Five Tests to Back Action in Syria

Tim Farron said:

“The Liberal Democrats know that to defeat an enemy as evil as ISIL the use of military force is necessary. We will consider supporting extending airstrikes against ISIL in Syria provided the Government’s plans meet the five points that I and colleagues have set out today.


key_tim-farronLiberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has written to the Prime Minister along with former leaders Nick Clegg, Paddy Ashdown and Menzies Campbell to outline the five principles the party wants to see addressed if they are to support military action in Syria.

The letter, also signed by the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie and the Welsh Liberal Democrats Kirsty Williams, sets out the specific principles that would be required to be met to secure Liberal Democrat support for military action against ISIL in Syria.

The government has a working majority of 17 MPs and reports state around 15 Conservative MPs have said they will not support the government.

Tim Farron said:

“The Liberal Democrats know that to defeat an enemy as evil as ISIL the use of military force is necessary. We will consider supporting extending airstrikes against ISIL in Syria provided the Government’s plans meet the five points that I and colleagues have set out today.

“For three years, Liberal Democrats have been consistently united in saying UK military action must be accompanied by a broader international strategy that can defeat ISIL. This was partly achieved with the UN resolution passed on Friday.

This is crucial to avoid the perception that somehow only “the West” is opposed to ISIL. It is not, and it is only by working with other countries across the world, and within the region, that we can hope to defeat this enemy.” (more…)

Huge Backward Step on Climate Change

Today the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, gave a speech on the Government’s new energy policy. It involves cutting back further on renewables and increasing nuclear and gas. Decarbonisation has been down-graded in terms of priority. It also includes the end of electricity from coal, which Liberal Democrats have long argued for and which the Conservatives repeatedly opposed during the Coalition.

key_Lynne_FeatherstoneLiberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change, Lynne Featherstone, commented:

“It is utter madness of the Government to pull investment from the renewable sector which generates economic growth and jobs. We have been a world leader in this field and maintaining that status is now in jeopardy.

“Huskies will be turning in their graves. For five years we fought sceptical Tories to ensure the Coalition was the greenest Government ever. In the last 6 months this progress has unravelled to a spectacular degree.

“Britain should be leading the world in the green economy and setting an example to other nations ahead of the UN talks in Paris. It is shameful that the work we began in Coalition to deliver this is being unpicked.”

Liberal Democrats select Jane Brophy for Oldham West and Royton

Oldham-HQOnly the Liberal Democrats will defend families in Oldham West and Royton from the scourge of tax credit cuts, by-election candidate Jane Brophy said today. The party said it would fight the by-election with a firm message: Labour is in disarray and only the Lib Dems will stand up for local people in the face of brutal Tory cuts.

Jane said: “The people of Oldham West and Royton need someone to stand up for them and the Liberal Democrats are the only party that will do that. Labour had the chance to oppose tax credit cuts and failed to do it.

“The Tory tax credit cuts will affect 8,000 families in this area alone and it was only the Liberal Democrats who stood up for people by trying to stop these cuts completely in Parliament.

“When it came to a crunch vote in the House of Lords, Labour just voted to delay cuts to child tax credits and UKIP’s one MP voted in favour, while the Conservatives just cheered them on. We deserve better than that.

“Michael Meacher was a well-respected MP and it would be an honour to succeed him representing local people in Parliament.

“On issues like Tax credits and like the Conservatives plan to wipe out council homes with its Housing Bill the message is clear: If you want a real opposition to this Conservative government only a Lib Dem MP can deliver that.”

Jane is an experienced local campaigner and has been a Councillor in Greater Manchester for over 15 years. She has worked for the NHS in Greater Manchester and been involved in public health nutrition in Oldham.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron MP said:

“Jane is a hardworking campaigner and would be a fantastic local champion for Oldham West and Royton.

“We look forward to an energetic campaign highlighting how Liberal Democrats are now the real, credible opposition to this Conservative Government on issues like housing and cuts to tax credits”

New Lib Dem spokespeople announced

Tim Farron photo

Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron has set about ending the Liberal Democrats’ lack diversity at the top of the party – by naming the most diverse shadow cabinet team in the party’s history to lead the party’s fightback.

The new Lib Dem leader announced a spokesperson team including 12 women and 10 men to lead the fight back against the Tory government. Tim also chose a team from both inside Parliament and out, from across the United Kingdom, and from people who served in Government and those who didn’t.

On making the announcement Tim said: “I am delighted to be able to announce my team of party spokespeople.  The team I am announcing today is the Liberal voice that Britain desperately needs. It features some of the best campaigners that the party has, balanced with the experience and economic credibility that our party has developed over the last five years in government.

“It was important to me to be able to call on the advice and experience of people at all levels of our party and I believe we have an excellent team to lead the Lib Dem fight back. Together, we will take our ideas, our values and our liberal messages to every corner of Britain. We will make the case for housing, immigration, Europe, environmentalism and human rights.”

The full spokesperson team is:

Leader: Tim Farron MP
Economics: Baroness Susan Kramer
Foreign Affairs/Chief Whip/Leader of the house: Tom Brake MP
Defence: Baroness Judith Jolly
Home Affairs: Alistair Carmichael MP
Health: Norman Lamb MP
Education: John Pugh MP
Work and Pensions: Baroness Zahida Manzoor
Business: Lorely Burt
Energy and Climate Change: Lynne Featherstone
Local Government: Mayor of Watford, Cllr Dorothy Thornhill
Transport: Baroness Jenny Randerson
Environment and Rural Affairs: Baroness Kate Parminter
International Development: Baroness Lindsay Northover
Culture Media and Sport: Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter
Equalities: Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece
Justice/Attorney General: Lord Jonathan Marks
Northern Ireland: Lord John Alderdice
Scotland: Willie Rennie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Wales: Kirsty Williams AM, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Campaigns Chair: Greg Mulholland MP
Grassroots Campaigns: Cllr Tim Pickstone, Chief Executive of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors

Our new Lib Dem Leader

key_tim-farron

Tameside Lib Dems have welcomed the election of Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Tim Farron said that under his leadership, the party would oppose the cuts to tax credits and other benefits in the Conservative’s budget and push for greater spending on infrastructure such as transport and broadband.

At his first speech as leader, Tim said “If you care about human rights join us. If you think you shouldn’t have your emails snooped on join us. ‎If you think everyone deserves a decent home join us.” You can watch Tim’s inspirational speech here.

Carly Hicks, who stood for the Lib Dems in Ashton-under-Lyne in May, said, “These principles are at the heart of what drives the Liberal Democrats, our members and activists. More than ever Britain needs a party that will stand up for what we believe in, so we’re continuing our fightback and I’m asking local residents to be part of it.”

There has never been a more important time to join the party.

Across the Country since the General Election 17,000 people have joined the party. Locally we have been joined by dozens of new activists and members this year, including a large number since it was announced that Tim Farron was elected. The Liberal Democrats have also seen stunning election victories at local council by-elections across the UK, beating both Labour and the Conservatives.

Join us here

Green Energy Support Slashed – Tories show true colours on environment

Windmills In A Row Vertical

You can argue that David Cameron first showed his true colours when he told aides to cut the “green crap” two years ago, but the fact is that he had no choice but to keep the coalition’s commitments to renewable energy while the Lib Dems were in government and able to protect them.

Even in the teeth of the recession that followed the financial crisis, Lib Dems in government stayed true to our environmental priorities. As a result of joining the coalition, we were able to create the first Green Investment Bank in the western world – backing renewable energy and environmental sustainability schemes with £3 billion of financial support. There are now rumours that this bank will be privatised at some point in the coming parliament.

We also secured significant subsidies for wind farms and other renewable energy projects, and the ‘green levies’ – taxes on energy companies on the basis of their use of non-renewable energy – that provide the subsidies for those projects to get off the ground. Today’s budget removes entirely a range of tax exemptions that we had worked hard to provide in order to encourage renewable energy production – risking turning back the clock on Britain’s energy network by decades.

In Britain, the amount of energy generated from renewable sources doubled over the course of the last government, as a direct result of Liberal Democrats being able to make a difference and strongly support renewable energy. We made protecting our environment and securing a safer future through reductions in carbon emissions both national and international priorities for the last government.

It is no surprise to see the Tories taking a wrecking ball to those hard-won achievements as soon as Liberal Democrats were no longer there to protect them.

Sal Brinton’s message for Ramadan 2015

Liberal Democrat Party President Sal Brinton has recorded the following message for Ramadan 2015.

As-salamu alaykum.

On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I am delighted to send this message to Muslims in the UK and across the world who are observing the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and sharing; of fasting and prayer. It is a time for renewing faith and strengthening the bonds between family and friends.

At this important time in the Islamic calendar, we are reminded particularly of the value of service of British Muslims, so I want to thank you all for the valuable contribution you make, across British society and beyond, both at Ramadan and throughout the whole year.

So I would like to wish everyone harmony, happiness and unity during this special time.

May your Ramadan bring peace and blessings.

Ramadan Mubarak.

New Members’ Social

We’re holding a social event on June 25th to gather new and old members in Tameside as well as all surrounding areas including, Manchester, Oldham and Hazel Grove.

Family and friends are welcome. The Q Inn is right next to Stalybridge train station

WHEN
June 25, 2015 at 7pm – 10pm

WHERE
Q Inn
3 Market St
Stalybridge
SK15 2AL

Google map and directions