The Liberal Democrats will introduce free childcare from 9 months, transforming the lives of parents and children across the UK.
Today's high cost of childcare means that too many parents are unable to return to work without risking real financial hardship. With the average cost of 25 hours nursery care for a child under two running to more than £6500 per year, many parents are effectively excluded from work due to the burden of childcare costs.
A Liberal Democrat government will build a fairer economy by providing free, high-quality childcare for every child aged two to four, for 35 hours a week, 48 weeks a year. The offer is extended to children aged between 9 and 24 months where their parents are in work.
"The choice for parents now is simply not good enough. That is why Liberal Democrats are proposing a transformational change to our economy, by providing working parents with free childcare from when their child is 9 months old."
The Liberal Democrats will make sure that childcare providers are adequately funded, increasing the rates paid by government to match the actual cost of nursery provision. This will be funded by fair tax changes, ensuring that big businesses pay their share, and aligning the tax treatment of income from wealth with income from work.
We recognise that laws need to change so that parents have the chance to work with greater flexibility. As part of these proposals, employers will be required to advertise jobs flexibly, unless there are clear business reasons why they cannot.
The Liberal Democrat plans to transform the provision of early years support are at the heart of the our commitment to build a brighter future for the next generation.
The Liberal Democrats will tackle the climate emergency and deliver a bold green plan to build a brighter future.
The UK should be leading the world on tackling the environment crisis. Our planet is on the brink of being irreparably damaged and we are responsible for that damage.
The climate emergency is real and our planet is heating to unsustainable levels. Young people have taken to the streets because they're so worried that the Conservatives are failing to act.
This climate catastrophe will create huge global inequalities and we have a moral duty to protect the future; that's why, as part of our Plan for the Future, the Liberal Democrats have set out ambitious plans to tackle the climate emergency by generating 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030 and insulating all low-income homes by 2025.
"Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for a Prime Minister that will deliver a bold green plan and a brighter future."
As one of the party's key priorities, a Liberal Democrat government will raise the energy efficiency standards for new homes, as well as investing £15 billion over the next Parliament to retrofit 26 million homes. This would save the average household £550 a year on energy bills.
We are the only party dedicated to building a brighter future by tackling the environmental crises with urgent actions. We are the only party with a bold, credible and detailed plan to tackle the climate emergency as soon as possible, to put climate action at the heart of our government, and to reverse the damage we're doing to our planet.
The Liberal Democrats will take bold action to tackle the climate emergency and build a brighter future.
The Liberal Democrats will treat mental health with the same urgency as physical health.
The NHS is the envy of the world, but our mental health service is not. Waiting times are being missed, people are not being referred for the treatment they need, and often action is taken only when at 'crisis' point, or too late.
That's why the Liberal Democrats are dedicated to transforming mental health services by treating them with the same urgency as physical health.
"We want to break down the barriers of stigma and shame, which leave those suffering, alienated and isolated, and we want to make the UK a world leader in keeping our nation well with our push for greater emphasis on wellbeing."
As part of our Plan for the Future, a Liberal Democrat government will invest £11 billion into mental health services such as:
child and adolescent mental health,
matching waiting time standards to those in physical health,
and expanding our mental health workforce
Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. For too many, treatment is a postcode lottery; with waiting times for psychological therapy varying from 16 days in Waltham Forest, to 176 days in Leicester.
Making mental health services accessible to all is fundamental, and no one should be forced to travel unreasonable distances away from home. By prioritising young people coming out of care, and supporting students from school through to colleges and universities, it is possible to ensure that no one will have to travel out of area for all but the most specialist mental health services.
By putting a penny in the pound on income tax and ringfencing £11 billion in funding for mental health, the Liberal Democrats will provide real parity between mental and physical health care. We want to make prescriptions for people with chronic mental health conditions available for free on the NHS, as is the case for conditions such as cancer and diabetes.
Brexit, either carried out by the Conservative or Labour Party, will put the NHS at risk. Our commitment will ensure it is kept safe and out of the hands of Donald Trump.
The Liberal Democrats' Plan for the Future aims to build a brighter future for our country. Learn more here.
The Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit and invest the £50 billion Remain Bonus in public services and tackling inequality.
Today, we're kicking off the Liberal Democrats' Plan for the Future.
At our general election campaign launch, leader Jo Swinson has declared that a Liberal Democrat government will Stop Brexit and use the £50 billion Remain Bonus to invest in public services and tackle inequality. This £50 billion injection to the areas that need it most can only be delivered by a Lib Dem government - we are the only party standing up to stop Brexit.
With Jo Swinson as Prime Minister, we will reverse the drastic cuts to public services that the Conservative government have made and continue to lead from within the EU.
Boris Johnson and the Conservative party have caused a national crisis with Brexit; he has lied to the Queen, he's lied to Parliament and he's lied to the country to push his bad Brexit deal. Together, we can stop him, stop Brexit and build a brighter future.
"Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit, build a brighter future and invest the £50bn Remain bonus in our vital public services."
We will be announcing more of the Liberal Democrats' Plan for the Future soon. Sign up now to be the first to hear.
🥁🥁🥁 and the newest member of the Liberal Democrats is.... Antoinette Sandbach! Find out why she joined here:
Brexit has fundamentally rewritten the structure and shape of our politics.
As the chief architect of Brexit, it has warped the values and principles of the Conservative Party most of all. It is therefore inevitable that politicians and the public take stock and look at the parties they support and assess whether they are fit for purpose.
I came into politics to fight for a one-nation, pragmatic and centrist Government.
When I was elected, I wanted to push for action to tackle climate change, protect our NHS and improve education.
However, as I have sat on the Government benches in the House of Commons I have worked with those across the House who share these values and throughout this process one party has been stalwart in defending and promoting them, with a clear message of remain.
That is why after several months of consideration and discussion I have decided to join the only party that represents the values that I hold dear, the Liberal Democrats.
I have also seen on the ground in my constituency the impact that policies the Liberal Democrats introduced during the coalition have had on Cheshire.
I have seen how the Lib Dem's pupil premium has put thousands extra into schools in Winsford and elsewhere in South Cheshire and narrowed the gap between rich and poor.
I have seen how Lib Dem policies to protect community assets like pubs and post offices have taken root and how much of a difference their plans for treating mental health equally to physical health could help people in Cheshire.
Beyond Cheshire, the Lib Dems are the only party who take climate change seriously.
Their proposals for new energy efficient homes, investment in solar and protections for our countryside are things I've been arguing for since before I was elected.
This has been a journey over the last few months, but as the kaleidoscope of politics has been shaken by the referendum, not only have the Conservative Party made clear there is no place for people like me, the Liberal Democrats have made clear their values best reflect my moderate, centre-ground politics.
That there is now only one choice of party for a brighter future and moderate, forward looking Government and that party is the Liberal Democrats.
Today, Jo Swinson's Liberal Democrats are launching their slogan for the General Election campaign: Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future.
This election is a once in a generation opportunity to reshape our politics, and give hope to the millions of people who want a fairer, brighter future.
That's why, today, we have launched our campaign slogan: Stop Brexit. Build a brighter future.
This slogan reflects a positive forward-looking vision for the country, and to get the word out, a poster van with this message will be touring the constituencies of Boris Johnson (Uxbridge) and Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) this morning.
Both the Conservatives and Labour are stuck in the past, failing time and again to build a better future. We have an ambitious plan for the future of our country, where every person, every community and our planet can thrive.
This General Election is about the direction of our country for the next generation.
The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain and we are ready to fight to stop Brexit and ensure that we can build a brighter future for our United Kingdom.
The regional conference due to take pace on Saturday 2 November has been postponed until Saturday 8 February 2020 at the same venue.
Conference Committee took this decision because many key participants have important General Election commitments making their attendance difficult or impossible.
If you would like your registration fee refunded please fill in this short request form. There is no need to take any action if you wish to attend conference in Spring.
The Liberal Democrats have won a major victory. The EU Council agreed to a 3-month extension to the Brexit deadline until the end of January.
The work and leadership of our Liberal Democrat MPs was absolutely crucial to securing this extension.
Our parliamentary team worked tirelessly to secure this and prevent Boris Johnson from being able to use an election to sneak through either a No Deal Brexit or his awful Brexit deal. No other party has been working as hard to protect our country's interests. Without the Liberal Democrats, our country and our future would be in a completely different place right now.
