Today is International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

Back in 2013 the Liberal Democrat minister in the Department for International Development (DFID) Lynne Featherstone, together with campaigners like Nimco Ali and Efua Dorkeeno, kicked off the original government campaign on FGM. They succeeded in securing the biggest ever spending commitment in the world of £35 million to work towards eradicating FGM worldwide. Lynne is delighted to let you know that legacy has continued.

The current Secretary of State for the Department of International Development recently announced that an extra £50 million will go towards eradicating FGM worldwide. On this occasion, the Liberal Democrats are delighted to be overtaken.

In the last week, we also saw the first conviction of FGM in the UK, paving the way for further convictions.

It was clear then and it is clear now - female genital mutilation is child abuse, and now it is beyond all doubt that it is against the law in the UK.

We will continue to shine a light on this issue and make sure that future generations of girls do not suffer.

As the battle over Brexit in Parliament reaches its final stages, many people are asking me, "what has happened to the People's Vote"?

Behind the political manoeuvring and procedural wrangles at Westminster, there is still everything to play for. The People's Vote is alive and well.

The next step to securing it is to narrow the options, by removing a massively disruptive 'no deal' from the table.

Read the full Focus in the archive, which you wiill find on the Southend Borough Wards page in the Menu bar at the top of this website

The title of this article should be common sense, shouldn't it?

And yet, between 2014 and 2016 alone, over 3000 people were dragged before the court. Not for doing anything wrong, but for falling foul of a 195-year-old law.

The 1824 Vagrancy Act was drafted with soldiers coming home from the Napoleonic Wars in mind. It's a cold, archaic relic from a bygone age. I will do everything in my power to ensure it doesn't reach its 200th birthday.

The sad passing of Paddy has left a huge dent in our political life. He was a leader, a friend, an adviser and, more than anything else, a man buzzing with vision and ideas. You always knew when Paddy was in the room that a suggestion, a policy, a strategy was not far away. He took our party from an asterisk in the polls to a major force in British politics. Yet he always remained self-effacing, never seeking personal glory, apologetic to anyone he might offend with his ideas.

The media's been laser focused on Theresa May's sinking Brexit deal. But today, 3 crucial bills have gone through the Lords, with significant Lib Dem input. We're fighting to:

• Protect the privacy of people who wear skirts
• Outlaw exploitative letting fees
• Allow people to go about their lives without the Government butting in

As we enter 2019, time is ticking down on Brexit, and with it the whole future of the country.

The history books will look back on these coming three months as critical.It is almost unbelievable that Parliament is waiting a further week to return!

After two long years of negotiation, the Prime Minister has brought back a Brexit deal that satisfies no-one. Her reaction is to try to scare people with the prospect of a 'No Deal' Brexit. In reality, that can't happen unless she decides it should.

So the only way forward - now - for the country and the Prime Minister is for the public to have the final say, and the option to Remain.

It's a campaign we Liberal Democrats started more than two years ago. Now millions of people have joined us in demanding a better future than Brexit Britain has to offer.

And the power of the millions who have signed petitions, lobbied their MP, or marched on Parliament - 700,000 of them just this year - is beginning to bear fruit. A People's Vote has moved from being a possibility to being a probability.

But only if we keep the pressure up. If we succeed, 2019 will be a year remembered not because we harmed our country with Brexit, but because we - the people - stood up and stopped it.

And if we do that, our Parliament and Government can once again deal with big issues like climate change, rising crime, the social care crisis, homelessness and housing supply, all of which have been neglected because of Brexit.

Enjoy your New Year celebrations and then let's get out there in 2019 and win the fight for a People's Vote and a brighter future for Britain.

With the end of year fast approaching I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know of some of the achievements of the Brexit campaign.

A year ago, less than 20% of the British people wanted a final say - now a majority of the public want to have their say

For more than two years, the Liberal Democrats have been leading the fight on Brexit - and this year we've been running our largest ever campaign outside of an election. And it's working - a year ago, less than 20% of the British people wanted a final say - now a majority of the public want to have their say.