The NHS is in crisis.

A crisis that is the legacy of the former Conservative Government. They promised new hospitals but failed to deliver, they oversaw spiralling waiting times – hours for an ambulance, weeks to see a GP, and months for urgent cancer treatment. Now that the Conservatives are out of office, it’s time to fix this mess.

The Liberal Democrats are leading the charge to restore our health and care systems and are calling for this new Government to:

• Bring forward a plan to save GP services including increasing the number of full-time equivalent GPs by 8,000 to ensure everyone has the right to see a GP within seven days, or within 24 hours if they urgently need to.
• End DIY dentistry and ‘dental deserts’ by guaranteeing access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and emergency care, and fixing the broken NHS dental contract to bring dentists back to the NHS from the private sector.
• Boost cancer survival rates and introduce a guarantee for 100% of patients to start treatment for cancer within 62 days from urgent referral.
• Increase the Public Health Grant so that local authorities can improve the health of their communities and prevent ill health.
• Fix the life-threatening crisis in our ambulance services by ending excessive handover delays and increasing the number of staffed hospital beds.
• Improve early access to mental health services by establishing walk-in mental health hubs for young people in every community and introducing regular mental health check-ups at key points in people’s lives.
• Prioritise the proposed bill brought forward in the King’s Speech to finally reform the Mental Health Act.
• Implement a ten-year plan to invest in hospitals and the primary care estate to end the scandal of crumbling roofs, dangerous concrete and life-expired buildings.
• Introduce free personal care, a higher Carer’s Minimum Wage, and a workforce plan for social care.

We believe everyone deserves high-quality healthcare, accessible when and where it’s needed and free at the point of use. Our plan will ensure everyone receives the care they need and deserve.

Everyone deserves the chance to enjoy open green spaces, clean blue rivers, and the stunning beauty of Britain’s coast. These natural treasures are not just scenic; they are vital to preserving the ecosystem of many of the nation’s favourite animals.  

Yet, despite the importance of these landscapes, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Years of neglect and inaction from the Conservative government to meet their environmental pledges have left our green spaces and waterways in a precarious position.

Today the Liberal Democrats have laid out a bold and ambitious plan to restore the UK’s natural environment and ensure that everyone can access a clean, healthy, and thriving green space:

• Create at least three new National Nature Parks to the existing 10 National Parks in England.
• Provide the National Parks budget with an additional £50m a year to support new and existing National Parks to become National Nature Parks.
• Ensure any new National Park has a clear duty to manage protected areas for nature’s restoration.
• Launch a consultation to determine which new areas should become National Nature Parks, giving natural landscapes priority for the shortlist.
• Establish new walking routes, including routes through National Parks and ensure local authorities can maintain existing walking routes.

The time to act is now. By embracing this plan, we can turn the tide, restoring the UK’s natural environment to its former glory for everyone.

For many people, Buy Now Pay Later is a useful and convenient solution, offering them flexibility with their purchases. But consumers need stronger protections.

The use of BNPL has increased exponentially which means that more and more people could find themselves at risk if things go wrong. More than one in three adults use BNPL. And in the first quarter of 2024, more than £1 in every £7 spent online was through a BNPL product.

But during the cost-of-living crisis, more and more people are facing financial problems because there are no rules or protections with BNPL. In May 2024, Citizens Advice saw two times more cases than in May of 2023, or seven times more compared to three years ago.

Despite being the fastest growing type of personal debt, BNPL remains completely unregulated. BNPL companies often don’t make it clear to people that they are taking on debt. And they are not required to check if you can afford the debt you’re taking on. If you can’t afford your BNPL debt, you can’t go to the Financial Ombudsman Service for help.

This means that people don’t get vital protections that are available with other forms of debt (e.g. credit cards). And BNPL companies don’t need to follow the same rules as other lenders.

Martin Lewis, Citizens Advice, Which? and many other campaigners have called for regulation of BNPL.

Our new policy passed today calls on the Government to take a sensible and balanced approach, making sure that BNPL is regulated like all other forms of lending, so that people are protected and can enjoy the flexibility it offers in a safe and sustainable way:

• Stopping BNPL firms from engaging in harmful or misleading advertising
• Bringing BNPL under ‘consumer duty’ rules for financial products, which require that key terms & conditions are clearly set out
• Requiring that fair and consistent support is available to all BNPL users who need it
• Looking into setting a centralised cap on BNPL late fees to promote fair and consistent treatment across platforms.
• Ensuring that proper affordability checks are in place, with appropriate information-sharing across BNPL firms and other credit providers.
• Reviewing whether BNPL products by large online retailers, such as Amazon or Apple, should be treated in the same way as products by third-party providers.

The previous Conservative Government had promised to introduce protections but they didn’t keep their word. In opposition, Labour called for regulation but measures weren’t included in the King’s speech and while they’ve indicated they’ll take action, they haven’t said when they’ll bring in any new protections.

Liberal Democrats are leading the way in giving consumers the protection they need.

From the moment they start school, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already playing catch-up with their peers, and as they move through the education system, these gaps only widen. 

By the end of secondary school, many disadvantaged pupils are now 19.2 months behind their peers – a gap that has grown since 2019 to its highest level since 2012.

The former Conservative Government had a chance to make a real difference for disadvantaged children, but instead, they fell short, making promise after promise and failing to deliver. 

The attainment gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and those who have never received them has ballooned since the pandemic, erasing over a decade of progress made in closing the gap. Yet, despite this setback, the potential for change remains, if we prioritise the right strategies and investments.

Investments in early years education and tutoring can have a real impact on the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our new policy passed today prioritises investment in these areas to give all children the best possible start in life:

• Investing in high-quality early years education and closing the attainment gap by giving disadvantaged children aged three and four an extra five free hours a week and tripling the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1,000 a year.
• Increasing school and college funding per pupil above the rate of inflation every year. 
• Introducing a ‘Tutoring Guarantee’ for every disadvantaged pupil who needs extra support which would:
  • Be focused on prioritising children from low-income backgrounds, with low prior attainment or with additional needs.
  • Enable an estimated 1.75 million disadvantaged young people each year to get additional tutoring help and support.  
  • Empower headteachers, who know their children the best, to set up tutoring in a way that works for them and their pupils, by using their own teaching staff, recruiting tutors or choosing from quality-assured external providers.
• Introduce a Young People’s Premium, extending Pupil Premium funding to disadvantaged young people aged 16-18. 

Ensure no child is hungry in school by expanding free school meal eligibility to all children in poverty.

The widening educational gaps we see today are not inevitable; they are the result of the Conservatives’ failures. Our children and young people deserve better. 

With the right investment, we have the opportunity to turn things around and ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the chance to succeed.

Liberal Democrats want to fix our broken relationship with Europe. Giving young people the opportunity to live, study and work in Europe is a vital first step.

The former Conservative Government’s botched deal with the EU has been a disaster for young people. And the new Labour Government has repeatedly ruled out key steps to rebuilding our relationship with Europe such as joining Erasmus.

For young people, studying, living, and working abroad in EU countries has become harder and more expensive. Even something as simple as a holiday now comes with the burden of soaring roaming charges and frustrating border delays on both sides of the Channel.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Liberal Democrats want to tear down red tape, bring down roaming charges and reduce delays at the border.

The UK already has a Youth Mobility Scheme with Japan, South Korea and Australia. Expanding the scheme to include the EU would give young people from the UK greater opportunities and boost the UK economy, especially the hospitality sector.

Our new policy, passed today, would restore vital links with Europe for young people and cut red tape for people travelling to EU countries:

• Opening negotiations with the EU to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme on a reciprocal basis to EU countries, including increasing the age limit from 30 to 35. 

• Expanding opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country. 

• Taking action on excessive roaming charges – opening discussions with the EU, and opening a consultation on UK phone company charges, including the possibility of abolishing them. 
• Taking steps to negotiate passport and visa-free school trips between UK and EU member states, on a reciprocal basis. 

Opening discussions with the EU to reach a reciprocal exemption from electronic travel authorisation schemes to reduce delays and costs for holiday-makers.

Liberal Democrats are committed to fixing the UK’s broken relationship with Europe so everyone can benefit from closer cultural and economic ties with our nearest neighbours.