The Liberal Democrats have unveiled local councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay as their candidate for the upcoming Mid Bedfordshire by-election. 

Emma grew up in Bedfordshire and lives locally, and is currently councillor on Central Bedfordshire Council representing Leighton Buzzard. Emma is a member of the senior leadership team at a nationwide women’s charity and has previously worked for national disability charities. 

Her by-election campaign will focus on local health services starved of Government funding. Local people are unable to see a GP after a surge in housebuilding and no new investment in health services.

In recent days, betting companies Ladbrokes and Betfred have both declared the Liberal Democrats as favourite to win, with Labour a distant third.

The Liberal Democrats have proven to be the best challengers against the Conservative party in Bedfordshire. The party made major gains in May to oust the Conservative party from controlling Central Bedfordshire, and have also run Bedford Borough Council for almost two decades. The constituency is also neighboured by Liberal Democrat MPs including Sarah Green, winner of the Chesham and Amersham by-election, where Ed Davey famously knocked down the Blue Wall.

Millions of people care for loved ones, doing everything from day-to-day physical caring, washing, dressing and feeding for those who cannot care for themselves, to things like shopping for a housebound elderly relative.

Yet far too many unpaid carers go without adequate support and struggle to balance caring responsibilities and work. 

The Carer’s Leave Bill is a first step to providing greater support. It will allow carers to take time off work to manage caring responsibilities.

The Bill will give an estimated 2.4 million carers across the UK a statutory right to take five days of unpaid leave per year, helping carers to better balance work and care.

The Bill was introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain last June and has been shepherded through the House of Lords by Lib Dem Chris Fox.

Today the Bill passed it’s final parliamentary stage and will soon become law.

The law will have benefits for employers too. Many businesses already provide a version of Carer’s Leave to their staff and report reduced recruitment costs, and improved retention and wellbeing.

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

It gives us an important opportunity to acknowledge the violence and discrimination that too many LGBT+ people face, and reflect on what we can do to help change it.

I’m proud of the role Liberal Democrats have played in delivering that change over the years. From being the first party to openly oppose the abhorrent Section 28, to our tireless efforts in getting the Same Sex Marriage Act passed. 

Milestones like these are not only important policies that take us closer to achieving equal rights. They help shift social attitudes, too. People are becoming more accepting of the LGBT+ community – which is vital for stamping out homophobia, transphobia and biphobia in all its forms.

But we cannot get complacent.

Discrimination against LGBT+ people is still far too commonplace in the UK – particularly against the trans community. We’re even seeing this at the hands of the Conservative Government, who have dithered and delayed on important progress like gender recognition reform and banning conversion therapy. 

And with trans hate crimes on the rise, we are seeing too clearly the harmful effects this rhetoric can have on our society.

LGBT+ rights mustn’t be taken for granted. The fight for equality must go on.

So today, my message to the LGBT+ community is clear. I support you. I stand with you. And I will keep fighting for the rights of the entire LGBT+ community, until true equality is achieved. 

This has been an historic victory for the Liberal Democrats with our best result in decades.

It’s little wonder Rishi Sunak is running scared of a General Election, because he knows the Liberal Democrats are set to take swathes of seats across the Conservative  Party’s former heartlands.

The message from these elections is clear: people are fed up with being let down and taken for granted by this Conservative Government – it is time for a change. 

• Among our gained councils is Surrey Heath, where we have taken control from the Conservatives in Michael Gove’s back garden. Senior Conservative cabinet ministers will now be looking nervously over their shoulders.
   
• Another key target where we have done well is Elmbridge, which contains Dominic Raab’s Esher and Walton seat. We have gained 6 councillors here, taking 4 from the Conservatives, and are now the largest party.
   
• It’s clear that sleaze and scandal surrounding Conservative Ministers over recent months has had a profound impact. Nadhim Zahawi is experiencing a Shakespearean Tragedy in Stratford on Avon as his seat is now controlled by the Lib Dems after we gained 15 seats and took control.
   
• Just a few weeks ago we launched our Local Election campaign in Dacorum in Hertfordshire, where Ed Davey foreshadowed today’s results by toppling a Blue Wall of hay bales in a tractor. Today we took control of the council here – the first time Liberal Democrats have run the council since its creation.
   
• Following our stunning victory in Tiverton & Honiton last year, we’ve had a great result in Devon in these elections. We gained Mid Devon and Teignbridge, held North Devon, and made a total of 52 gains across the county.
   
• After we made gains in Hull overnight to keep control of the council, we’ve also won seats from Labour in Liverpool – gaining 6 seats from Labour as they lost 9.
   
• Despite this sea of excellent gains, we were sorry that Mayor Dave Hodgson did not win re-election in Bedford, missing out by just 145 votes. 

The Conservatives have crumbled. The Blue Wall is turning gold.

Now it is clear that the country needs a General Election so the Conservatives can be removed from power in Government.

Today’s results have shown the country that Liberal Democrats can do just that.