Latest news with #LibDems
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Give new recruits £10,000 to join army, says Sir Ed Davey
New soldiers should be offered a £10,000 bonus to rapidly boost troop numbers to deal with an increasingly unpredictable world, the Lib Dems have government should also distribute pamphlets to make sure every British home is "war-ready" and able to deal with blackouts and chaos caused by the outbreak of conflict or cyber-attacks, Lib Dem Leader Sir Ed Davey Lib Dems claim the plans will "urgently" boost to the number of trained soldiers from just under 71,000 to more than 73, the face of a "barbaric" Russian President Vladimir Putin and an "erratic" US President Donald Trump, Sir Ed said the UK must be better prepared. Over the weekend, Sir Ed visited Estonia to see British troops on what he called Nato's "frontline with Russia".His visit had shown him "it is clear given the threat of a barbaric Putin and the challenge of an erratic Trump, we need to do more to make Britain war-ready," he said."War readiness also starts at home," Sir Ed added, "which is why I am calling for a public awareness campaign aimed at every home in Britain - to make sure we're all prepared for the possibility of a conflict or hostile acts such as major cyber-attacks".Under the plans, new recruits receive a £10,000 bonus after completing training and serving for two armed services personnel would be offered a £20,000 payment if they return to serve two additional starting salary for new recruits to the British Army is £26,334 a a government scheme launched last November, a total of 17,000 armed forces personnel became eligible for retention engineers can get £30,000 if they sign up for a further three years, with privates and lance corporals eligible for £8,000 for four proposed Lib Dem scheme would be limited to 3,000 personnel, including new recruits and re-enlistees, with its £60m cost covered by the main defence plans are drawn up with the expectation that defence spending would rise to 2.5% of national income or GDP by 2027 - as promised by Lib Dems have called for the uplift in defence spending to be funded through an increase of the Digital Services Tax - a 2% levy on the biggest social media and tech companies, which raises about £800m a Lib Dems argue the bonus scheme would "urgently increase" the number of trained UK regular soldiers up to 73,000 - from the 70,752 listed in the most recent official month, the government set out plans for a small increase to the size of the regular army to 76,000 full-time soldiers after 2029 - although this has yet to be has also proposed a 20% increase in Active Reserves "when funding allows" - most likely after 2030 following an overhaul of the armed forces. The government is consulting on plans to regenerate military homes with £7bn of funding by 2025, after bringing the defence estate back under Ministry of Defence (MoD) control last Conservatives have called for an increase in UK troop numbers but have not set out how many they think are week, the shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge set out plans to have military homes run by a housing association to tackle the "poor" state of accommodation and stem an exodus of a third of UK troops were considering leaving the armed forces due to the standard of accommodation, the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) own survey found. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
Spectator
2 days ago
- Health
- Spectator
The assisted dying debate is not ‘Parliament at its best'
MPs are coming to the end of the assisted dying debate. The speeches can be roughly divided into the following camps: those who, like the Bill's sponsor Kim Leadbeater, are very much in favour of the Bill and confident in its drafting; those who are in favour of the principle of assisted dying but who are so concerned about the drafting of the Bill that they are opposed to it; and the implacable opponents to the principle. The speeches from the latter two camps largely focused on the argument that today's vote is not about the principle of assisted dying but about the Bill as it stands. The proponents of the legislation, though, have largely focused on the need to back assisted dying as a principle. Leadbeater argued in her speech that if the Commons did not vote for the Bill today, then MPs would be leaving more people to die without dignity. She said: I say to colleagues who are supportive of a change in the law but are hesitant about whether now is the time, that if we do not vote for a change in the law today, we will have many more years of heartbreaking stories from terminally ill people and their families, of pain and trauma… There will be stories of suicide attempts, post traumatic stress disorder, lonely trips to Switzerland, police investigations and everything else we have all heard of in recent months. Leadbeater was followed by James Cleverly, who argued 'about the practicalities of the Bill', but did also point to the way the legislation would change 'the relationship between medial professionals and those they serve.' He also highlighted that while most professional bodies in the medical world are 'neutral on the topic of assisted dying', they were 'opposed to the provisions within this Bill in particular'. Cleverly, like many other opponents, argued that MPs needed to do their job properly in scrutinising this particular Bill rather than campaigning for a principle. That argument was made with even greater force by a furious Sarah Olney, one of the Lib Dems opposed to the Bill. She told the Chamber that MPs should not act like activists pushing for a cause but as legislators, which is what they had been elected to do. One of the best speeches against came from Diane Abbott, who started by saying she was in favour of assisted dying, but then spoke powerfully against the Bill, saying: I have heard talk today of the injustices of the current situation. What could be more unjust than someone losing their life because of poorly drafted legislation? She spoke of coercion and of the vulnerability of someone who 'all their life has lacked agency' and has not, like MPs, 'been confident in dealing with authority and institutions'. Vicky Foxcroft gave her first speech on the backbenches since resigning last night. She said she based her opposition to the Bill on her experience as shadow minister for disabled people, where she found that most disabled people and almost all the organisations representing them were opposed to and in fear of assisted dying. She had voted for the previous attempt to introduce assisted dying in 2015, but would be voting against today. Peter Prinsley spoke from his experience as a doctor, saying he had started his medical career opposed to assisted dying, but what he had seen in his professional practice had changed his mind about the need to give people dignity and choice over the end of their lives. Other supporters of the Bill spoke of constituents and family members who had desperately wanted that dignity. The margin of the result will be narrow, which will create problems if the Bill does pass. The speeches today have largely been considered and well-argued, though far too many MPs have congratulated themselves with the dreadful phrase: 'Parliament at its best'. Perhaps they have reached that conclusion because MPs have mostly been polite to one another – which stands in contrast to some of the very ill-tempered debates over the past decade, particularly around Brexit. But this is not an example of Parliament at its best on legislating, which is after all its primary role, rather than a forum for people to parade their politeness.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Starmer accused of ‘passing the buck' as council tax likely to rise
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has distanced himself from expected large increases in local taxation, shifting responsibility to councils. Councils can increase council tax by up to 5 per cent following last week's spending review, with the police also granted powers to raise extra funds through a similar precept. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned of the biggest rise in council tax for two decades as a result of the spending review. Sir Keir said that council tax rises are for councils to decide, noting the spending review allows the Labour government to show what difference it makes after a year of stabilising the economy. The Local Government Association and Lib Dems criticised the move, saying 'passing the buck to local government and asking hard-pressed households to shoulder the burden of mounting council tax bills is deeply unfair'.
Extra.ie
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
5 celebs who have given the Royal Honours List the cold shoulder
As King Charles unveils the 2025 Honours List—complete with OBEs, MBEs, and a sprinkling of knighthoods, another tradition quietly continues to flourish: the noble art of saying 'no, thanks.' From beloved musicians to culinary icons, a surprising number of big names are choosing to pass on palace invites, proving once again that while a shiny medal might dazzle, not everyone's keen to curtsy. Among the lengthy list of polite refusers? A few Irish names, naturally. Because of course there are. Always a gentle reminder that the neighbourly awkwardness is alive and well. As King Charles unveils the 2025 Honours List—complete with OBEs, MBEs, and a sprinkling of knighthoods—another tradition quietly continues to flourish: the noble art of saying 'no, thanks.' Pic: PA John Cleese. Pic:The Monty Python and Fawlty Towers actor famously rejected a CBE in 1996, branding the whole experience as 'silly.' Three years on, he was once again turned yet another honour, with then-Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown offered him a peerage. Explaining his choice to the Sunday Telegraph in 2011, Cleese explained: 'Paddy was going to offer me one when he ceased to be leader of the Lib Dems, for political services – not because I was such a wonderful human being, and because I'd helped them [the Lib Dems] a lot. 'But I realised this involved being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a price to pay.' Classic Cleese! Barry McGuigan. Pic: James Gourley/REX/Shutterstock Monaghan-born boxer McGuigan originally refused an MBE in 1986, however he did later accept the honour some years on. The Irish sports star accepted the award in 1994 for his services to boxing. While McGuigan may consider himself Irish, he became a UK citizen early in his career so that he could compete for British titles as well as Irish ones. Nigella Lawson. Pic: Scott McNaughton/The Age via Getty Images The beloved TV chef turned down the honour of an OBE in 2001, stating that her culinary success didn't warrant such acclaim. At the time, Lawson said: 'I'm not saving lives and I'm not doing anything other than something I absolutely love.' You know what? We rate a self-aware, modest queen. Keep on cooking Nigella! Annie Mac. Pic: Dan Reid/REX/Shutterstock Irish DJ, podcaster and author Annie Macmanus said she was offered an honorary MBE 'for services to radio' in 2022, quickly taking to the internet to see what other Irish nationals had done in her position. Macmanus received an email from the British foreign office gauging her interest prior to making an official offer, however the star decided to politely turn it down after a discussion with her friends and family. She later spoke out on the concept of the 'empire' and how she believes the whole idea of the monarchy is absurd. David Bowie. Pic: Theo Wargo/WireImage Not once, but twice, did Bowie turn down the offer of royal honours. The musical icon first turned down a CBE in 2000 and then refused a knighthood in 2003. At the time, he said: 'I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that. I seriously don't know what it's for. It's not what I spent my life working for.'
The National
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Stephen Flynn steps down from Scottish Affairs committee
The SNP Westminster leader and MP for Aberdeen South was eventually offered a place on the committee in October, after an initial release from the UK Parliament suggested the SNP would not have a seat. Both the LibDems and the Tories were automatically given places, despite having less MPs in Scotland than the SNP. READ MORE: Kemi Badenoch questions Reform UK and Labour 'belief in the Union' The committee is made up of six Labour MPs, two Tories, two LibDems and one SNP, and is headed up by Scottish Labour MP for Glasgow West Patricia Ferguson. Flynn is set to be replaced by Dave Doogan, SNP MP for Angus and the Perthshire Glens, the Daily Record reports. Commenting, Flynn said: "I've enjoyed working cross-party with various stakeholders and, with his previous experience on the Defence Select Committee, Dave is perfectly placed to continue with the work that is underway." Flynn is set to stand in the 2026 Holyrood election in Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, where current MSP Audrey Nicoll is stepping down. If elected, he will have to stand down from his Westminister seat, which will trigger a by-election. SNP MP Stephen Gethins has also been announced as a candidate for the Holyrood election, alongside a raft of former MPs.
