The Liberal Party views with considerable concern the revelation that a convicted criminal was paid 10k pounds to secure the conviction of the members of a child exploitation gang in Newcastle.


Whilst financial rewards may encourage intelligence, they should not be seen as the easy option, nor should cuts to frontline policing be seen as a justification for neglecting conventional investigative methods.

There is considerable public unease at the use of tax payer’s money to facilities such intelligence gathering, and subsequent media coverage has already detailed how the prosecution case was threatened by a breakdown in the relationship between informant and handler.

However difficult it is to investigate and prosecute such appalling cases of exploitation and abuse, investigative methods must ensure public trust in not alienated in the search for justice.

In an independent Britain, in Europe but not in the EU, the real Liberal Party, not the divisive Vince Cable's
Liberal Democrats is needed more than ever to provide greater equality of opportunity in a unifying and fair middle way between Conservative Dynastic Capitalism and Corby's Nationalizing Socialism.

Its interesting to read that the Lib Dem leader  chose the Mail to express his words of hate and division.  It has  left me thinking that he has subscribed to the Trump school of leadership.
 
Tarring a group  with the same brush (himself excepted of a course) is hardly sign of a  leader that wants to unite Britain nor one that shows  respect for the nation nor the wellbeing of all its citizens.  There is no way of being sure how any one sector voted and his prejudiced views are based on  more than a small sample of people surveyed.
 
Cable accuses the old of shafting the young , but then  he must know all about shafting.  He  has set aside understanding and the true human values of caring and respecting  others , He has himself shafted hope and  unity , Where is the respect or  decency in  your latest diatribe   Mr Cable?  Its time the Lib Dems moved on and if they consider themselves worthy of government again they need to demonstrate they can unite the nation not add more divisions.
 
 Remember todays young will be the old who will,  if we have the Lib Dems approach be vilified by tomorrows young
 
I think Mr Cable has spent too much time in the leafy suburban streets of west London and chosen to ignore  those in the nearby , less affluent areas or the people further out in rural Britain who, young or old struggle to make ends meet .  Those people,  Mr Cable,   felt shafted by the EU and ignored by our national  government
 
Was it  not the Lib Dems who shafted the young by agreeing  to policies to burden them with debt through  university fees the very government they  were part of.  They clearly  have a short memory . The  acrimony in the article is dangerous and blatant hypocrisy
 
Rather than blaming others and fostering hate and division the Lib Dem leader shows  should carefully consider his  own and his partys failure to convince enough people that remaining in the EU is beneficial .  

The Liberal Party notes with alarm the latest rounds of prison rioting, this time centred on HMP The Mount, Herefordshire.


The UK prison service has struggled for some time with the conflicting demands of greater incarceration verses reduced funding. Reduced staffing numbers are widely cited as having contributed to a decline in prison supervision and discipline.

Although the government has undertaken to restore staffing levels, this will take time to come to fruition, whilst still leaving inmates and staff at risk of harm in regular outbreaks of prison violence.

The Liberal Party’s spring conference debated penal reform and found much merit in reducing incarceration rates and replacing these where possible with non-custodial community offending behavior programmes and rehabilitation services.

Greater emphasis and investment in rehabilitation would do much to reduce re-offending rates and reduce prison over-crowding in the long-term.

The Liberal Party deplores the regional blockade and sanctions imposed on the State of Qatar by its gulf neighbours, and the attempts to impose a settlement which impinges on its national sovereignty.


This dispute has its roots both in a regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as a concerted attempt to silence the Al Jazeera network, as well as the lesser known Arabi21 and Middle East Eye.

The Liberal party supports the diversity of opinion Qatar has nurtured, much of which will be unwelcome in regional capitals, whilst acknowledging some of the contents has given publicity to fringe groups and individuals with questionable credentials and agendas.

In the interests of diversity, all journalism has some bias, and we are better served by this diversity. 

The Liberal Party notes with increasing alarm the mounting numbers of residential tower blocks failing fire proof testing of the cladding surrounding their structures.


One is left with an increasing feeling that UK building regulations have not been rigorously formulated, tested and applied across the country.  Residents of one tower block in Camden have already had to be evacuated due to the discovery of issues with allegedly missing fire doors and un-insulated gas pipes.

The safety of high rise residence is of paramount importance in the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and the Liberal Party calls for robust revision and enforcement of building regulations in both the public and private sector so as to protect life.

The Liberal Party responds with shock and great sadness at the recent terrorist atrocity outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, London and offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected.

An attack which targeted worshipers as they left their prayers can never be justified and demonstrates intolerance and hatred in our society which must be met robustly and swiftly by our justice system. A clear message must be sent out which demonstrates that acts of terror will not be tolerated in our country whether inspired by hatred or misguided revenge.

The Liberal Party recognises that the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire have had a profound effect on the nation and have cast a dark shadow coming so soon after recent terrorist atrocities.

The tragedy has highlighted the contrast in living standards of the most affluent and those less fortunate, the pressures on social housing and the compelling issue of the way councils have cut back on building control and safety checks.

Wealth cannot continue to be hoarded by the most affluent, whilst the majority continue to feel the weight of austerity and the party calls for a modest redistribution of wealth to create an opportunity society.

The fallout from the Grenfell Tower fire has in a most painful public way shown the gulf that continues in the ownership of wealth in our society.  This disparity must be addressed, so that in the words of the Liberal Party constitution every citizen shall possess liberty, property and security.

The Liberal Party NEC would like to extend a sincere thank you to its 4 candidates in the recent general election, and to its supports and the local activists who supported their campaigns.


The party's President Steve Radford secured third place in Liverpool West Derby, whilst the party ran candidates in Altrincham and Sale West, Devon Central and Thirsk and Malton.

The results of a hastily called general election have now left the country with the prospects of a period of uncertainty on the eve of the commencement of negotiations on this countries exit from the EU.

The outcome of the election exposes the fact that the first past the post electoral system does not prevent minority governments but can instead leads to minority governments being dependent on small minorities which are not representative of the whole country but which are highly concentrated in specific areas.

This election once again gives ample justification for introducing proportional representation and empowering all voters equally, irrespective of whether they live in a marginal or safe seat.

Now the political landscape will the 2018 boundary changes take place. The original idea was to give the cons a stronger place.
Things have now changed, and will we see 50 constituencies go? or will they stay now?

Check out the proposed map;