20 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrats : All News Feed

Thu 4th Sep 2008:

Lib Dems outline radical police and criminal justice reforms.

The Liberal Democrats today accused both Labour and the Conservatives of ducking the hard decisions on police reform in favour of a sentencing arms race, as they launched their proposals for fundamental reform of the way the police are run.The ideas, outlined in the paper Cutting Crime: Catching Criminals With Better Policing, highlight the urgent need to move the criminal justice debate away from what sounds tough to what actually works, with a shift away from prison towards policing and detection. The main proposals include: Reviewing the police contract including lifetime employment for 30 years, the single point of entry and pay levels Annual fitness tests for frontline officers Decentralising the force by scrapping counterproductive central targets, introducing the local setting of priorities and budgets and the direct election of the majority of police authority members Creating a National Crime Reduction Agency to assess police and criminal justice policies on evidence and to spread best practice Respecting police pay awards from the Police Arbitration Tribunal 10,000 extra police on the streets, paid for by scrapping ID cards Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:"For too long, policing and criminal justice policy have been decided by what sounds tough, rather than what works."Prison, a sentencing arms race between Labour and the Tories, and Labour’s legislative diarrhoea in creating 3,600 new criminal offences since 1997, have been used as a proxy for real action on crime. "The radical proposals outlined by the Liberal Democrats today are designed to shift the debate away from posturing on penalties and towards catching criminals."Labour and the Conservatives have repeatedly ducked the difficult decisions on police reform. Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to a review of outdated working practices in the police." To download a copy of the paper click here.

Thu 21st Aug 2008:

Clegg: 'Apollo Project' to secure UK's energy.

Visiting an offshore energy farm in the North Sea today, Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg will warn that Britain’s energy security is under severe threat as a result of the Government’s disintegrating energy policy, which will lead to an ever-increasing dependence on vulnerable foreign energy supplies. Setting out Liberal Democrat proposals to secure energy independence for Britain, Nick Clegg will argue that politicians of all parties need to demonstrate the kind of vision, application and political will behind the Apollo Project that succeeded in putting man on the moon, in order to head off the threat to the security of our energy supply.Nick Clegg said:"The Government has been looking at energy from the wrong end of the telescope."The scale of its failure to plan for Britain’s energy security has been brought into sharp relief by the Georgian crisis, which underlines the risks of increasing dependence on foreign energy sources as North Sea oil supplies run down."Rather than use its period in office to reduce Britain’s dependency on vulnerable supplies from unstable regions, Labour has dithered and flip-flopped for over a decade. Instead of an energy policy, we have a potential economic, environmental and national security disaster waiting to happen. "But we have an enormous opportunity to create real energy independence for the UK, freeing ourselves from the shackles of foreign oil, coal and gas."Renewable energy is no longer a pipe-dream. It is realistic and achievable. All it requires is the leadership and vision that has been lacking under years of tired Labour thinking."That’s why today I am setting out Liberal Democrat proposals to become energy independent by 2050. This will require the kind of ambition and political will that succeeded in putting man on the moon. "We need an ‘Apollo Project’ for British energy independence."Just as Britain invested in the North Sea in the 1970s to transform our energy prospects through oil production, we must today make similar investment in renewable technologies to harness Britain’s vast renewable energy resources, combined with major reductions in energy consumption." To read the policy paper click here.

Thu 7th Aug 2008:

Liberal Democrats outline youth crime proposals.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, today accused both Labour and the Conservatives of ‘falling over each other to be tough on crime’ as he promoted his party’s new plans for stopping young people from committing crimes.The ideas outlined in the document A Life Away From Crime also highlight how to stop children who have been found guilty of minor offences from committing more serious crimes.The main proposals include: Making young people pay back the damage caused to communities without involving the criminal justice system The formation of a Youth Volunteer Force to engage young people in activities that benefit local people Running nationwide restorative justice programmes, with a particular emphasis on early intervention in schools and care homes Creating a dedicated PCSO youth officer in every area to work with teenagers most at risk of offending Targeting guns and knives through intelligence-led stop and search, hot-spot policing and action in schools Chris Huhne said:"If we want to tackle the problem of youth crime, we need to take action early to stop kids from embarking on a life of crime before it’s too late. "The old parties are falling over each other trying to be tough on crime, but nothing is being done do stop young people getting sucked in to a cycle of crime."Ministers know that programmes to divert kids away from crime work, and are even happy to promote such projects. However, they have failed to fund them properly in favour of punitive policies that grab headlines but achieve little."It is time for a new approach to youth justice which both prevents crime and confronts young people with their actions if they do break the law." To read the paper click here.

Fri 5th Sep 2008:

IRP decisions ignore local wishes - Lamb.

Commenting on news that the Independent Regulatory Panel (IRP) is recommending that cardiac and A & E units be scrapped in hospitals in London and Yorkshire, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Local wishes are being ignored and decisions on vital patient care are being centrally imposed. "The Government doesn’t seem to realise the consequences that its policies are having on patients and families. "Closing wards and downgrading services without allowing local people to have a real say is a betrayal of the founding ideals of the NHS. "What should be a people’s health service has fallen into the hands of unaccountable bureaucrats. "The Liberal Democrat proposals for elected local health boards would mean that people and not central government would be responsible for deciding what services they need."

Huge dividends to energy shareholders wrong while hiking up prices - Clegg.

Commenting on today’s [Friday] LGA report, which shows that energy firms gave dramatically increased pay-outs to shareholders last year, Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg said: "There is something seriously wrong when energy companies are giving higher and higher pay-outs to their shareholders while hiking up prices for their customers. "I’ve no objections to shareholders benefiting from the success of their companies, but public consent is equally important for the long-term future of any business. "That is why it would be in shareholders’ own interests not to pocket these dividends now whilst millions of families are facing such an uncertain winter. "The most vulnerable customers must be protected, which is why we have said the energy companies must be forced to invest in insulating the homes of their poorest customers. We welcome the fact that the LGA shares our view."

Health inequalities Labour's shameful NHS legacy - Lamb.

Commenting on today’s ONS statistics which reveal the most deprived parts of England have lower survival rates for cancer, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "The health inequalities that scar the NHS are totally unacceptable. "In the last decade, ministers have achieved little more than broken promises on reducing health inequality. Too much vital investment has been wasted on top-down bureaucracy. "Widening health inequalities will be Labour’s most shameful NHS legacy."

House price fall shows stamp duty cut to be pointless - Oakeshott.

Commenting on the steep drop in house prices revealed by Halifax today, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Lord (Matthew) Oakeshott said: "With house prices falling by 1.8% in the last month, the Government’s pointless 1% stamp duty cut will be wiped out in just 16 days for home buyers. "Trying to prop up a market in free fall only prolongs the agony. What matters now for first time buyers, and for unfreezing the market, is that house prices get back to affordable levels as soon as possible. "First time buyers must not be sucked into negative equity by Government stunts. "The Government must give councils and housing associations the freedom to build and buy more homes to rent."

Government failure on juvenile re-offending unsurprising - Howarth.

Commenting on the Government’s failure to meet its performance target on reducing re-offending by child criminals, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "It is little wonder that the Government has failed to meet its own modest targets on juvenile re-offending. "The last decade has witnessed the unnecessary criminalisation of thousands of children and record levels of youth incarceration. "Ministers must eventually realise that alternative forms of punishment, such as rigorous community sentences and restorative justice are far more effective than prison at reducing re-offending."

Government should prosecute pimps not customers - Featherstone.

Commenting on Harriet Harman’s drive to make buying sex illegal, Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone said: "Before introducing this new law, the Government has to prove that outlawing paying for sex will reduce trafficking. I remain to be convinced. The statute book is already littered with offences relating to prostitution, some of which are rarely used. "We should be gunning directly for the perpetrators - the pimps, the traffickers and the drug dealers that support this underworld, with better resourced policing that disrupts their actions. "Organised crime is not going to be put out of business by Labour’s latest headline grabber."

40% of personal injury accidents on some roads caused by lorries - Baker.

Road collisions with lorries caused nearly 40% of personal injury accidents on some of England’s roads over the past five years, the Liberal Democrats have uncovered. The figures, revealed in Parliamentary answers to Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker, identify some of the most dangerous roads in England for collisions with heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). They show that: Nearly 40% of personal injury accidents over five years on the M20 involved collision with lorries, along with 35% of the accidents on the M6, M25 and A14 In 2006, 356 people were injured in accidents with lorries on the M1 and 397 on the M25 Commenting, Norman Baker said: "Some of our busiest roads are becoming lorry accident blackspots. Many of these are accidents that could have been avoided. "Our road network is clearly not capable of dealing with the large volume of freight it presently carries. Ensuring that much more freight travels by rail would make our roads safer for everyone. "Yet, instead of tackling the need for rail freight, the Government continues to plough money into road expansion while the railways are starved of investment."

Government must stop hiding truth over Iraq dossier - Davey.

Commenting on the Information Commissioner’s ruling that the Government should release memos relating to the Iraq war dossier, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said:"The Information Commissioner’s ruling is strongly welcomed."Brown and Blair have been desperate to cover up the facts relating to the creation of the dodgy dossier."This has only served to further undermine the case they made for war."Not only should all these emails and memos be published, but we still need to have a full scale inquiry into the Iraq war. It’s time the Government stopped hiding the truth."

Labour has presided over collapse of school meal uptake - Laws.

Commenting on today’s [Thursday] Government plans to increase the uptake of school meals, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "It’s a bit late for ministers to be urging headteachers to tackle the problem of school lunches when Labour’s policies have triggered a collapse in secondary school take-up over the last three years. "In addition, the huge increase in food prices is in danger of causing another downward turn, particularly in secondary schools where pupils have more choice. "Headteachers have a responsibility to give pupils proper time and space to have a school lunch. But if the strategy is to be a success the Government must stop shooting itself in the foot."

EMA delays mirror SATs shambles - Laws.

Commenting on the news that Schools Secretary Ed Balls said today he was 'frustrated' by the delays to this year's Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) grants for teenagers, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "After the shambolic mismanagement of the SATs, this is yet another example of an outside company making an utter mess of delivering an important service to students. "Ministers may blame private companies for these administrative disasters, but it is the Government which is ultimately responsible for ensuring it selects firms which are capable of delivering. "It is students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds who will suffer most from yet more administrative incompetence from the Labour Government. "Ed Balls may be ‘frustrated', but his frustrations are inconsequential set aside the massive disruption for young people, schools and colleges. The Secretary of State must explain what he is actually doing to sort out this fiasco."

School until 17 law is sledgehammer approach - Laws.

Commenting on new legislation that requires children who start secondary school this week to stay in education until they are 17, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "There is a real problem with young people who do not stay on in education beyond 16, but it is typical of this Government to think the answer to the problem is to pass a new law rather than dealing with the causes. "This sledgehammer approach could damage the interests of some children who are presently able to go into employment at 16. Opportunities may be lost given the bureaucratic burdens the Government is imposing on businesses. "Ministers ought to be focussing on tackling the causes of educational failure, which are the real reasons young people end up leaving education at 16."

Government has surrendered to big energy firms' blackmail - Clegg.

Commenting on reports that the Government has delayed announcing plans on how energy companies should allocate resources to help those in fuel poverty, following pressure from a number of the ‘Big Six’ utilities firms, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "It looks as if the Government has surrendered to blackmail by the big foreign-owned energy firms. "The behaviour of these companies is unacceptable: first they receive a massive £9bn subsidy through the EU emissions trading scheme; then they line up to clobber customers with crippling price hikes; then they do all they can to scupper a deal aimed at helping the most vulnerable. "The energy companies must now be forced to use the bulk of the £9bn subsidy to finance a programme of mass home insulation, proper social tariffs for the most vulnerable, and the installation of smart meters. "This is a genuine matter of life or death for thousands of Britain’s most vulnerable people. Gordon Brown should display some of the courage he so much admires in pushing for a deal which will get them through the winter."

EMA delays mirror SATs shambles - Laws.

Commenting on the news that delays in processing Educational Maintenance Allowances, affecting up to 150,000 teenagers, have forced a further education college to use its own money to give financial support to students, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws said: "After the shambolic management of the SATs, this is yet another example of an outside company making an utter mess of delivering an important service to students. "Ministers may blame private companies for these administrative disasters, but it is the Government which is ultimately responsible for ensuring it selects firms which are capable of delivering. "It should not be necessary for hard pressed colleges to fund the educational maintenance allowance out of their own resources. The Secretary of State must immediately sort out this fiasco."

OECD rains all over Brown's relaunch - Oakeshott.

Commenting on the OECD’s prediction that the UK will fall into recession during the second half of this year, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Lord (Matthew) Oakeshott said: "It never rains but it pours for Gordon Brown. While the highly respected OECD is claiming that Britain is in recession, the Prime Minister admits he doesn’t even know where the money for his misguided £600m stamp duty suspension will come from. "Other big economies are forecast to recover but the OECD says Britain is worst placed of all because of its falling house prices. "British families are now paying through the nose for Gordon Brown’s complacency, which has allowed house prices and debt to get out of hand. "Alistair Darling, like the OECD and the Bank of England, has told the truth about our economy. Gordon Brown must back him or sack him."

Tue 2nd Sep 2008:

Nacro prisons bid welcome given mess Government has made - Howarth.

Commenting on reports that prison reform charity Nacro is bidding to run two prisons, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "Given the mess the Government has made of managing prisons, it is pleasing that Nacro are getting involved on the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ principle. "It will take a large effort, however, to improve the performance of Group 4 Securicor."

Government trying to bribe people to buy houses in falling market - Clegg.

Gordon Brown’s proposals to deal with the economic slowdown are too little too late the Liberal Democrats said today. The party has published its own package of proposals designed to help people left struggling by the credit crunch. The Liberal Democrat measures include tax cuts for low and middle income households, stopping unnecessary repossessions, action to cut energy bills and moves to stop reckless banks jeopardising economic security. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg said: "Gordon Brown has produced a plan to save his job, not help people struggling with the credit crunch. "If the Prime Minister really wants to help people on low and middle incomes he could take the simple and obvious step of cutting their taxes, releasing billions of pounds to boost the economy. "Under Labour, the poorest are feeling the pain of Gordon Brown’s legacy as Chancellor, while the richest take advantage of numerous loopholes to avoid paying their fair share. "The Government’s response is to try to bribe people into buying houses in a falling market. The last thing vulnerable first time buyers need is Gordon Brown sucking them straight into negative equity with the housing market in free-fall. "The Liberal Democrats have consistently called for more help for those threatened with repossession, cutting energy bills and stopping irresponsible behaviour by banks. It is a pity that Gordon Brown only wakes up to the problem when his own job is under threat."

Energy security to be next test of EU resolve - Clegg.

Responding to the outcome of today’s EU summit on Russia, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “By linking the postponement of further talks on economic and political co-operation to Russia’s aggression, the EU has signalled that it’s prepared to take serious action. “The big test now will be its collective stance on energy co-operation. “There is a danger that Russia will continue its policy of divide and rule, picking off Europe’s capitals. This cannot happen any longer. “The political message today was strong, and the EU must now demonstrate it can maintain unity and make energy security a priority.”

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