Banks save £2 billion a year from abandoning our high streets and town centres. Our post offices pick up the slack, but they are not funded by the banks anywhere near enough to be able to maintain their presence. This must change.

Cumbria has a high number of unpaid carers. Many of those carers do seasonal and variable work in order to make ends meet. It's vital that they don't miss out on getting the Carer's Allowance support that they deserve. My question to the Social Security Minister 👇

Outdoor education can provide life-changing experiences for young people, helping to build resilience and create a love of both learning and the outdoors. But far too often, children from less well-off areas miss out on these opportunities. This must change.

We must treat food security more seriously. @TimFarron.bsky.social's plan would boost funding and give young people the training and incentive they need to choose farming for the future.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a fundamental cultural shift in our attitude towards farming. Our Farm First scheme would treat food security with the seriousness it deserves, finally giving young people the training and incentive they need to choose farming. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This week, I led a debate on the huge disruption caused by plans to close J38 of the M6 at Tebay for 18 months southbound, and then for another 18 months northbound. I'm glad that the Roads Minister said that National Highways will now be conducting a review into proposals for temporary slip roads.

Tonight, the Liberal Democrats will be voting against the Government's appalling family farm tax. The Conservatives threw farmers under a bus by botching the transition to the new payment schemes. And now Labour are hammering farmers with a huge tax bill.

Residents in Newbiggin, near Penrith, have had their lives made unbearable due to the poor management of the nearby Flusco landfill site. I'm continuing to work alongside residents and local Lib Dem councillor Judith Derbyshire to get the authorities to take action.

Penrith South ward (Penrith Town Council) By election result: Alex Deacon (Lib Dem) 225 (55.3%) Reform UK 140 (34.4%) Green 42 (10.7%) Lib Dem gain from Labour (No Labour or Conservative candidates) Congratulations Alex on a superb triumph!

Well done to @timfarron.bsky.social and team Lib Dems take a seat from Labour in Penrith with a stonking 55% of the vote and fend off a strong challenge from Reform Don't want Reform? Then vote Lib Dem

Today, many farmers came down to Westminster to plead to the Chancellor for her support. In return, the Government doubled down on their plans to hit them with a family farm tax. Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for British farmers.

The Tories have got some nerve claiming they back British farmers. They sold out our farmers in trade deals. They cut farm incomes by botching the transition to the new payment schemes. And they created an agricultural policy that actively disincentives the production of food.

Liberal Democrats are proud to fight for British farmers who are essential to Britain's food security and to our environment. Today, the Chancellor must axe the appalling family farm tax AND stop the cuts to farm incomes after the Conservatives botched the new payments scheme.

Westmorland and Furness is the fifth-worst area in England for empty homes. Today I asked the Local Government Minister what plans her department has to support the council to bring these properties back into use for local people and families.

The next time Reform UK come looking for your vote at an election, claiming to love our country - remember that these are the kind of people they appoint as their leaders. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8...

Pubs are at the heart of our communities - but many are really struggling due to rising costs. Today I urged ministers to consider Liberal Democrat calls for a 5% cut in VAT for hospitality businesses.

By investing in tidal power, we could create jobs and our own renewable energy. It would be great for our economy, and for Britain's energy security.

Britain has the second-highest tidal range on the planet, behind Canada. And yet we make use of nearly none of it. If we seriously invest in tidal power, then we can create jobs, generate clean and cheap energy, and slash bills. My message to the Government 👇

More than one in five hospital beds in Morecambe Bay are occupied by people who are medically fit but don't have the appropriate social care to be discharged. The Government urgently needs to bring forward their plans to fix social care. My letter to the Health Secretary 👇

It's disapointing that the Transport Secretary has not made a statement in Parliament about the serious derailment which happened on the West Coast Main Line near Shap. There are questions that need to be asked, including the overdue need to modernise the line and make it safer.

Outdoor education can help build confidence, resilience, and love of learning and the outdoors. Really glad to see such a positive response from the Education Secretary today about supporting our cross-party campaign to give every young person these life-changing opportunities.

An absolute joy to spend time recently at the brilliant outdoor activity centre run by the Brathay Trust in Ambleside. Experiences like these are absolutely transformative for young people in building their confidence, developing their teambuilding skills, and creating memories that last a lifetime

In many of our town centres, there are plenty of empty buildings (especially above shops) which could be used for affordable housing. This would help many shops to recruit staff, boost footfall in our town centres, and give people and families an affordable place to live.

I want to pay tribute to the emergency service workers, Avanti West Coast staff, Network Rail engineers, and the brilliant team at the Shap Wells Hotel for all their dedicated work today in the aftermath of the derailment at Shap. Thank you all.

🚨BREAKING: Lib Dems have won more local by-elections than any other party this month. In real elections, up and down the country, Liberal Democrats are winning.

97% of Gaza's water is unfit for human consumption. This week, I asked the Foreign Secretary how the UK will help to ensure that the Gaza peace plan includes measures to restore access to clean and plentiful water. There can be no just peace amidst thirst and squalor.

By 2028, the average hill farm income will only be 55% of the national minimum wage. And now the Government is forcing those farmers to pay a huge inheritance tax bill. This is a disaster for our environment and our nation's food security. I'll keep fighting for our farmers.

The Chancellor is blaming Brexit for the mess we're in but not making the changes needed to fix it, can you really call that a strategy?

Skills Bootcamps in Cumbria provide fantastic funded training opportunities. They benefit businesses looking to upskill their staff, and are also great for job seekers looking to learn new skills. I asked the Work and Pensions Secretary to continue funding this brilliant scheme.

Many patients in Eden are no longer able to get follow-up blood tests at their local GP surgeries - instead, they have to travel to hospital in Penrith or Carlisle. This is absolute madness. Today, I raised the issue directly with ministers in the Department for Health 👇

One of the biggest barriers to students in rural areas accessing vocational studies through FE colleges is that they live so far away, and that travel costs a fortune. I asked the Education Secretary what plans she has to put an end to that barrier.

People seeking asylum in this country should be able to work here. This would help them to integrate into our society, financially support themselves, and also reduce the cost to the taxpayer.

Another stonker of a week for us - gaining from the Conservatives and the Green Party in Surrey and from Labour in Preston. The media might not tell you this but the Liberal Democrats are winning all over the place. This week's by-election scorecard 💪 Lib Dems 7 Reform 1 Con 1 Ind 1

This is hugely disappointing. We were hoping that the Chancellor would use the Budget next month to at least amend the changes to IHT, but instead the government appears to be doubling down on them. This will do immense damage to environmental stewardship and food production.

I’m thrilled that Libby Bateman has been selected as Liberal Democrat candidate to be Mayor of Cumbria. Libby has a fantastic track record of getting alongside local communities to get things done, whether that’s better bus services or improved broadband.

Creating local energy markets would make it easier for households and businesses to buy power from local, renewable sources. This would make new community renewable energy businesses viable, helping to cut carbon emissions and potentially lower energy bills too.

Thousands of miles of disused railways, canal towpaths, and green spaces lie blocked off or forgotten across the UK. @TimFarron.bsky.social explains the Lib Dem plan to reopen them, creating a national network of green routes for all.

Grateful to the ICB for listening to our campaign and choosing to restore this funding in Ambleside, Hawkshead, and Millom. I'll continue to make the case to the ICB to restore this service in full so that people across our area can get the care they need closer to home.

A stonker of a night for us. Three huge wins, Reform nowhere near us and the Tories down to ten percent in Mel Stride’s own seat. We are the only party taking Farage on and the only party beating him.

Three big Lib Dem wins in this week's by-elections. Last night in Mel Stride's Devon constituency, Liberal Democrats GAINED a seat from the Conservatives - the Conservatives dropped to just 10% of the vote. And two great wins by our teams in Bath and Hampshire.

Customers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the failures of private water companies to clean up the mess they themselves created. Ministers need to get on with replacing Ofwat with a new, powerful regulator and implement a single social tariff to protect the most vulnerable customers.

There are people right across our country, who have voted Conservative all their lives, but are now switching to the Liberal Democrats.

My message to the millions of One Nation conservatives who reject the divisive politics of Badenoch and Farage is this: Come and join us. Help us save our country. Come and win with us.

Now that they are out of power, the Tories are trying to pretend they are on the side of British farming. Yet in government, the Conservatives threw farmers under a bus with their trade deal with Australia. British farmers will never forgive the Tories. www.fwi.co.uk/news/gove-ad...

There can be absolutely no justification for cutting prices for dairy farmers by such a scale. Enough is enough. We need a stronger regulator with teeth that can stand up to the big corporations and ensure British dairy farmers finally get a fair deal. www.farminguk.com/news/milk-pr...

The Government’s imposed housebuilding targets mean that we will see 26,000 new homes built across Westmorland & Furness over the next 20 years. It is vital that these new homes are not only affordable, but that they come with the extra services needed to support an increase in our population.

I am horrified and heartbroken by the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester. My thoughts are with the victims' loved ones and also with our Jewish friends and neighbours who should all be able to live their lives and practice their religion, free of fear.

Ming Campbell was a hero of mine ever since I first became a Lib Dem activist back in my teens. He did the honour of appointing me his PPS when he was leader. It was a privilege to learn from him and become his friend, a wondrous thing to be able to call someone who was also a hero.

Back from conference yesterday night and straight out canvassing today in the Ashton ward by-election today. Big thanks to @timfarron.bsky.social for joining us.

A wet, windy, but wonderful second day at the Westmorland County Show. An absolute joy to meet so many people - thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello! And a huge thanks to everyone involved in organising another incredibly successful Westmorland County Show.