Police recorded crime statistics show a rise in reported crime over the past year, in particular sex offences and knife and gun crime.

5.3 million crimes were recorded: a rise of 14%. The number of incidences of sex offences has increased by 23%, violent crimes have risen by 20%, with knife crime increasing by 21%.

Rough sleeping in England rose by 15% in the year to autumn 2017, according to new government figures. 

The Scottish government has announced that they will ban electric shock collars used in the training of dogs.

Today, I’ve written an open letter, signed by MPs from all parties, to the CEO of the Charity Commission and to the President’s Club.

The letter calls on the Charity Commission to urgently investigate the President’s Club “because of the “serious and potentially criminal nature of the behaviour.”

There can be no place in 2018 for respectable fundraising events which objectify women and subject them to groping and harassment.

The letter also asks that the organisation investigates “whether the Trustees are fit to hold such office, given their apparent failure to properly discharge their duties to protect health and safety of workers and the reputation of the charity.”

In the letter to the President’s Club I’ve also made clear that “There can be no place in 2018 for respectable fundraising events which objectify women and subject them to groping and harassment.“

The Trustees of the President’s Club have fundamentally failed in their duty.

Indeed not only do the reported events of last week impact on the reputation of the Presidents Club Charitable Trust, they also put at risk the reputations of charities that were being supported by the event.

No doubt these charity partners, sponsors and donors to the Presidents Club Charitable Trust will be reassessing their involvement with your charity following these revelations.

The full text of the letters are below:

This Winter’s NHS Crisis is one of the worst for a long time – and for me, it’s brought one thing into sharp focus.

Our NHS needs urgent investment – and we are the only party that is honest about how we do that.

You can read the plan in full here: libdems.org.uk/health