The Liberal Party welcomes the impending intervention in  British Steel to secure the Scunthorpe steel works.

The party believes that any government intervention or public ownership should only last as long as is necessary to find a private sector bidder willing to invest in the business and secure jobs.

Domestic steel production offers security of supply in an era of disrupted world trade and reduces the environmental impact of transporting steel from around the globe.

Furthermore, steel quality control is key to UK construction safety and the Liberal Party demands the 7 recommendations within the 2022 UK steel procurement taskforce report to be fully implemented.

The continuation of the UK steel industry also depends on controlling China’s dumping of steel and subsiding their own steel producers at the expense of other global producers.

The recent history of the UK steel industry also highlights the dangers of letting foreign owners, most recently China, control an industry in which they have only a short-term business interest.

The Liberal Party is pleased to be able to welcome Cllr Andrew MacGregor to the party.

Previously sitting as an Independent on Teignbridge District Council, he will be contesting the Teignmouth seat for the Devon County Council elections.


The Liberal Party is open to discussions with any independent candidates who wish to support their local community as a Liberal.

Promoted by Stephen Graham on behalf of the Liberal Party, 12 Dayworth Mews, Lundy Lane, Reading, RG30 2RR.

Cllrs Fran Oborski MBE and Cllr Shazu Miah having been the only Liberal Democrats on both Wyre Forest District Council and Kidderminster Town Council have resigned from the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking today they both said that the local constituency party had taken a decision to go in a different direction which they could not continue to support and felt that in the best interests of serving the community they represent they would be better able to do so by leaving the party.

The two District and Town Cllrs. are pleased with the work of the Parliamentary Liberal Democrats who secured 72 MPs at the last General Election.

They have both joined the Liberal Party and Cllr Fran Oborski is fighting an active campaign to try to regain her St Chads Division seat on Worcestershire County Council at the elections on May 1st.

Speaking this evening Cllr Fran Oborski said “ as far as our electorate in Offmore Comberton Ward and St.Chads County Division it is very much Business as Usual  and local residents are busily raising casework issues with us!

Cllr Fran Oborski MBE
Offmore Comberton Ward
Wyre Forest District Council

Promoted by Stephen Graham on behalf of the Liberal Party, 12 Dayworth Mews, Lundy Lane, Reading, RG30 2RR.

The Liberal Party notes with real concern the recent Spring Statement announced by the Chancellor.

The return to austerity via-a-vis public sector cuts (most notably cuts to welfare) the party deems as being completely and wholly unnecessary and thus a political choice borne out of incompetence.

The Chancellor announced on Wednesday, cuts to Welfare to the tune of £5 billion in order to bring down the Welfare budget and thus cut those people claiming benefits. However, the chancellor fails to realise that by shaving £5 billion off the welfare budget the chancellor is directly impacting those already on the margins of society.
 
Furthermore, the party notes that the prior budget in October and indeed the chancellors’ fiscal rules has inevitably lead to her having to return to austerity and thus cut public expenditure above and beyond what is necessary. She has essentially boxed herself in through own making!

The Liberal Party would have done a number of things differently in order to not only grow the economy but also reduce the number of those on welfare and thus increase the workforce.

Firstly, it would have reformed Welfare and indeed the tax system in order to increase the number of people in the workforce by simplifying the benefits system (only having three lots of welfare that people can claim). Moreover, it would have also increased the Personal Tax Threshold to at least £20K in order to ensure that work always pays.

Secondly, it would have reformed the tax system by simplifying it in order to ensure both transparency and fairness. A notable example would have been to get rid of the National Insurance hike on employers by scrapping National Insurance all together and thus merging it with Income Tax.

Thirdly, the party would have both levied as well as reformed certain taxes on those in society with the broadest shoulder who could have offered to pay so: Council Tax/Business Rates would have been replaced with a Land Value Tax, the Digital Services Tax would have been increased to 10%, the £4 billion bankers bonus tax would have been reinstated and finally, Income Tax and Capital Gains/Dividend Tax would have been equalised at the same rate.

Overall, the party notes that the statement was very disappointing with a real lack of long-term vision and indeed competency.

Kind regards,

Kayed Al-Haddad (The Liberal Party Economics spokesperson) 

The Liberal Party is pleased to announce that Cllr Fran Oborski MBE and Cllr Shazu Miah have crossed to our party and will be contesting seats at May’s local elections for Worcestershire County Council.

Cllr Fran Oborski MB and  Cllr Shazu Miah currently represents the Offmore Comberton Ward of Wyre Forest District Council and Kidderminster Town Council.

Please welcome them to our party and we wish them every success in their commitment to representing their local communities.

Promoted by Stephen Graham on behalf of the Liberal Party, 12 Dayworth Mews, Lundy Lane, Reading, RG30 2RR.

Following the resignation from the House of Commons of the MP for Runcorn and Helsby there will now be a parliamentary by-election.

Danny Clarke who stood in the constituency at the general election for The Liberal Party has accepted the party nomination to contest the seat.

"I believe that Runcorn & Helsby needs a strong Liberal voice. In this election we are the only centre ground party that believes in sensible and responsible policies that will benefit all in the constituency. People are worried about the cost of living or the most vulnerable having benefits cut. I will push this government to help get those who can work into work and protect the most vulnerable from unnecessary cuts. As a liberal I believe people should be free from poverty."

"I  was born in Crewe before living in Winsford and then when I turned 13, I moved to Runcorn. I have now lived in Runcorn for 24 years."

Dan Clarke
The Liberal Party Candidate

Promoted by Stephen Graham on behalf of the Liberal Party, 12 Dayworth Mews, Lundy Lane, Reading, RG30 2RR.

The Liberal Party notes the completion of the recent High Court case centring on the refinancing of  the indebted utility Thames Water.


The details which have emerged on the scope of the financial  arrangements suggests that the £3 billion in additional finances is not a direct injection of cash, but comes as loans, with a 9.75% rate of interest.

This means that shareholders can continue to extract monies from a business mired in over £18 billion of debt, yet the business cannot afford to meet its investment and environmental commitments without demanding double digit increases in water bills over the next 5 years.

The party believes that the UK water industry is a natural monopoly, paying out undeserved dividends to foreign owners, and should be brought back into public ownership as a matter of urgency.

The Liberal Party wishes to state that it’s total opposition to the re-introduction of Standards Boards in local government.

These boards were abolished in 2010 after whelming opposition, due to them being abused by council’s senior officers to shut down and harass councillors who questioned their conduct and performance. They were also used by ruling parties to harass and denigrate opposition figures in a discriminatory way.

The boards undermined the rights and duty of voters to determine their elected members, with cases often brought to silence councillors raising the legitimate concerns of residents, challenging the abuse of powers or whistleblowing against corruption.

Prior to their disbandment Andrew Stunell MP claimed that the scheme costed £7.8 million but dealt with only 1,000 real complaints in its last year, which equated to £7,800 per complaint.

The Standards Board was abolished after years of wasted money and there return at a time of budget cuts and threats to services would be an inappropriate use of taxpayer’s monies, when all councils are already required to adopt a code of conduct which is consistent with the seven Nolan Principles of public life.

In light of the significant changes in US policy and its valid concerns that Europe does not pay its way in defence spending, we call for a Europe wide security conference to coordinate both expenditure and logistics and defence supply chains so that the UK and Europe is less dependent on the US and vulnerable to policy changes which may be contrary to our mutual interests.

Cllr Steve Radford, Leader of the Liberal Party

The Liberal Party notes with grave concern the moves by the US administration to impose a peace settlement on Ukraine to enforce an end to its war with Russia.

Any settlement offers no certainty of maintaining peace, nor containing an expansionist Russia, and gives no reassurance to neighbouring NATO states such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.

It also further undermines the 2014 Minsk protocol and the security assurances given to the newly sovereign Ukrainian state when it surrounded the nuclear weapons left on its soil after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The party believes thet NATO and the UK must intercede to protect Ukrainian integrity,  ensure a just and sustainable peace with the return of sovereign territory and civilians detained or deported by Russia forces.

Such moves will bolster European defence in the face of an increasing disinterested US administration which see’s NATO and Europe  simply as an unwanted commitment.