The UK’s 11 million unpaid carers – young and old – do a remarkable and important job, but they need more support.

From juggling work and looking after loved ones to taking on more caring responsibilities during the pandemic, carers face difficult challenges everyday.

unpaid carers have been ignored and overlooked”

That’s why members at our Conference have passed a motion demanding a better deal for these unsung heroes of the pandemic.

The West Midlands mayoral campaign is a great opportunity for us to get our distinctive Liberal Democrat messaging out there, to promote the party and to support our vital local elections.

I am focusing on three overriding principles in my campaign to become the mayor of the West Midlands.

Essential services like water, gas and electricity, are the backbones of modern life. They keep our homes warm, our cars running, we rely on them every day. But many of us are overpaying for these essential services.

The Liberal Democrats want to ensure utility companies are run for the benefit of consumers, rather than solely for profit.

All over the country, there are hundreds of thousands of people living in areas where Liberal Democrats are running the council and are in charge of public money and budgets of more than £2bn.

From Cumbria to Cornwall, from York to Eastbourne, to Bath to Bedford. In Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, in Devon and the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hampshire and London, and many many more places as well.

Liberal Democrats are working hard to show their residents what it’s like to live in a place where our values are put into practice every day.

For too long those with disabilities have struggled to obtain secure employment – a struggle intensified by Covid-19. Disabled workers have been disproportionately impacted by furlough, reduced hours and redundancies.