and a truly shared society, including by:
Helping to grow the economy in Northern Ireland,
boost infrastructure
and support local businesses.
founded on the principles of democratic engagement, liberal values and respect for diverse identities,
underpinned by a fair distribution of resources based on respective needs.
The Convention will establish an inclusive approach for determining the structure of government in England.
Keeping our country secure should be the first priority of any government.
We must always take defence seriously –
and work with allies to protect all our freedoms.
The Conservative Government has been negligent in its approach to the defence of the United Kingdom.
Cutting troop numbers by 10,000 is irresponsible.
Their inability to procure assets on time and on budget is leaving our Armed Forces without the equipment they need.
And their failure to look after service personnel and veterans properly – from suitable housing to mental health support – is unforgivable.
The spectre of Donald Trump returning to power in the United States – and his lack of support for Ukraine and for NATO – should shake the UK and our European partners out of their state of complacency when it comes to the defence and security of our continent.
It is time for the UK to lead within Europe on security,
working closely with our democratic European allies so that we can support Ukraine, and each other, during peace and war.
Liberal Democrats will strengthen our Armed Forces and support the people who work in them, and keep the UK free, safe and secure by: Reversing the Conservative Government’s cut to the Army, with a longer-term ambition of increasing regular troop numbers back to over 100,000.
Maintaining the UK’s support for NATO,
while pursuing multilateral global disarmament.
In addition, we will: Legislate to ensure there is a parliamentary vote before engaging in military action,
and support intervention only when there is a clear legal or humanitarian case,
while preserving the government’s ability to engage in action in emergencies with a retrospective vote or under treaty obligation.
and enabling the Houses of Parliament to elect its members.
Secure a fair deal for the armed forces community, and improve recruitment, retention and resettlement, by:
Work collaboratively with our democratic European partners and promote security, including through deterrence, by:
Whether on apartheid in South Africa, the illegal war in Iraq or the persecution of Hong Kongers, Liberal Democrats have always stood up for the vital British values of democracy, liberty, human rights and the rule of law.
We will resist those states that threaten us and robustly challenge our allies when necessary.
The UK must support democracies around the world, especially those threatened by aggression such as Ukraine and Taiwan.
We must stand up to states like China and Russia, resisting their attempts to undermine our democratic values
and preventing them from filling the vacuum that the UK has left in Africa and the rest of the Global South, following the Government’s short-sighted cut to the aid budget.
Following years of Conservative Government, our influence on the world stage is sadly but undeniably diminished.
Liberal Democrats will reverse this decline.
We will rebuild our relations with our allies – not trash them.
We will uphold international law – not undermine it.
We will restore Britain’s role as an international development superpower.
With war raging on our continent, now more than ever Britain must lead within Europe.
Liberal Democrats are the only party that will fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe, by following our four-stage roadmap.
Not only will this leave us and our allies more secure,
but it will help restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens.
We will: Work to counter the global rise in authoritarianism by championing the liberal, rules-based international order
and supporting international institutions such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth, NATO and the International Criminal Court.
and move to conclude a new comprehensive agreement which removes as many barriers to trade as possible.
get the hostages out,
and provide the space to reach a two-state solution based on 1967 borders with security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians.
In addition, we will: Protect, defend and promote human rights for all around the world by: Working to abolish the death penalty and end the use of torture.
Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:
All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens,
and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.
Restore the UK’s role as a global leader in tackling the climate and nature emergencies, as set out in chapters 5 and 12.