Being a carer can be rewarding and full of love. But it’s far from glamorous. It can be relentless and exhausting.

900,000 full-time unpaid carers rely on Carer’s Allowance – but at just £67.25 a week, it’s not nearly enough. More than a third of those on Carer’s Allowance are struggling to make ends meet. Many have been struggling for months, often relying on foodbanks to feed themselves and the people they care for.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to immediately raise Carer’s Allowance by £1,000 a year.

The news that the Government is increasing funding to the Armed Forces should be given a cautious welcome but with a huge caveat.  With its budget cut year on year, the military are unable to keep pace with what they need to spend, so this feels a little like offering the police 20,000 new police officers to replace the 30,000 that they previously cut.

Tomorrow night Cllr Vikki Slade and the Liberal Democrats will bring before a meeting of BCP full council, a motion banning the culling of badgers on land owned by the authority supported by Green councillor Chris Rigby.

BCP Liberal Democrats are ecstatic at the news that the government has once again been forced to U-turn on its controversial decision not to provide support to vulnerable children on free school meals over the holidays. There had been a previous U-turn on the issue over the summer but the Conservatives had dug their heels in prior to half-term and refused to extend the support scheme. The announcement came shortly after Joe Biden was declared President-elect, a good day for any government to bury embarrassing news.

We live in a period of unparalleled uncertainty, the pandemic has shattered the established status quo around our lives, the way we work, the way we move, the way we think. The economic crisis that has followed has robbed many of their livelihoods and destroyed thousands of jobs that will never return. The climate crisis has seen the hottest ever Septembers for consecutive years. The future has never been so uncertain, but one thing is- the decision on Navitus Bay was wrong.

Last night Conservative Councillor Drew Mellor was elected the new leader of BCP Council, last night he also broke his first promise to his colleagues and residents. Despite a new commitment to "listen", an alliance between the Conservatives and some of the Independents, took away many councillors right to speak in support of the Unity Alliance’s candidate for Leader, Cllr Vikki Slade. A handful of councillors had spoken when, in a highly cynical move an independent councillor proposed that “the vote now be put”, supported by the Conservatives. This put an end to the debate, and brought forward the leadership vote sadly, Vikki was defeated so the council now has a new leader and a Conservative administration despite only getting 28% of the public vote in the 2019 election.

A little over sixteen months ago, residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole did something different; they voted for change. Three councils all with massive Conservative majorities became one, but voters tired of the non-transparent and uncaring style of local politics voted against exactly that. Despite winning almost half the seats, only 28% of voters across all three towns placed their trust in the Conservatives.

Out of this was born the Unity Alliance, an administration representing a range of views from different parties and various independents, led by Liberal Democrat Vikki Slade but united in one goal - providing the best possible services for local residents. Though its majority was always slim, the new council represented almost 2/3rds of votes cast in local elections and proved to be more open, cooperative, transparent and effective than any that had come before.

Mid Dorset and North Poole Lib Dems would like to wish Sir Ed Davey congratulations on his election as Leader today!

Ed has been acting leader since the end of last year, and has now been confirmed as the member’s chosen leader after a delayed but well fought campaign against fellow MP Layla Moran.