while boosting the economy,
protecting the environment
and improving public health.
improve stations,
greatly improve disabled access,
reopen smaller stations
and deliver Northern Powerhouse rail.
and take steps to reduce demand for flying.
and switching to zero-emission vehicles.
Exploring the introduction of an annual pass for all railways.
Reviewing the Conservatives’ cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 to see if it can still be delivered in a way that provides value for money, including by encouraging private investment, or if an alternative is viable.
and removing the VAT exemptions for private, first-class and business-class flights.
Placing a moratorium on net airport expansion until a national capacity and emissions management framework is in place,
The UK’s rich and vibrant cultural heritage is a national treasure.
Our creative and tourism industries contribute billions of pounds to our economy and employ millions of people.
Art, music, drama and sports bring people together.
They are an essential part of a thriving society.
The Covid pandemic hit culture and tourism businesses extremely hard.
And instead of helping, the Conservatives have only inflicted even more damage.
They have downgraded the status of arts subjects at school,
slashed funding for them at university,
and erected new barriers to British musicians and actors performing elsewhere in Europe following our withdrawal from the EU.
Liberal Democrats will invest in our cultural capital and nurture the next generation of talent.
We will support the creative and tourism industries across the UK so that businesses can thrive and people everywhere can enjoy the benefits of sports, music and the arts.
Promote creative skills,
address the barriers to finance faced by small businesses,
and support modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules.
The UK has a proud history of welcoming newcomers – whether people seeking to build their lives here, or refugees fleeing war and persecution.
People from all over the world have greatly enriched our economy, our culture and our communities.
But our immigration system has been broken by the Conservatives.
Their damaging new rules mean British employers can’t recruit the people they need
and families are separated by unfair, complex visa requirements.
Their dysfunction has made the asylum backlog soar.
Public confidence in the system is shattered.
The Home Office is not fit for purpose.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have closed down safe and legal routes to sanctuary, leaving desperate people to make perilous attempts to cross the Channel in small boats – often in the hands of criminal smugglers and traffickers.
Liberal Democrats are fighting for a fair, effective immigration system that treats everyone with dignity and respect.
and speeding up returns of those without a right to stay.
and reverse the Conservatives’ ban on care workers bringing partners and children.
Increasing the age limit from 30 to 35.
Abolishing the fees for these visas.
Extending the length of visas from two to three years.
Providing them with physical proof of their right to stay.
and repeal the immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act.
End the detention of children for immigration purposes,
Liberal Democrats exist to build a free society where every person’s rights and liberties are protected.
Everyone should be able to live their lives as who they are: free to pursue their dreams and fulfil their potential, safe in the knowledge that their fundamental rights will be protected.
In decades past, the UK has led the world in advancing human rights, civil liberties and equality for women, LGBT+ people and disabled people.
But under the Conservatives, progress has stalled.
They are failing to stand up to hatred and prejudice, or tackle entrenched inequalities.