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Statement following May 2012 local election results
May 04, 2012 3:58 PM
Despite a strong showing in some held councils, Liberal Democrats are today reflecting on another bitterly disappointing set of local election results with the number of Lib Dem councillors likely to fall below 3000 for the first time ever. It is a travesty that so many excellent councillors and campaigners will no longer be able to serve the communities that they have represented with such distinction. The results emphasise that the party is struggling to set out a distinctive vision for how -
Safeguarding, not eroding, our civil liberties
April 04, 2012 10:00 AM
Initial reports that the Government wants to change how private communications data can be stored and accessed have rightly caused great concern, not least amongst Liberal Democrat activists and Parliamentarians who all seek to safeguard civil liberties from eros -
2012 Coalition Budget: SLF Response
March 21, 2012 8:42 PM
There are elements of this budget we as social liberals, and of course Liberal Democrats, can be proud of, though the removal of the 50p rate of income tax is something we would clearly never endorse; those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heaviest burden. But the single state pension, at £140, is an excellent example of successful Lib Dem influence, as is the establishment of the green investment bank - neither would have happened in an exclusively Tory government. Raising the inco -
Statement on the 2012 budget: making tax fairer
March 16, 2012 10:19 AM
"With Chancellor George Osborne finalising next week's budget, the Social Liberal Forum reaffirms the Liberal Democrat commitment to fair taxation and urges the government to consider the political implications of cutting taxes on income for the highest earners.Of course we welcome moves to further raise the income tax threshold, to tax property more -
Lib Dem Pensions proposals - authored by SLF - are big news in the industry
March 12, 2012 3:41 PM
Janice Turner's pensions motion, passed at Lib Dem Conference in Newcastle Gateshead last weekend, is causing a stir in the pensions industry. In an article last Friday, the Profesional Pensions news site posted an article saying:Liberal Democrat and experienced member-nominated trustee Janice Turner will deliver a policy motion on Sa
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Social Liberal Forum Update
March 12, 2012 1:39 PM
You can download the Kindle version of Prateek Buch’s pamplet on Plan C. It can be found here Also registration for our own SLF conference is now open. Please book early – it will help us enormously with the planning. Date : July 14th Venue: Kings College Waterloo campus Main speakers: Nick Clegg, -
Triumphs at Lib Dem Spring Conference
March 12, 2012 1:35 PM
Dear all, Thank you for all the hard work you put in over the weekend to make Gateshead another highly successful conference for SLF. Without your support, stewarding, handing out fliers and shaking buckets, we couldn't possible achieve so much in so little time. All of our fringe meetings were very successful, leading discussion in the party on key issues of fairness in the economy: taxes, high pay and our Plan C to put sustainability and fairness at the heart of government policy
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Liberal Democrat Conference does not support the Health and Social Care Bill
March 12, 2012 8:48 AM
"The Social Liberal Forum welcomes the vote by the Liberal Democrat conference not to support Andrew Lansley's Health and Social Care Bill. It is a poorly-conceived, muddled mess that exposes patients to increased risk and lands frontline health professionals with greater levels of bureaucracy and uncertainty. "Liberal Democrat peers have made valiant efforts to improve the Bill in -
Evan Harris reacts to the NHS vote at Spring Conference 2012
March 11, 2012 11:40 AM
Responding to the vote (by 314 to 270) of the Liberal Democrat Conference to reject a call from Shirley Williams to support the Health and Social Care , Dr Evan Harris – who proposed the deletion of the lines which called for the party to support the peers in backing the bill in its current form – said, "The Liberal Democrats have clearly and democratically told their ministers and their leaders that they do not support the bill. This can not be ignored. Although many wish to see no
