Liberal Democrat conference: Sir Ed Davey pledges to be champion for carers in emotional speech

Published

9 months ago

September 17, 2024

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Sir Ed Davey has pledged to be a champion for carers – as he put his party forward as the “responsible opposition”.

In a personal and emotional keynote speech in Brighton on Tuesday, the Lib Dem leader said “care and carers must not be forgotten and ignored any longer”.

“If the Liberal Democrats don’t offer that hope – if we don’t speak up for care in parliament – no one else will,” he said.

“Of course, everyone knows the Conservatives don’t care. But did you know, carers weren’t mentioned once in Labour’s election manifesto. And carers weren’t mentioned once in the King’s Speech either.

“But carers did feature in Keir Starmer’s first Prime Minister’s Questions. Because I made sure they would.”

Sir Ed spoke about caring for his mother as a child while she had bone cancer, then looking after his “wonderful Nanna” who looked after him when both his parents died.

“Now, Emily and I, caring for our wonderful, smiley 16-year-old son John – with his challenges from his severe disabilities,” he said.

“Even at 5.30 in the morning, when he shouts ‘Daddy’ to wake me up, it’s a blessing – given he was nine years old, when he was first able to say ‘Daddy’.

“But alongside the fun and the blessings, I have to tell you, caring for your family can be tough. Just dealing with whatever comes each day. Making plans that too often fall through.

“As millions of people across our country know, a carer’s life is often exhausting.”

During the election campaign the Lib Dems released a video showing Sir Ed and his wife Emily looking after their son, John, who has an undiagnosed neurological condition.

He said he was not prepared for “so many incredible, heartfelt responses” and told of a 15-year-old who has been looking after his mum, who has MS, since he was five.

The teenager, Joseph, said it was the “toughest but most rewarding feeling” and has “never really had his opportunity to be heard”.

Sir Ed said Joseph wrote: “I wanted you to know that people like yourself are everywhere. Quiet and silenced but we are still here.”

Following four days of celebrations after the Lib Dems’ most successful election in a century, Sir Ed also called on the government to invest now “to make the NHS winterproof” with a new taskforce.

However, his spokesman could not provide any details on how it would work.

He also said the 72 Lib Dem MPs would be “the responsible opposition to this government” and will hold Labour to account “for the promises they made to clear up the Conservatives’ mess”.

Sir Ed’s spokesman said the party will continue to focus on winning local elections and is aiming to take more Conservative seats at the next election by focusing on local needs and concerns.

Sir Ed became known during the election campaign for his stunts, which continued during the conference, with him entering on a jet ski, playing beach volleyball, and building a stile.

However, he revealed in his speech that health and safety stopped him from “putting my hand up a cow’s behind or wing walking on a biplane”.

The spokesman said the cow idea had been seriously considered but did not go ahead due to health and safety concerns for both the cow and Sir Ed.

Vietnam legalizes crypto under new digital technology law

Published

19 hours ago

June 15, 2025

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Vietnam legalizes crypto under new digital technology law

Vietnam has passed a sweeping digital technology law that legalizes crypto assets and outlines incentives for AI, semiconductors, and infrastructure.

Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

Published

22 hours ago

June 15, 2025

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Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

Brazil scraps crypto tax exemption for small traders, enforces flat 17.5% rate across all gains, including self-custody and offshore holdings.

A scrambled G7 agenda as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict

Published

1 day ago

June 15, 2025

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A scrambled G7 agenda as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict

The return on Donald Trump to the G7 was always going to be unpredictable. That it is happening against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in the Middle East makes it even more so.

Expectations had already been low, with the Canadian hosts cautioning against the normal joint communique at the end of the summit, mindful that this group of leaders would struggle to find consensus.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney carefully laid down an agenda that was uncontroversial in a bid to avoid any blow-ups between President Trump and allies, who of late have been divided like never before – be it over tariffs and trade, Russia and Ukraine, or, more recently Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

But discussions around critical minerals and global supply chains will undoubtedly drop down the agenda as leaders convene at a precarious moment. Keir Starmer, on his way over to Canada for a bi-lateral meeting in Ottawa with PM Carney before travelling onto the G7 summit in Kananaskis, underscored the gravity of the situation as he again spoke of de-escalation, while also confirmed that the UK was deploying more British fighter jets to the region amid threats from Tehran that it will attack UK bases if London helps defend Israel against airstrikes.

Really this is a G7 agenda scrambled as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the worst fighting between Tel Aviv and Tehran in decades. President Trump has for months been urging Israel not to strike Iran as he worked towards a diplomatic deal to halt uranium enrichment. Further talks had been due on Sunday – but are now not expected to go ahead.

All eyes will be on Trump in the coming days, to see if the US – Israel’s closest ally – will call on Israel to rein in its assault. The US has so far not participated in any joint attacks with Tel Aviv, but is moving warships and other military assets to the Middle East.

Sir Keir, who has managed to strike the first trade deal with Trump, will want to leverage his “good relationship” with the US leader at the G7 to press for de-escalation in the Middle East, while he also hopes to use the summit to further discuss the further the interests of Ukraine with Trump and raise again the prospects of Russian sanctions.

“We’ve got President Zelenskyy coming so that provides a good opportunity for us to discuss again as a group,” the PM told me on the flight over to Canada. “My long-standing view is, we need to get Russia to the table for an unconditional ceasefire. That’s not been really straightforward. But we do need to be clear about what we need to get to the table and that if that doesn’t happen, sanctions will undoubtedly be part of the discussion at the G7.”

But that the leaders are not planning for a joint communique – a document outlining what the leaders have agreed – tells you a lot. When they last gathered with Trump in Canada for the G7 back in 2018, the US president rather spectacularly fell out with Justin Trudeau when the former Canadian president threatened to retaliate against US tariffs and refused to sign the G7 agreement.

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Since then, Trump has spoken of his desire to turn Canada into the 51st state of the US, a suggestion that helped catapult the Liberal Party beyond their Conservative rivals and back into power in the recent Canadian elections, as Mark Carney stood on a ticket of confronting Trump’s aggression.

With so much disagreement between the US and allies, it is hard to see where progress might be made over the next couple of days. But what these leaders will agree on is the need to take down the temperature in the Middle East and for all the unpredictability around these relationships, what is certain is a sense of urgency around Iran and Israel that could find these increasingly disparate allies on common ground.