Lib Dems vow to be “party of the NHS and care” as Chief Whip sets out top priority for new Parliament

EMBARGO: 22:30 Friday 13th September

• Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP is to set out plans for Liberal Democrats now they're the third largest party in Parliament, including being a “constructive opposition.” 
• Chamberlain will declare that the “Liberal Democrats are the party of the NHS and care in every part of Britain” and criticise the “out of touch Conservative party who allowed hospitals to crumble and waiting lists to soar” 
• The Scottish MP will also criticise the SNP’s record in Holyrood and Westminster.
• This is the first conference since the Liberal Democrats’ best ever General Election result.  

Today (Saturday 14th September), Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP will open the party’s conference with a call for the new government to focus on saving health and social care services, as she says this will be her party’s top priority in the new Parliament.

In her speech to the party’s conference in Brighton, Wendy Chamberlain MP will declare the Liberal Democrats as “the party of the NHS and care in every part of Britain”, criticising the Conservative government’s failure to protect health services. 

The MP for North East Fife will also criticise the SNP’s record in Holyrood, calling it a “lesson in taking voters for granted” and not using their time to focus on health and care.

The Liberal Democrats achieved a record-breaking election result in the summer, with 72 MPs elected across England, Scotland and Wales. The Liberal Democrats have regained their status as the country’s third party and will use their new parliamentary strength to call for urgent measures to tackle the NHS crisis and improve social care. 

The Liberal Democrats put NHS and care at the heart of their manifesto and their General Election campaign. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey opened up on his role as a carer for his severely disabled son John, calling for new support for millions of unpaid carers looking after their loved ones. 

Speaking on the NHS and care, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain is expected to say in her speech:

“The Liberal Democrats are the party of the NHS and care in every part of Britain.

“The out-of-touch Conservative Party who allowed hospitals to crumble and waiting lists to soar, can never be trusted with the NHS. 

“Nowadays, the 8am scramble to see a GP is even harder than getting an Oasis ticket.”

On holding the new government to account, she is expected to say:

“Of course, one of the benefits of our historic General Election result is that we have returned to our former position of Third Party in the House of Commons. 

“And frankly we aim to take a very different approach to the SNP and the Conservative Party.

“I think what people want to see is MPs working together to try and secure a fair deal for the whole of the UK - not trying to divide us. 

“Being the third party is a big responsibility. We have a far greater ability to affect change now than we did in the previous Parliament. We want to be a constructive opposition. We want to be local champions. We want to do things differently.”

On the SNP, the Scottish MP is expected to say: 

“And just as we did our bit across the UK to deliver a decisive blow to an out of touch and out-of-time Conservative government. So too did we play our part in beating the SNP.

“Now I’m not going to stand here and gloat about the demise of the SNP. But I do think there is a lesson for everyone in politics about what happens if you take voters for granted. 

“I’m not sure the SNP had that sense of entitlement a decade ago. But over recent years they have used their position on the green benches in Westminster not to work to improve things, but grandstand. 

“And they used their positions of power in the Scottish government not to deliver, but to overpromise. 

“No wonder so many former SNP voters that I spoke to during the campaign were utterly disillusioned with the party.

“Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats were out there offering positive solutions.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Wendy Chamberlain MP will address the Liberal Democrat conference at Brighton at 12:35.