ballot this time. 

Plaid Cymru: 856 (47.7%, +11.2%)
Reform UK: 429 (23.9%, new)
Conservative: 219 (12.2%, -8.2%)
Labour: 179 (10%, -15%)
Green Party: 90 (5%, -13.1%)
Lib Dem: 23 (1.3%, new)

Plaid Cymru HOLD

Llanrug, Gwynedd

Plaid Cymru’s had a reversal of fortunes in the Gwynedd seat of Llanrug, where they lost to an Independent. Gwynedd is another county with a strong Independent presence, finishing second in total number of councillors to Plaid in their stronghold. 

In 2022, Plaid Cymru won an uncontested election in Llanrug, along with many others throughout the county. At this by-election, the Independent and Plaid Cymru swallowed 95% of the vote share. Thank you to Linda Park for standing. 

Independent: 394 (57.4%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 262 (38.2%, -61.8%)
Reform UK: 17 (2.5%, new)
Conservative: 6 (0.9%, new)
Independent: 4 (0.6%, new)
Lib Dem (Linda Park) 3 (0.4%, new)

Independent GAIN from Plaid Cymru

Neath Port Talbot, Trebanos 

Only Plaid Cymru and Labour stood at the 2022 election in Trebanos. This time, it was contested by all six major parties in Wales. Unlike other contests last week in Wales where we ran paper candidates, we did fight a good campaign here with an excellent candidate in Hayley Davies. 

Plaid Cymru capitalised on their history here to pull off a big win. Of the other parties, we finished in third, just 11 votes behind Reform UK. This sets us up well to challenge them in next year’s local elections. 

Plaid Cymru: 223 (51.1%, -18.3%)
Reform UK: 88 (20.2%, new)
Lib Dem : 77 (17.7%, new)
Labour: 37 (8.5%, -22.1%)
Conservative: 7 (1.6%, new)
Green Party: 4 (0.9%, new)

Plaid Cymru HOLD

Splott, Cardiff

Finally, we go to the Welsh capital to wrap up the Welsh segment of this report. The election was triggered by the former Labour leader of Cardiff Council getting elected to the Senedd. Splott has been dominated by huge Labour majorities since 2012. 

The last time the ward was competitive was back in 2008 when the Liberal Democrats ran the council and had one of the three seats in Splott. 

In 2022, we finished behind Labour, a Green Party-Plaid Cymru unity team and the Conservatives. This time it was a Green Party challenger (no Plaid Cymru candidate) who came fairly close to beating Labour. Thank you to Rhys Husband for flying the Lib Dem flag here.

Labour: 765 (40.3%, +6.3%)
Green Party: 678 (35.7%, +18.4%)
Reform UK: 286 (15.1%, +2.1%)
Lib Dem: 114 (6%, -8%)
Conservative: 54 (2.8%, -0.1%)

Labour HOLD

 

Green Party Defences in London

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday: Ann Widdecombe, robust debate and the need to disagree agreeably

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 13th July 2026 - 5:30 pm

I disagreed with Ann Widdecombe on almost everything. Most fundamentally, I profoundly opposed her views anti the rights of LGBT+ people, which I regarded as illiberal and deeply hurtful.

Yet politics is rarely as simple as agreement and disagreement.

I first interacted with Ann Widdecombe twenty years ago when she was a Tory MP and I was a local radio reporter in the Midlands and I interviewed her down the line about an event she was due to be attending at Coventry Cathedral. More recently, I had the pleasure (and, I’ll admit, slight dread) of debating her live on GB News this past April. On neither occasion did we see the world through the same political lens, but I respected her who someone who held her values and principles deeply (as I do mine).

She held strong views and expressed them forcefully, but it was rarely if ever personal. We argued our respective cases and then moved on as human beings. There is a lesson in that, one which seek to give voice to in the podcast I co-host (with a former Tory advisor), Political Frenemies, where we debate robustly but remain friends at the end. That is how our politics should always be.

As I said on GB News earlier today, Ann Widdecombe was that rare and very special thing in politics: authentic. Utterly herself. She said what she meant, and she meant what she said. Whether you agreed with her or not, there was never any doubt that she believed every word. No ducking and weaving needed, like other politicians, to get through the day or the latest media interview.

At a time when our politics can feel increasingly performative, over-managed and tribal, that authenticity stood out. I respected it, even when I fundamentally rejected the conclusions to which it led her. To think that her life has allegedly been taken by another is beyond horrifying. It is a tragedy that transcends politics and demands our shared humanity.

My thoughts and prayers are with Ann Widdecombe’s family, her many friends and all those mourning her.

Rest in power.

Four years on, still fighting for Mum

Yesterday marked four years since my beloved mum, Jackie, died, just two days after waiting eleven agonising hours for an ambulance following a fall at home. Those long hours, watching the person I loved most in the world, in pain and without dignity while desperately waiting for help, will stay with me forever.

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 12th July 2026 - 10:30 am

NATO

The NATO summit was a wild diplomatic roller coaster ride. But then, how could it be otherwise with President Donald J. Trump in attendance.

Ankara was another example of his negotiating style: Start with the maximalist position delivered in the loudest and most belligerent style and then gradually back away from that and claim a happy agreement which is probably nowhere near the truth.

Trump arrived demanding Denmark give him Greenland. If the Danes refused, he would withdraw all US troops from Europe. He also said that the US was ending all trade with Spain because of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s refusal to let Trump use American airbases for attacks on Iran, or even to allow him to use Spanish airspace. Finally, he attacked Iranians “as vicious scum” and again criticised NATO allies for refusing to help him in the Middle East.

It didn’t work. Denmark, backed by the rest of the alliance, stood firm on Greenland and the Europeans are turning a deaf ear and blind eye to his rants about Iran. Trump started the war. He can finish it.

Spain is more interesting. US companies have billions invested in Spain and the trade between the two countries runs into billions more. Ending trade is not that simple and is self-defeating. Trump has instructed lawyers to come up with a plan. They will likely come up with some form of selective tariffs, but even that is difficult because of Spain’s membership of the EU.

What Trump achieved in Ankara was more headlines that he thinks made him look good for his MAGA base. What the rest of the Alliance achieved is confirmation that they are right to increase defence spending; become less dependent on American-built weaponry; become politically more independent of America and to continue to work towards becoming a separate Western political pillar supported by their own military-industrial complex.

Ukraine

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky went to Ankara hoping to buy more American Patriot missile systems. He left with a licence to manufacture them.

For months Donald Trump’s approach to Ukraine has been characterised by pressure on Kyiv. He has attacked Zelensky, paused aid, presented himself as the equidistant honest broker between Russia and Ukraine when he was leaning heavily towards Russia.

Then came Ankara. Trump publicly praised Zelensky. He spoke of his “very good relationship” with the Ukrainian leader. And then…Trump presents Ukraine with the gift of the license to manufacture Patriot air defence missiles in Ukraine.

Ukraine now ceases to be merely a consumer of Western weaponry (although its drone manufacturers were also steering Ukraine towards weapons independence) and becomes a producer of Western weapons. The licence to produce inside Ukraine also means that replacement missiles and components can be manufactured and moved more quickly to the frontline.

The license also represents another step towards integrating Ukraine into the Western defence-industrial base without having to grant it NATO membership.

But why the change in Trump’s policy? Mainly because the gods of war are starting to move to Ukraine’s side. For years, Vladimir Putin had Trump convinced that he was “holding the cards” in the Ukraine war. That there was no way that the Russian steam roller could lose.

Ukraine is not winning. But neither is it losing. The Russians continue to throw waves of suicidal attacks against a seemingly impenetrable Ukrainian frontline. Meanwhile the Ukrainians have started to score points with long-range drone attacks on Russian oil installations and factories.

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: Visions of America

By Tom Arms | Sat 11th July 2026 - 10:25 am

For those who looked carefully, there were two contrasting visions of America at its 250th birthday. Each was presented by a prominent American and could not have been more different.

The first Is Donald Trump’s America First vision. This is an America where immigrants are not only refused entry but are rounded up by armed agents; sent to overcrowded detention camps and deported. It is vision which is viewed through the narrow lens of American nationalism.

The second was rooted in the idea that America has a responsibility beyond its borders—a universal vision which is closely linked to immigration, human dignity and the belief that America’s ideals belong to everyone, not just Americans.

The universalist vision was expounded by another prominent American, Pope Leo XIV. The pope was invited to Washington for the 4th of July celebrations. He declined the invitation. The Vatican has never explained why the pope declined,  but some papal observers have speculated that Leo was concerned that his visit would be used for political purposes supporting Donald Trump.

Pope Leo did, however, visit via video link the day before the big day. On July 3rd, he was presented via Zoom link with the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia. The medal is presented annually to the individual whose “courage and conviction” has done the most to advance the cause of liberty around the world. The centre is strictly non-partisan, and former recipients have included Volodymyr Zelensky and the Dalai Lama

In his acceptance speech, Pope Leo was careful to echo the centre’s non-partisan tradition. He did not criticise the administration. He did not mention Trump’s name. He did not call for open borders. However he did express the hope that America would remain “ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave.”

He also praised the Declaration of Independence whose ideals he hoped would remain “a guiding light for the present moment and for the years to come.” Finally, the pope said that America had become a “byword for freedom” because of the way the country had welcomed successive generations. And he urged Americans to remain faithful to that tradition.”

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Josh Babarinde

The Draft Party Strategy is here!

By Josh Babarinde | Fri 10th July 2026 - 6:29 pm

I’ve been so inspired.

Up and down the country, members have been feeding into our “Summer of Strategy”, the process I launched with the Federal Board to draft a new party strategy. We’ve had thousands of contributions so far – thank you!

Where are we now?

Taking your ideas, workshop discussions, and survey answers, the Federal Board has published the first draft of the party strategy. It’s now ready for your feedback!

A few themes stand out: sharpening our national story and message, turbocharging our social media game to complement our pavement-pounding prowess, and consolidating in our areas of strength while being ambitious where we can win –  in Wales, Northern England, the Midlands, and urban Britain.

You’ll find the full draft strategy motion and the consultation response summary waiting in the email I sent you yesterday.

Now, the draft motion is a starting point that reflects what we heard.

But I want member’s voices to be heard at every stage. This strategy needs to come directly from your insights.

So, we want to know: what have we got right? What have we missed? What would you change?

Have your say

Tell us what you think. There’s a short survey linked in the email – please fill it in by 9am on Monday 10th August 2026.

You can also join one of our Zoom Town Hall sessions, chaired by members of our Federal Board, to share your views on the draft strategy directly:

  • Thursday 16th July, 5:15pm–6:45pm
  • Tuesday 21st July, 5:30pm–7:00pm
  • Sunday 2nd August, 10am–11:30am

Registration links for all three are in the email – come along!

And after this?

The Federal Board will review your feedback, with a view to drafting any necessary amendments to the motion ahead of Autumn Conference.

From there, members will debate and vote on the proposals.

And if it passes? Then the even bigger task begins, implementation.

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Nick da Costa

Autumn Conference 2026: Agenda Selection Report

By Nick da Costa | Thu 9th July 2026 - 12:31 pm

The Federal Conference Committee (FCC) met on Saturday to review motion submissions and begin finalising the agenda for Autumn Conference 2026, which will take place in Brighton from 19 to 22 September 2026. We are very much looking forward to returning to Brighton for what promises to be a busy and engaging Conference.

This Conferences comes roughly midway through the Parliament but very early in the premiership of Andy Burnham. He will spend the summer setting out his agenda and trying to maintain a sense of change and momentum. There are already some (small) signs of a Labour bounce and we shall see what happens with Farage’s fight against Count Binface. 

However, as we are all aware, the task facing Burnham is daunting and his honeymoon could be very short. The political landscape continues to change, and could change drastically between now and Conference. 

We received several updates in advance of Autumn Conference and also welcomed a new member of the Federal Conference Committee, following the resignation of Sarah Teather. Cllr Sandra Gidley was the winner of the recount, and rejoins the FCC after a short hiatus of about 10 years. 

Motions Submissions and Agenda Planning

As ever, we received a strong and diverse range of submissions, reflecting the breadth of engagement across the party. In total, the FCC received:

  • 61 policy motions
  • 10 business motions
  • 1 constitutional amendment

Following very detailed discussion and several rounds of selection, the FCC agreed to include on the agenda:

  • 20 policy motions
  • Up to 3 slots for emergency motions or topical debates
  • 1 business motion.

We are extremely grateful to all members, local parties, and Associated Organisations who took the time to draft and submit motions. The quality and thoughtfulness of submissions were high, which inevitably made the selection process challenging.

Alongside policy debates, there are mandatory business items. As always, we wish we could include more debates, but we have done our best to maximise discussion within the limited time available.

Transparency and the Motions Bundle

In line with the FCC’s commitment to transparency, we are publishing:

  • A list of all motions submitted, indicating whether they were selected and providing brief reasons for non-selection. These have just been summarised, those people who submitted motions will have had fuller feedback from the relevant FCC member.  (please note that motion titles may be edited before final publication).
  • The full bundle of motions considered by the FCC, which we hope members will find useful and informative. Please note that line numbers and correct numbering will be added when we produce the final agenda. 

For motions selected for debate, there may be some minor drafting amendments made between now and publication.

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Larry Ngan

Championing stronger AI resilience: Take-away from ALDE Congress 2026

By Larry Ngan | Thu 9th July 2026 - 10:04 am

ALDE Congress is the largest gathering of our party members alongside our European sister parties. The Liberal Democrats delegation was at the heart of Europe in Vienna last weekend. First, we got most of the resolutions we had cooperated on in the previous months passed. Moreover, Baroness Smith was elected as the ALDE Vice President.

While interacting with our European sister parties as the chairs of both the Liberal International British Group and the Lib Dems Friends of Hong Kong, I brought up interesting discussions on AI and especially how younger generations use such technology to engage in politics. AI and digital technologies have been used to challenge authoritarian regimes while allowing democracy activists to reduce their physical exposure in countries such as Belarus and Russia.

But given democracy campaigns have now engaged the use of AI, what is our commitment to AI resilience?

What shifts are needed in the EU’s economic model to create a more favourable environment for the AI industry to grow? You can read my summary of the resolution – ‘Building European Technology Sovereignty for Democratic Resilience’ here.

This is the resolution European governments need. I have long advocated that the EU needs to build up its resilience in the IT sector under the current chaotic geopolitical environment. The vulnerabilities posed by a potential US ‘kill switch’, geographically concentrated AI infrastructure, and reliance on US-led payment systems have been exposed by the Trump administration. Worse, Trump has used Europe’s vulnerabilities as leverage in negotiations, often to Putin’s advantage.

However, while I am glad to see the overwhelming support among our European sister parties, I am frustrated because our party lacks momentum on policy on AI and Cloud infrastructure, and other technical details.

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Jack Meredith

Introducing The Grimond Society

By Jack Meredith | Wed 8th July 2026 - 10:01 am

Embed from Getty Images

Last week, a comment appeared under my last LDV piece from Dennis Delice, in which he said he would be interested in an internal party group focused on furthering the case for economic democracy by encouraging a more co-operative and mutualistic economy. After reading it, I got in touch with Dennis via LinkedIn, and within a few hours, we had brought the idea to life.

The Grimond Society launched on Thursday, 2 July, to put economic democracy at the heart of Liberal Democracy policy.

We named it after Jo Grimond because this was the same cause he championed over six decades ago. He wanted workers to stand alongside shareholders in company law, praised employee mutuals long before they were fashionable, and helped found Job Ownership Limited; the forerunner of today’s Employee Ownership Association.

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Paul Walter

The proud independence of the Isle Of Man

By Paul Walter | Tue 7th July 2026 - 10:27 am

Recently I had the great thrill of visiting the Tynwald – the Isle Of Man’s parliament.

The Isle Of Man is, of course, proudly a separate nation – a self-governing British Crown Dependency. Jersey has the same status, but there is something a little more accentuated about the Isle Of Man’s independence – the distinctive flag with the motto of the three legs, which is seen everywhere; much evidence of a separate historical narrative etc.

So, it was worth visiting the island just because of its independent status.

The Tynwald tour was very interesting – we were told about the make up of the tri-cameral system with its lack of party politics.

We were allowed to sit in the speaker’s chair in the House of Keys and I took the liberty of handling the gavel for my photo (see above).

We were reminded of the independence of the Isle Of Man because, when we were there, the last amendments to the Assisted Dying Bill were passed, reading for the bill to be given royal assent.

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday: Carl Cashman is a Liberal Hero – and his critics would love his media reach

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 6th July 2026 - 7:00 pm

There has been no shortage of criticism directed at Carl Cashman over the past few days following his appearance as the cover star of Attitude magazines Pride edition. Yet, looking at much of the reaction, I cannot help but conclude that there is more than a hint of the green-eyed monster at work.

The truth is that many of those complaining would love to have Carl’s reach, his charisma and his ability to connect with audiences far beyond the traditional Liberal Democrat bubble. His interview is an excellent one. He speaks about the importance of promoting positive masculinity to young men, something desperately needed in an era when too many are being lured towards toxic online influences. He stands unapologetically alongside trans people at a time when far too few politicians – sadly, even within our own party – seen prepared to do so publicly. He criticises former leader Tim Farron’s stance on gay sex after losing the leadership, reflects honestly on the shortcomings of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat 2010-15 Coalition government, and consistently roots his politics in the liberal belief that individuals should be able to live their lives without unnecessary interference as long as doing so doesn’t stop others from doing the same.

That is liberalism with conviction.

When I sat down with Carl in Liverpool late last year for what became the first longform interview that he gave – available in three parts on this site – I came away convinced that his political future looked to be exceptionally bright. Nothing that has happened since has changed that judgement. If anything, it had reinforced it.

Of course Carl is undeniably photogenic. Politics has always rewarded people who communicate visually as well as verbally. But reducing his success to his appearance misses the point entirely.

The real reason he is becoming such an effective communicator is that he does not look, sound or behave like what many peoplr imagine a Liberal Democrat politician to be. He reaches parts of the electorate that the rest of us often struggle to engage. He’s authentic, comfortable in his own skin and able to communicate liberal values in a language that resonates well beyond Westminster or party conference. That is a gift.

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ALDC

ALDC’s by-election report – 2 July 2026

By ALDC | Mon 6th July 2026 - 1:45 pm

Twelve principal authority by-elections across England, Wales and Scotland took place on Thursday 2nd July, carrying on a trend of unusually high numbers of by-elections over the past few weeks.

Reform UK were defending three seats. The Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independents/Localists were defending two each. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives were defending one each.

Wales

Three by-elections took place in the county of Powys, with one in Torfaen. All four by-elections were triggered by a councillor winning a seat on the Senedd, and unlike in England, Welsh law dictates that you cannot hold both a council and Senedd seat.

Torfaen CBC, Llantarnam

The previous councillor in the Llantarnam ward in Torfaen won a by-election in 2023 as an Independent (he had previously been a Conservative councillor) before moving over to Reform UK. Three Independents had swept the ward in 2022, with Labour winning the two seats available at the election in 2017. While a technical gain from Independent, as the post had been occupied by Reform UK before the by-election, this can also be looked at as a Reform UK hold. This was not a Liberal Democrat target, standing for the first time here.

Thanks to Brendan Roberts for putting a Liberal Democrat choice on the ballot paper.

Reform UK: 505 (42.7%, new)
Labour: 362 (30.6%, +3.4%)
Plaid Cymru: 190 (16.1%, -1.6%)
Conservative: 58 (4.9%, new)
Green Party: 49 (4.1%, -6.8)
Lib Dem: 18 (1.5%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Independent

Powys CC, Glantwymyn

This race was an unusual one as Plaid Cymru ran unopposed in the Glantwymyn council election back in 2022. It was contested this time again by Plaid Cymru, as well as Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Unsurprisingly, Plaid Cymru held onto this seat with over 80% of the vote, given they have been the only party active here.

A huge thanks to Angela Strandrin for standing!

Plaid Cymru: 513 (81.8%, -18.2%)
Reform UK: 63 (10%, new)
Conservative: 28 (4.8%, new)
Lib Dem: 23 (3.7%, new)

Plaid Cymru HOLD

Powys CC, Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew

Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew had previously been held by the Conservatives who had beaten the Liberal Democrats in a two-horse race back in 2022 by a 16-point margin. No other parties stood. The Conservative councillor then defected to Reform UK before getting elected to the Senedd.

While our vote share fell from 2022 due to four other parties standing this time, we successfully fended off a strong Reform UK challenge while the Conservative vote collapsed, gaining the seat by a five-point margin. This race was supported by a grant from ALDC’s Fighting Fund.

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 6 July 2026 – a nation dares to dream?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 6th July 2026 - 11:44 am

We don’t often “do sport” here at Liberal Democrat Voice – perhaps a reflection of the Editorial Team’s interests – but it would seem strange not to mark last night’s extraordinary events in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium where an English team put up one of its most memorable performances to win 3-2 against Mexico.

From an English Nationalist (a.k.a. Reform) perspective, it’s obviously a mixed blessing. England win – good – but with a team mostly consisting of people whose families would be on the next available plane out if they could gain power at the next election.

I’d argue though that …

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Rosemary Runswick

The Jenkinsite Policy Network present a new vision for British liberalism

By Rosemary Runswick | Sun 5th July 2026 - 1:15 pm

In March this year we announced the Jenkinsite Policy Network after a members vote, and though it has taken longer than any of us expected, we have finally gotten to the stage where we can announce our statement of intent! The statement was drafted by myself, Andy Chandler and Mathew Hulbert (of Matthew on Monday fame) and is intended to set out the principles of Liberal Social Democracy that will inform the policies we intend to push going forward.

We have done this with the aim of …

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Caron Lindsay

Yi-Pei Chou Turvey MSP first UK “rising star”

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 5th July 2026 - 11:15 am

Hi-Pei Chou Turvey speaks after receiving ALDE’s Rising Star AwardI had a tear or too yesterday when I saw Yi-Pei Chou Turvey MSP become the first British politician to receive the European Liberal Forum’s “Rising star” award.

It is fantastic to see her recognised for her work on Aberdeenshire Council at the start of her term as the North East’s Lib Dem MSP.

Sal Brinton was there and sent me this video of the event and Yi-Pei’s speech.

Yi-Pei said:

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Tom Arms

Tom Arms’ World Review

By Tom Arms | Sun 5th July 2026 - 9:15 am

 July 4th

America is so divided that it cannot even decide how best to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.

Ten years ago Congress set up a bipartisan committee to organise America’s 250th birthday celebrations. The committee- which was called America 250—would have a budget of $100 million.

But almost as soon as he started his second term, Trump, decided to set up a rival organisation which he called Freedom 250. It was part of his anti-woke, anti-DEI and white nationalist campaign. Trump did not like the way America 250 told the American story. The bipartisan committee focused on the story of achievement but at the same time acknowledged failures and contradictions.

Freedom 250, on the other hand, presents  American history as an inspirational story of exceptionalism, patriotism and national greatness. Naturally, white men dominate.

The events that Freedom 250 organised were typically Trumpian: a NASCAR race in Washington; The UFC cage fight in front of the White House, athletic games, military displays and a “Great American State Fair” on the Mall which stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. At midnight on July 4, Freedom 250 will set off “the largest firework display  in history.”

Trump’s plans have run into difficulties. The UFC fight was roundly condemned. The numbers attending the Great American State Fair are significantly lower than expected and a number of singers who were expected  to perform have backed out when they realised that the president was behind the event.

Trump says he is not concerned about the cancelled artistes. Instead of singers he intends to “give the longest speech I have ever given.”

Meanwhile, America 250 is struggling to pay the bills. Only $25 million of the promised $100 million has materialised. Much of it is believed to have been redirected on Trump’s orders to the Freedom 250 account. Democrat Congressman have pledged to investigate.

NATO

Trump flies from the July 4 celebrations to Ankara for what has been billed as “one of the most consequential NATO summits” in the alliance’s history.

Reports suggest that the American president intends to arrive with both guns blazing; one of them aimed at the defence spending of his allies and the other at their refusal to become involved in the Iran War. “They weren’t there for us!!!” Trump recently wrote on his Truth Social platform. In Trump’s playbook, alliances are reciprocal.

The president’s long-term aim is probably not all that different from that of the Europeans and Canadians. He envisages an alliance where the US remains the primary nuclear guarantor. America would also provide strategic lift, intelligence and high-end capabilities. The Europeans would pay for and field the bulk of the conventional forces in Europe so that the US can concentrate on China.

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Andy Cooke

Richard Webber – 4th April 1946 to 28th June 2026

By Andy Cooke | Sat 4th July 2026 - 12:00 pm

Richard Webber, husband to Catherine, father to Edward, Rebecca, Richard, and Sophie, was my friend and mentor, and he died peacefully at home last Sunday after a long fight with oesophageal cancer.

Richard was an inspiring teacher, much respected councillor, entrepreneur, dearly beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.  He was a mainstay and stalwart of the Oxfordshire Lib Dem Party, stepping up to fight (and win) a District by-election in his home village of Drayton in 2005, following a long and successful career as a teacher.  He then fought a much harder series of Oxfordshire County Council elections from 2013 (in the depths of Lib Dem struggles), winning his first contest by 31 votes and holding on through 2017 and 2021.

He led the Oxfordshire Lib Dem Group through the wilderness years post-Coalition as the party rebuilt, until 2021, when they took control of Oxfordshire County Council, when he willingly stepped aside for Liz Leffman to lead the council.  He saw the party rebuild from single figures of District seats in Vale of White Horse, from third place in Oxfordshire County Council, and from no MPs in Oxfordshire to a super-majority in the Vale (wiping out the Tories completely in 2023), a majority on the County Council, and five of seven MPs in Oxfordshire.

Above – Richard and his wife Catherine, campaigning with Ed Davey in Oxfordshire

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Tom Arms

Observations of an Expat: I am an Immigrant

By Tom Arms | Sat 4th July 2026 - 10:03 am

I am an immigrant. I emigrated from the United States to the United Kingdom on the 12th of December 1971.

I had studied for a year in Britain 18 months before and fell in love with the country and one of its citizens and moved back despite the dreary weather and traffic jams.

I did not flee a Middle Eastern War. I did not turf up at Heathrow claiming political persecution. I did not risk my life to cross the English Channel in freezing weather. Nor was I fleeing from poverty or conflict. In fact, if I had stayed in America I would probably be enjoying a comfortable country club existence.

Nevertheless, I feel an affinity with African, Asian, Hispanic, or any person from any race or country who left their homeland to seek a new life. It is not easy to leave the safety net of cultural familiarity, family and friends.

If you are born to a country your acceptance is automatic. As an immigrant you have to constantly prove your worth and justify your decision to uproot your entire life and start afresh. At the end of the day, you, more than a native-born person must feel that you have contributed something.

I feel I have succeeded. I started an international news agency which launched the careers of well over a hundred journalists. My children are all a credit to me as are the 200 boys—many of them now young men– who have passed through my scout group over the past 25 years.

I am not boasting. In fact, I don’t regard myself as particularly unusual. Immigrants in every country have outstanding records of contributing to their adopted homelands.

Think about it. By their very nature immigrants have proven through their actions that they are risk takers. They are adventurers. They are focused, determined and prepared to work hard to achieve their aims. Such people are assets to any community lucky enough to have them.

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Stephen O'Brien

Liberalism must mean something again

By Stephen O'Brien | Fri 3rd July 2026 - 5:06 pm

I have been a Liberal Democrat, and part of the wider liberal tradition, for my entire adult life. I believe there has rarely been a more important time for liberal politics to be at the forefront of British public life.

Yet too often, our party seems more comfortable talking about blocking 16 and 17-year-olds from social media than trusting the same young people we have long argued should have the right to vote.

That matters.

Liberalism is not meant to be timid. It is not meant to chase every passing moral panic. It is not meant to dress itself up as small-c social conservatism in the hope that people who do not share our values might suddenly decide to vote for us. They will not. Worse than that, it risks alienating the very people who naturally look to a liberal party for leadership, courage and principle.

In 2024, the Liberal Democrats got the campaign right. We returned to Parliament in significant numbers, and that achievement should not be dismissed. It was a remarkable electoral success.

But what have we done with it?

We have gone from being a party that once had a huge impact on British politics to one that too often seems willing to support almost anything if it gets a cheap headline. For a party with our history, that is not good enough.

We are the party of Gladstone, Lloyd George, Grimond, Ashdown and the long liberal tradition of reform, liberty, internationalism and individual freedom. Yet today, too many people remember us less for bold liberal ideas and more for stunts. That should worry every single one of us.

For me, the problem is simple: we are missing the moment, and in doing so we are forgetting our purpose.

The Liberal Democrats should be the party of liberalism. That means defending civil liberties, trusting individuals, challenging the overreach of the state, standing up for democratic reform, protecting human rights, and being radical where the country needs radical answers.

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Roz Savage MP

Andy Burnham has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to renew British democracy. He should take it.

By Roz Savage MP | Thu 2nd July 2026 - 5:37 pm

On Monday I had lunch with an American friend who was visiting London. I mentioned that later that day I was co-sponsoring an event in Parliament with Labour MP Clive Lewis on the subject of defending UK democracy.

Her expression changed immediately. “Please,” she said, “learn from us.”

She wasn’t talking about Donald Trump as an individual. She was talking about what has happened to the institutions of American democracy over the past few years, especially in the 18 months of Trump 2.0.

“We assumed the system would protect itself. We assumed there would always be enough guardrails. We assumed no one would really push it that far.” Then she paused. “Please don’t let our pain have been in vain.”

We need to look across the Atlantic, and pay heed. Because I fear we sometimes comfort ourselves with exactly the same assumptions. Britain, we tell ourselves, is different. Our institutions are older. Our democracy is stronger. Our traditions will protect us.

But democracies are not self-defending. They need rules and structures that don’t assume only good people acting in good faith, but can withstand bad actors willing to exploit every weakness they can find.

That was the central message of the Defensive Constitutional Reform report that was the basis of our panel discussion on Monday night. It argues that Britain has relied for too long on what Peter Hennessy famously called the “good chaps” theory of government: the comforting assumption that those who attain power will generally exercise it responsibly. In an era of disinformation, billionaire influence, hostile foreign interference and growing political polarisation, that assumption no longer looks sufficient.

Rebuilding trust in democracy

Last week, I argued that first-past-the-post is no longer simply unfair. It is becoming dangerous.

This week I want to ask a different question. If we agree our democracy needs strengthening, how should we go about it?

The answer matters because we are living through a profound crisis of confidence in politics itself. Too many people no longer believe their voice matters. Too many feel governments are imposed upon them rather than chosen by them. Too many look at Westminster and conclude that politics is something done by elites, for elites.

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Nick Baird

Why the Lib Dem Defence Bonds plan is a bad idea

By Nick Baird | Thu 2nd July 2026 - 2:00 pm

The recent (and long overdue) release of the UK’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has only intensified the long-running debate about how to fund an increase in the UK Defence Budget, a debate that has already cost the Labour Government two Ministers. Cursory examination of the Government’s plans soon revealed that rather than being “fully funded”, the plan actually requires a further £4.7bn of cuts to other departments and £10.7bn of “efficiency savings” in the next 4 years, neither of which have yet been identified. It also fails to provide any budget for 2030 onwards, with that can kicked down the road for the next Prime Minister.

In January of this year, Ed Davey announced our solution to the problem – Defence Bonds (https://www.libdems.org.uk/press/release/ed-davey-calls-for-defence-bonds-to-fund-pound20bn-boost-to-military-spending-and-reduce-reliance-on-us), a policy announced without consultation or debate within the Party. This plan proposes raising £20bn over 2 years, ring-fenced for defence capital spending, to “give ordinary people the opportunity to contribute to Britain’s security”.

In my opinion, this plan is both a bad way to fund defence, and also won’t work. For background, I spent over 30 years working in the defence industry, the last 20 of those as a Director and part-owner of a manufacturing SME. I lived with the daily challenges of budgeting and planning, and in that time experienced both the best and worst of UK defence procurement. While I enjoyed the dubious “pleasure” of being a supplier on the infamous Ajax armoured vehicle programme, it’s important to note that despite the bad press UK defence procurement is not all bad. I was also directly involved in numerous projects where the MOD and industry worked together to achieve amazing results, delivered quickly and on budget, that saved lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My first objection is that a short, sharp injection of £20bn over two years is not nearly as helpful as it might sound. What the MOD, and just as importantly industry, needs is the certainty of a long term (10+ year) cash budget to plan against. Uncertainty leads to inefficiency, and suddenly throwing £20bn at the MOD would lead to some terrible outcomes. The MOD would of course do its level best to spend that money, because it would fear any under-spend getting clawed back by the Treasury. But as we have seen before during the Pandemic, when the Government tries to spend a lot of money quickly it leads to failure, waste and fraud. While some good, innovative solutions might be funded, it would also act as a honeypot to every snake-oil salesman with a glossy powerpoint and no track-record.

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Vince Cable

Vince Cable writes: Manchesterism and Localism

By Vince Cable | Wed 1st July 2026 - 2:55 pm

Andy Burnham’s launch speech in Manchester raised hopes of a sustained plan to devolve power away from Whitehall.  If the reality matches the rhetoric, that will be a massive achievement and will greatly improve our system of governance.

But any Liberal Democrat who has been battling for decades for genuine local, community-based decision making and against the infantilisation of local government is entitled to some scepticism.  My own formative experience is somewhat different: serving in the Coalition Cabinet which first launched the idea of devolving powers to elected mayors for city-regions broadly on the London model (prompted by a report for the Coalition by Michael Heseltine) ; and having earlier served as a  – then, Labour – City Councillor in Glasgow) in the early 1970’s, before Scottish devolution, and when councils had serious powers (inter alia, we could appoint head teachers, build council houses and set the rents).

The fundamental idea that decisions by public. authorities should be made as close as possible to local communities – subsidiarity- is not in dispute. As a leading force in local government- and, at times, the leading force, Liberal Democrats have sought to apply that principle and have often tried to devolve further to lower, ward, levels.   But they have been swimming against the tide of gradual centralisation as successive governments have stripped away local powers in the interests of a national ideology or of financial control. As a result, we are highly centralised (and especially so in England after substantial devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Devolution of power is not the same thing as decentralisation or relocation. Various governments have despatched government departments to the provinces to be administered locally. Under the Boris Johnson administration, Darlington became a northern outpost of government. Andy Burnham envisages some Cabinet Office activities being based in Manchester. In the day, I recall advocating the relocation of the Treasury to Liverpool as a means of shifting thinking regionally. But none of these approaches empower people in towns and cities outside London.

There is an important distinction between devolution of power to spend central government tax revenue on local priorities and fiscal autonomy with responsibility for local revenue raising. British devolution is largely the former albeit with very limited (income) tax raising powers for the Scottish and Welsh governments. There is nothing like the revenue raising responsibility of Danish local government or German Lander, let alone US states and, so far, city mayors have none. Arguably, city mayors have become popular- or at least unobjectionable – precisely because they can spend without having to tax, though spending discretion is better than none. 

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Lord William Wallace

William Wallace writes: What do Liberal Democrats have to offer the “left behind”?

By Lord William Wallace | Wed 1st July 2026 - 12:55 pm

Regional redistribution from the wealthy South-East to Britain’s poorer cities, towns and villages is a sensitive issue for Liberal Democrats.  When Britain left the EU and English regions and the devolved nations lost their share of EU regional funding (part of the balancing gains to the UK that the Leave campaign successfully ignored) the imbalance of investment and funding between the wealthy south-east and the rest of the UK tipped further.  Boris Johnson breezily promised to ‘level up’ the country, raising expectations that were shattered when he failed to follow through.  Andy Burnham may be more serious about reviving our poorer regions, and we as Liberal Democrats will have  to respond carefully.

I have had a number of difficult arguments with colleagues in the party about this over the years.  Liberal Democrats are above all local champions, standing up for neglected communities within the areas they represent.  When I and others have argued for larger regional transfers MPs and councillors have reminded us of the pockets of poverty in north and east London, Kent, Somerset and beyond.  Our parliamentary party spreads broadly across southern England, but sadly has few champions yet for Lancashire, Yorkshire or the North-East.  We’ve already heard some champions of London – not in our own party – protesting that ‘taking money from London’ would be a betrayal of Londoners’ interests.  It’s hard for some of our own to resist similar responses.

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John Armah

Battling Burnham: a Liberal Democrat response

By John Armah | Wed 1st July 2026 - 11:15 am

From Gladstone and Home Rule, Grimond and Regionalism, Ashdown and Devolution and even Daisy’s plan to move the Treasury,decentralising the British state has always been a Liberal Democrat ambition. Glad to see Andy Burnham and the Labour Party are finally catching up. The right’s Brexit warcry of Take Back Control can be repelled like a skilled Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and transformed from scapegoating minorities to truly rebalancing our country.

However in our algorithm-driven age, the British people are unfamiliar with our approach to place, devolution,federalism or electoral reform. As Mark Carney has told us ‘Nostalgia is not a strategy! We must regain the initiative on the devolution debate and expose Labour’s belief in the State being the answer with a more considered approach. Modern politics is a battle of stories and we need to become better storytellers because we have a great story to tell.

While we should welcome Burnham’s conversion, we should push him to make truly meaningful change. Metro Mayoralties and Combined Authorities face a democratic deficit with only the Mayors facing their entire regional electorate. London is a better model with a London-wide Assembly and elected Mayor. For English regions from the South East to the North West to the Senedd and Scottish Parliament, it is time to devolve all domestic policy to regional assemblies with elected First Ministers and tax-raising powers.

Let Westminster set minimum standards but the regions and nations decide what their NHS, Health and Social Care, Housing and Infrastructure policy should look like. English Regional Assemblies will require a smaller Westminster focused on national taxation, foreign affairs and defence and finally an elected Upper House under a reformed voting system. But why should the British people care?

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Jack Meredith

Burnham, co-ops, and Grimond: my thoughts

By Jack Meredith | Wed 1st July 2026 - 9:36 am

“If people in 1844 could form the co-operative movement… to lower the price of food, then why can’t we now…?”

This is an extract from Andy Burnham’s speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, in which he partially laid out his economic vision for Britain, focused on social democracy and cooperativism, or more specifically, “Manchesterism“.

Now, I’m not going to do a deep dive into Burnham’s achievements and drawbacks as Mayor, as I’m sure someone else can do a much better job than me on that. But what I do want to draw attention to is how Andy Burnham managed to introduce an idea, supported by a bastion of British liberalism and former Liberal Party leader Jo Grimond, much more effectively than we have for a long while: the transition from discussing power in terms of public and private ownership to social ownership.

Among other things, Grimond was a strong advocate for worker cooperatives and employee co-ownership, championing them as a sort of “third-way” between state socialism and unregulated free-market capitalism. And while the Liberal Democrats aren’t necessarily against these ideas, we have allowed our vocal support for them to fall by the wayside over the last few years. I, myself, like to talk a lot about the need for more cooperatives, mutuals and social enterprises in our society, so to hear Andy Burnham talk about the movement in such a positive light did bring a smile to my face, even more so that it seems he plans on making cooperativism a big part of his governing style.

With all that said, I have to ask: what about us? Aside from cooperatives, Burnham also spoke about the need for federalism, something we also believe in, and in his book “Head North”, he discusses the need for proportional representation and replacing the House of Lords with a Senate of Nations and Regions, not too dissimilar to our stance, either. Granted, he didn’t speak about these issues, which does raise the question as to whether he’s actually going to go through with them once in power, but it’s interesting nonetheless to notice the overlap between us and Burnham; there’s arguably more in common between us than there is between him and the current Labour Party.

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Christian de Vartavan

The Climate Clock Is Ticking: Reflections from the International Seminar on Culture and Climate Change at Somerset House last Friday

By Christian de Vartavan | Tue 30th June 2026 - 8:34 pm

Thanks to a Brazilian friend, I had the opportunity to attend the International Seminar on Culture and Climate Change, which took place on Friday afternoon at Somerset House in London.

The event was organised by several institutions, including a department of my alma mater, UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and was attended by His Excellency Antonio Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil (pictured speaking above). Given last week’s heatwave, the seminar took place in a particularly warm room, with a humid atmosphere that created an almost symbolic reminder of the Amazon rainforest, which was central to many of the discussions.

The central theme of the seminar was the recognition of the inseparable — yet still insufficiently understood — relationship between culture and climate change, and the need to involve local Indigenous communities because of their deep ancestral knowledge of nature and ecosystems.

Some of the strongest arguments in support of this approach were expressed by the multi-award-winning founder of the aforementioned UCL department, Professor Mariana Mazzucato CBE, both during her speech and in the latest Policy Brief No. 36, published this month, a copy of which I was fortunate enough to obtain. The publication concludes with several key recommendations that policymakers, including the Liberal Democrats, should carefully consider:

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Dennis Delice

The state we’re in – musings from a new young member

By Dennis Delice | Tue 30th June 2026 - 4:40 pm

The desire for a sense of control is a deeply futile effort, because despite being individuals, we find ourselves in a social paradigm, shaped by what is beyond our control – for example, where we are born. The person we grow into is also often a product of their environment, often not only inheriting their parents’ genes, but also their ideas and mannerisms. We are all woven in a tapestry of human experience, for we were not born in the wilderness and raised by wolves, without any social contact.

In our growingly atomised age, where our identities are now less bound to our nationality and class as they used to be but increasingly linked to our protected characteristics, conservative backlash bears electoral fruit. It is therefore no longer surprising that in developed countries, we vote not in economic terms, but primarily social now – previously hardened identities of old, such as class or gender, become blurred and less well-defined. This leads to a mismatch between increasingly academic and arbitrary language and lived experiences, which far too often translates as resentment towards liberalism, which feels moralising and detached. For example, Labour struggles with capturing the working-class vote, whilst the Conservatives have lost their affluent but socially liberal support. The left-right axis is becoming ineffective at describing political persuasions as Reform voters are ambivalent on economics, yet hardcore on social conservatism. The floor for liberalism has opened as an alternative, but communicating it without alienating people, as progressives did during the Brexit vote, is key.

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Ray Georgeson

Can “Manchesterism” work for our rural communities?

By Ray Georgeson | Tue 30th June 2026 - 1:00 pm

Here we are again, with the body politic latching on to another -ism that lacks definition yet carries allure for those of us desperate to see devolution and real localism really spring into life. I say this as a Mancunian now resident in the Scottish Borders, so perhaps you can forgive my instinctive pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism.

When, as Andy Burnham pointed out in his gently jocular manner, even the Mayor of Liverpool was applauding when he said “This is Manchesterism” when setting out his first policy platform, you know that something is happening.

Pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism is one thing, but what does it mean in reality? At the very least, Andy Burnham has managed to kickstart a fresh debate on devolution, and it gives Liberal Democrats the chance to sharpen our ideas and contribute to the debate.

Here in Scotland, the reaction of the SNP was predictable in its puerility. Publishing a badly drawn map pointing out where Burnham’s No10 North will be located and reminding us how much British land mass lies even further to the North isn’t particularly helpful or mature, but it’s nothing more than we expected from the performative and superficial Scottish Nationalists.

There are, however, fundamental questions to consider about the nature of devolution and local control alongside the geography and demography of the United Kingdom.

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