Today I've announced my team of spokespeople in the House of Commons.
We'll speak up for the millions of people who voted for the Liberal Democrats in the general election, and the millions more who are dismayed with the actions of this Conservative government.
Our first Coffee and Gossip event of the year will take place on Monday 2nd March from 10.30 am at the Maitlandfield House Hotel in Haddington. Come along for a coffee and gossip on the latest local, national and international events.
We hope to do others on different days of the week at different venues around the county. Some may become regular monthly events. We also want to do Lib Dem Pints on a regular basis. Any indications on evenings and venues are welcomed.
The next meeting of the local party execuive will take place on Thursday 12th March. This meeting is open to all Members and official Supporters. If any member or supporter wishes to raise a specific issue with the committe please contact the Secretary in advance of the meeting, you will find her details on the "People" page.
Many congratulations to him on his election and commiserations to Christine Jardine. Both were superb candidates and fought an election in the best traditions of Liberal Democrat internal elections.
I'd also like to give my thanks also to the staff and volunteers who have been counting in Liberal Democrat HQ since early this morning and who have run this set of elections whilst also preparing for and playing their party in the General Election campaign.
We lost the cause to Stop Brexit but we put up a good fight and can hold our heads high.
In East and Mid-Lothian the results were a great improvement while our national vote share was also well up this time.
In Midlothian, Steve Arundale and team pushed the vote up by 3 percentage points to 7% (3,393 votes) and in East Lothian our share was up nearly 4 percentage points to 7% (4,071 votes).
Each of them are driving populist, nationalist and authoritarian values. It's no surprise that Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump have such a special relationship.
Their unholy alliance has the potential to risk Britain's future. With the three of them working together to stitch up of our democracy, it's important that we stop Boris in his attempt to creep back into No. 10.
The UK has the fifth largest economy in the world, but one in five of us lives in poverty.
Yet instead of addressing inequality,the Tories' heartless welfare policy has led to soaring levels of poverty across the country.
That's why Jo Swinson's Liberal Democrats have come up with a bold plan to tackle inequality across the UK. As theResolutionFoundation recognises, Liberal Democrats have the most progressive manifesto of all the major parties, focused on ensuring everyone has the same opportunities regardless of where they come from.
"The Lib Dems have made a crucial breakthrough, arguing that GDP should no longer be a government's central objective; it should focus instead on wellbeing."
"The scope of the Lib Dems' new thinking is one of the biggest surprises in this election. The new duty of environmental care it proposes for private and public bodies, its proposed zero-waste and nature acts, its suggestion of new taxes on frequent flyers, legal protection for public space and support for rewilding are all new and welcome."
Having only been a party member since the end of last year, my
apathy finally broken by the internal feuding of the Tory Party
otherwise known as Brexit, I didn't know what to expect when we
hit the canvassing trail a few weeks ago. In my previous life as a
studiously objective journalist, I had only known the press
conferences, stunts and set piece interviews of election coverage.
Now I'm seeing, indeed feeling, the sharp end - literally.
