The Liberal Democrats have announced a new General Election Campaign Team, with former ministers including Jo Swinson, Vince Cable and Ed Davey all returning to the Lib Dem frontbench.

I’m delighted to announce my new campaign team, which sees some big beasts of the party returning to lead our General Election fight.

The team brings together a wealth of experience from former ministers, such as Jo Swinson, Vince Cable and Ed Davey, and I’m thrilled to personally welcome them back.

From challenging the government over their disastrous Hard Brexit plans, to fighting for the NHS and social care, to protecting schools from further Tory cuts; together we will provide the strong opposition – the only opposition – with the power steer the country in a more progressive direction.

Vote for the Liberal Democrats to change Britain’s future.

Leader
Tim Farron

President
Baroness Sal Brinton

Chancellor
Vince Cable

Foreign Affairs
Tom Brake

Defence
Baroness Judith Jolly

Europe; International Trade
Nick Clegg

Europe
Baroness Sarah Ludford

Home Affairs
Lord Brian Paddick

Health
Norman Lamb

Education
Sarah Olney

Work and Pensions
Baroness Cathy Bakewell

Business
Baroness Susan Kramer

Energy and Climate Change
Lynne Featherstone

Local Government
Baroness Kath Pinnock

Transport
Baroness Jenny Randerson

Environment and Rural Affairs
Baroness Kate Parminter

International Development
Baroness Shas Sheehan

Culture Media and Sport
Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter

Equalities
Baroness Lorely Burt

Northern Ireland
Baroness Alison Suttie

Young People
Daisy Cooper

Europe/ALDE Liaison
Catherine Bearder MEP

London
Caroline Pidgeon MLA

Justice
Lord Jonathan Marks

Refugees
Amna Ahmad

First Secretary of State
Alistair Carmichael

Election Campaign Spokesperson
Ed Davey
Eluned Parrott
Jo Swinson

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Mark Williams

Cabinet Secretary for Education in Wales
Kirsty Williams AM

Today, we’ve announced our first election manifesto commitment; we will invest an extra £6bn a year in our NHS & Social Care system.

This new funding will be paid for through an immediate 1p rise on all rates of income tax.

This funding will be ring-fenced to be spent only on the NHS and social care and will provide vital services with the money they desperately need until a longer-term solution can be found.

This is our flagship spending commitment and our first major policy announcement for the election.

Our manifesto will also set out a ‘five-point recovery plan’ for NHS and social care services. 

As he made the announcement, Liberal Democrat Leader, Tim Farron, said:

“Theresa May doesn’t care about the NHS or social care. People are lying on trolleys in hospital corridors and she has done nothing. The truth is you can’t have a strong NHS with a Hard Brexit.”

“The Liberal Democrats will rescue the NHS and social care. We are prepared to be honest with people and say that we will all need to chip in a little more.”

“It is not too late to change Britain’s future. The Conservatives want absolute power, Labour are too weak to stand up to them, so we will. The Liberal Democrats will be the strong opposition Britain needs.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Norman Lamb, added:

“The NHS was once the envy of the world and this pledge is the first step in restoring it to where it should be.”

“A penny on the pound to save the NHS is money well spent in our view.”

“Simply providing more money on its own is not enough and that’s why this is just the first step in our plan to protect health and care services long-term.”

“We also need to do much more to keep people fit and healthy and out of hospital, and that is why this new funding will be targeted to those areas that have the greatest impact on patient care such as social care, general practice, mental health and public health.”

This our five-step plan for the NHS & Social Care:

1. Introduce a 1% raise in income tax, generating £6bn a year
2. Ring-fence ALL of this for the NHS and care, investing efficiently and effectively in social care, primary care, mental health and public health
3. Consolidate all health and care taxes into a single, dedicated Health and Care Tax, showing on people’s payslips exactly what we spend it on
4. Establish a cross-party health and care convention, consulting and working with patients, the public, NHS staff and care workers, to ensure our systems are sustainable and integrated
5. Introduce an independent agency to monitor health and care budgets, which would report every three years on how much money the system needs to flourish

In today’s Local and Mayoral elections we have made good progress – gaining on vote share and topping the polls in lots of seats that we can gain in June. However, I know it doesn’t feel that way for those brilliant campaigners who haven’t got the result they deserve.

As we’re looking at the results coming in, there are two clear stories emerging:

First is a message of hope.

Our projected national vote share is up 7% – the largest vote increase of any party. In many parts of the UK, the Lib Dems won more councillors and took a big step to winning on 8th June.

With many results still to come in, we’ve topped the polls in Cheltenham, St Albans, Cambridge, North East Fife, Cardiff Central, Bath, Edinburgh West, Eastleigh, Oxford West & Abingdon, Watford and Eastbourne.

We’ve made gains in many more areas that are key to winning on 8th June.

While Labour and UKIP have been swept aside, we are still standing strong.

The second story is about the Conservatives.

They have had a good day. They turned this local election into a national one changing the dynamic of the election. They won over most of the people that voted UKIP in the past.

Some Lib Dems lost their seats to this unholy alliance – even though our vote went up. My thoughts are with our candidates and campaigners in those areas.

When the dust settles at the end of the day, the scene will be set for the General Election.

On one side will be the Conservatives, their plans for a damaging, dangerous Brexit and heartless cuts to our schools and NHS, which will only be made worse by a large majority and our communities taken for granted.

The other side is the Liberal Democrats. We offer a path of hope for a Britain. We need a different approach to Europe, we must invest in our NHS and ensure every child can go to a good school.

We have a message of hope to fight their message of fear.

Together we can change Britain’s future.

Liberal Democrats are on course to make scores of gains at the general election and establish themselves as the real opposition to the Conservatives, based on the local election results in so far.

Seats as diverse as Bath, Cambridge, Cardiff Central, Cheltenham, Eastleigh, Eastbourne, Edinburgh West, St Albans and Watford would fall to the Liberal Democrats on the basis of the results so far. This would more than double the size of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary party.

The Liberal Democrats topped the polls in Eastbourne despite Theresa May’s visit, and early signs are they are surging ahead in Scottish seats such as East Dunbartonshire and NE Fife.

Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

“These results tell a clear and stark message. Labour has collapsed. They cannot win the General Election.

“If you want a strong opposition to this government, we are the party for you.

“A strong opposition can change Britain’s future. A strong opposition to stand up to Theresa May’s divisive Brexit plans that will cost jobs and put up prices. A strong opposition to keep us in the Single Market. A strong opposition to rescue the NHS from Conservative neglect. A strong opposition to stop Theresa May cutting schools to the bone. A strong opposition to fight for you and your community.

“Labour has failed as an opposition and handed Theresa May a blank cheque to do as she pleases. The voters have delivered their verdict on Jeremy Corbyn.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party that can challenge Theresa May. We will be the strong opposition that will stand up for you.”

Today The Times has reported that within two years, more than five million people could be waiting for NHS treatment. The paper obtained this information from confidential documents.

I am personally appalled by this prediction, but sadly not surprised. This disgraceful situation is further evidence that the NHS is facing impossible challenges as a direct result of Tory stewardship.

Those with little money must suffer the inadequacies’ of our health system: people are lying on trollies in hospital corridors and Theresa May doesn’t care.

Those with a lot of money will pay to go private, and who can blame them?

The result is a disastrously unequal two-tier system, based not on people’s level of need, but on their ability to pay.

Only the Liberal Democrats can steer the NHS onto a fairer course. Only we are prepared to make the bold decisions that will protect our NHS forever.