“I left COP29 with hope in my heart”

Pippa Heylings reports from the global climate summit in Baku

The Family Farm Tax explained

What the Government is doing, and why we're opposing it.

We need more GPs

We are hearing the same issue raised on the doorsteps. Patients from Whitehill and Popular Grove and Walton Court surgeries are all saying the same thing; “I can’t get an appointment with my GP”. The Liberal Democrats have a plan for 8000 more GPs!

Only 0.1% of police dedicated to rural crime teams

The Conservative government have “neglected” rural communities as figures reveal a reduction in staff over the last year to just 14 for the whole of the 3 counties in the Thames Valley police area are dedicated to rural crime.

Dangerous Kingsclere Road Junction

The A339 in Kingsclere is the most dangerous stretch of road between Basingstoke and the boundary with West Berkshire, but Conservative-controlled Hampshire County Council are doing nothing to improve it.

Labour Missteps

The inability of the Labour government to define what it means by ‘working people’ is staggering. Many of us thought that it was a code for working class whatever in turn that meant.

Discussion group - January 2025

January's talk will be by Amy Dolley of the Howard League for Prison Reform. The background to the meeting is the current crisis in the Prison Service which has been made obvious by the decision to release some prisoners early as a result of the riots re

Lib Dem Dominic to ministers: Healthcare in Hampshire must be a priority

Liberal Democrat Dominic Martin writes to ministers urging them to take action to improve Hampshire healthcare

New poll predicts Conservatives set to lose Eastleigh to Lib Dems at next election

The latest poll from YouGov has predicted that Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Liz Jarvis is on course to win in Eastleigh at the next election.

116.1% increase in hours of sewage dumped by Southern Water last year

New figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Southern Water discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 317, 285 hours last year.

Greening Denmead

We might be leapfrogging over Labour in the polls, but it’s important we also focus on the local issues

Bella Hewitt visits Waterlooville Market

Bella met with voters at Waterlooville Market

Layla Moran MP in conversation Alex Brewer MP

Hart Lib Dems were honoured to host Layla Moran MP for an evening of discussion with our own Alex Brewer MP

The need for SEND reform

Alex Brewer MP responds to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) briefing.

Commuters in Havant Borough could be clobbered by an equivalent 1p income tax rise due to the lifting of the bus fare cap

People who use the bus to commute to work in Havant could be hit by the equivalent of a 1p income tax rise due to the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 which Havant’s Lib Dems have labelled the ‘bus tax’.

Havant’s Lib Dems will hold the Government’s “feet to the fire” on extra NHS funding

Havant’s Liberal Democrats have said they will hold the Government’s “feet to the fire” in response to the Autumn Budget today.

Conservative MP, Greg Smith, votes to weaken water regulator powers despite sewage crisis

Local MP votes in Parliament against advice from environment groups on controversial changes to Ofwat powers. Local Lib Dem says vote will leave water regulator with “one hand tied behind their back” in fight against Thames Water.

Call to rethink parking charges in Princes Risborough

In recent years, Buckinghamshire Council has steadily increased car parking charges, extended charging hours, and scrapped free weekend parking.

Lib Dem leader praises charity that supports hundreds of local families affected by addiction

The leader of Milton Keynes Liberal Democrat Group has praised the work of a charity dedicated to supporting nearly 400 local families affected by drug and alcohol addiction.

Labour-led City Council blocks Lib Dem motion on winter fuel payment cuts

Labour-led Milton Keynes City Council blocked a Lib Dem motion which called for the new winter fuel payment scheme to be suspended over concerns that the cuts would negatively impact vulnerable residents.

New Forest District Council's Conservatives overturn recommendations to help the poorest

Liberal Democrat Councillors have blasted as "cruel" a decision by New Forest District Council Conservatives to overturn a proposal from one of its own working groups that would help the poorest in the New Forest.

Lib Dems urge local MPs to oppose cut to Winter Fuel Payment which could impact 46,264 local pensioners

46,264 pensioners in the New Forest at risk of losing the £300 fuel payment this winter.

Oxfordshire’s Lib Dem MPs call for outright ban on water boss bonuses after Ofwat announcement

Oxfordshire’s Liberal Democrat MPs are calling on the Government to urgently enshrine an outright ban on bonuses for water company bosses in law. It comes as Ofwat announced bans on three water companies using customer money to fund bonuses - a move that

Henley and Thame MP calls on government to reverse the ‘family farm tax’

MP for Henley and Thame, Freddie van Mierlo is calling on the government to reverse their ‘family farm tax’ echoing opinions voiced by his fellow Lib Dem MPs at a rural affairs debate in Parliament on the 11th November.

Portsmouth commuters to be hit by Labour "bus tax"

Warning! Single fare bus tickets are going from £2 to £3

Comment: Portsmouth's pensioners are let down by Labour

People are rightly furious that one of the first acts of newly elected Labour MPs has been to cut winter fuel payments to millions of pensioners.

Over 11 thousand over 80s at risk of losing Winter Fuel Payments in Reading as Lib Dems calls on govt to “change course”

Over 11 thousand of those aged over 80 in Reading are at risk of losing their Winter Fuel Payments due to the government’s cuts, the latest official statistics have revealed.

Reading Lib Dems say rebuild the Royal Berkshire Hospital now!

The Reading Lib Dems call for the government to guarantee rebuilding the RBH

libdems.org.uk/stop-sewage

IT’S TIME FOR A SEWAGE TAX ON £2.2BN WATER COMPANY ANNUAL PROFITS, A BAN ON EXECUTIVE BONUSES, AND TO START DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE PROPERLY.

Change to school dinner service

Hampshire County Council is set to cut its school dinner service in a cost saving measure.

Sewage dumps by Thames Water doubled last year

Lib Dems win 3 seats in Gerrards Cross

The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives are neck and neck in South Bucks as we win 3 seats in the Gerrards Cross Town Council by-election.

Chelsea Whyte: “Thank-you, and big wins for local Lib Dems”

Chelsea Whyte, Lib Dem candidate for Slough in the July 2024 election says: "Thank you to everyone across Slough who voted for me to be the town’s Lib Dem MP. I wasn’t successful this time, but I enjoyed meeting residents across Slough."

Slough’s Liberal Democrats back new manifesto with NHS at the heart

The Liberal Democrats have launched their General Election manifesto and outlined a plan to save health and care services. The manifesto offers a bold and fully costed £9bn plan to tackle the health and care crisis.

Common Sense Prevails on Hill Lane 20mph Zone, But What A Waste of Money!

The Labour administration is seeking to revert 20mph speed limits back to 30mph on several key roads in Southampton.  While we broadly agree with these changes, it’s frustrating to see so much time, resource, and money wasted on reverting these roads

A City in Need: Housing Woes and Flood Defences

Last time I wrote for Liberal News, I focused on Southampton City Council’s quest for financial stability and its accompanying Transformation Programme. Since then a number of issues have come to the fore. Housing has been particularly important.

 Lee Dillon, Lib Dem candidate for Newbury constituency calls for emergency Health and Care Budget to rescue local services

- West Berkshire and Newbury’s Liberal Democrats call for emergency Health and Care Budget within four weeks of the General Election to save local health services

Tactical voting group says only Lee Dillon can beat the Conservatives in Newbury constituency

The campaign group Best for Britain has released its tactical voting recommendations ahead of polling day on 4 July and they confirm what many local residents already know

Sewage dumped into Hampshire's Rivers following Storm Darragh

Danny has written to the Southern Water CEO following sewage being dumped in the Rivers Itchen, Meon and Hamble

Winchester Lib Dems fight rising bills

And the local Conservatives won't even stand up for Winter Fuel Allowance

RBWM Children's Services are GOOD and OUTSTANDING!

There has been clear improvement since the last inspection in 2020.

Green Team Volunteers Clean Up at Vanisttart

Community-minded locals joined councillors for a Saturday morning session

Christmas message

Christmas is an important moment in the year, for people of all faiths and of none. It’s a time of hope and expectation for a better future.

Introducing Martin Alder

Martin is the new Wokingham Borough Council Executive member for Active Transport, Travel and Highways.