Responding to the news that the government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4, Liberal Democrat Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Jamie Stone said:

"Yet again, the Conservatives have shown they care more about lining the pockets of the super rich than supporting a great public institution.

Yesterday (23/3/22) Kent County Council's Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the decision by the Conservative Cabinet to whack up the cost of school travel in Kent.

About 14,000 children have a Kent Travel Pass for which their parents pay £370 per year so they can get to school by bus. Several thousand more children have a pass at a reduced price as they come from a low income family.

Responding to the announcement of P&O Ferries laying off 800 workers with immediate effect, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

"Today's underhanded action by P&O is an attack on workers. It is an absolute outrage.

"This is simply not an acceptable way to treat employees and the government must step in urgently to help reduce tensions and bring people back to the table.

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat leader, addresses the 2022 Spring Conference for his keynote speech.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats called on the prime minister to sack Priti Patel over her handling of the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Speaking at his party's spring conference in York and online, Ed Davey said the home secretary's response was "utterly shameful", claiming she had "slammed the door" in the face of refugees.

I hugely support giving more support to families for their soaring energy bills at this time. Notices are arriving of eyewatering price increases from 1st April from almost all suppliers, and there is no sign that is going to change in the near future. Households need help, and they are going to need help over months and years, not just one-off payments.

As they are hitting doormats (and increasingly email inboxes) across the country at this moment, Council Tax bills are a fairly hot topic. Below, I do a bit of number crunching on the most local element of the tax in Folkestone & Hythe District: the Town / Parish Council Precept.

Every Council Tax demand is made up of a number of elements. In the Folkestone and Hythe area, they include:

It's not every day you get to say you changed the law.

I am elated that after four years of persistent campaigning, the Vagrancy Act is on the brink of being repealed. The Government has bowed to cross-party pressure and tabled an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 in full. This archaic and cruel law has finally been consigned to history, and no one will be criminalised for sleeping rough again.