Most people know which council collects their bins and recycling. Just as most know who charges them for parking.     But ask someone in the street which council is responsible for providing care for the elderly or disabled, or ensuring there is adequate education provision for all local school children and the answer might not be quite so forthcoming.     Fundamentally, most people do not mind who provides these services. What they want, first and foremost, is for them to be

Wales & West Utilities have worked tirelessly to get homes reconnected after 4,600 properties had their gas supply cut off this weekend. I am pleased that WWU’s engineers have reconnected all affected properties in Malborough. If you live in Malborough and are still struggling with your gas supply, please call WWU on: 0800 912 2999 Engineers are also continuing to work at pace in Salcombe and Kingsbridge. But their efforts have been hampered by an inability to communicate dir

This week parliament considered an e-petition debate about introducing a four-day school week. While the Liberal Democrats believe such a proposal is impractical, it is important for the Government to address the key issue it seeks to resolve: teacher retention. Heavy workloads created by unnecessary bureaucracy and increasingly challenging pupil behaviour are driving teachers to leave the profession. Although new teachers keep coming in, we are trying to fill a leaky bucket

This week the Middle East Minister delivered a wide-ranging statement on what has occurred in the region over the Christmas break. Since parliament broke up for recess, large-scale protests have erupted in Iran and a potential resolution to the long-running humanitarian crisis in Yemen has appeared. In my response I focused on Gaza and specifically I questioned the Minister’s use of language. In his statement, he said: “Too much aid is still stuck at Gaza’s border.” That is

Back in December 2024, I warned the Government that its family farm tax would force everyday asset rich but cash poor farmers to sell land that had been in their families for generations. In response, the then-Farming Minister shook his head. He went on to say that the Government was confident that the tax changes were appropriate and that smaller farms will be protected. That confidence ran out this Christmas, over a year later, when the Government finally listened to opposi

According to reports, Keir Starmer is planning to lay a bill that could lead to closer regulatory ties with Brussels, particularly on agrifoods.