🎓In recent years we’ve seen significant changes to the system including the freezing of repayment thresholds & continuous changes to terms & conditions, something no other lender would be permitted to do. 1/3

📺 Catch me on today’s episode of BBC Politics North across Yorkshire and the Humber. 👇 We’re talking about: 🥀 whether the PM will go, and the mess the Labour Party is in 🗳️ looking ahead to the local elections 🚛 the need for better facilities for HGV drivers

☀️ I don’t know about anyone else, but I so needed the blue sky and sun today. 🐶 So many smiling faces and people out making the most of it. 🏃‍♂️ Lovely half marathon, my first long run since my hospital stay. 🍳 Followed by refuelling at The Saints.

🔶 Great to be out helping my mum and the Lib Dem team in Knottingley & Ferrybridge yesterday - managed to squeeze in a roast dinner too. 👏 Three fantastic women on the ballot paper there this May. Let’s get them elected.

👏 Out knocking on doors in Harrogate last night. Lots of lovely conversations and well wishes. 🔶 Get involved, join our growing winning team, and help make a positive difference to our towns: libdems.org.uk/join-local

🌲 Rotary Wood Update👇 It’s disappointing that the Secretary of State has chosen not to call in Danone’s planning application. 1/3

Living with ulcerative colitis is something that takes a real toll on my life. It took me over a decade to get a diagnosis, and even since then it’s often been a struggle to get the right IBD care. It’s something I’m going to try and talk about more. 🧵 1/5

Millions of WASPI women will feel utterly betrayed today. This decision is a hammer blow to women who believed they would finally be treated with fairness and dignity. 👇1/4

This week, I attended f40’s drop-in, ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper. I’m pleased to support their call for fairer, increased education funding, alongside the reform and investment urgently needed to address the SEND crisis. Every child deserves the best possible start in life.

Too often, national laws change while local authorities lack the power or funding to enforce them on the ground. If restrictions on fireworks are tightened, the Govt must ensure councils have the resources to enforce those rules properly - otherwise it risks being little more than words on a page.

📣Attended the Campaign for Gigi drop-in in Parliament, backing urgent action to keep children safe in nurseries. 🗣️Calling for mandatory CCTV, stronger Ofsted inspections, and clear safe-sleep training. 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Supporting parents into work must go hand in hand with the highest childcare safety standards.

Last week, I joined ITV’s Last Orders to discuss key issues, including: ✅Northern Powerhouse Rail ✅Labour’s U-turns ✅AI and the future of social media If you missed it, watch here👇

Today I pressed the Leader of the House on the progress of the Assisted Dying Bill. There is clear public support & a majority in the Commons, yet we hear rumours No10 now expect the Bill to fall. I pushed to ask the PM to honour his promise and make time to deliver this overdue change in the law.

🚨Another Labour U-turn - this time on mandatory digital IDs. A policy doomed from the start. It would have eroded civil liberties, cost billions, & pushed the country in the wrong direction. I welcome the reversal, but it raises serious questions about Labour’s judgement and lack of a clear plan.

X has shown a blatant disregard for safety. Now its Grok AI is generating indecent images of women and children. Ofcom is right to investigate, but any ban must be enforceable. I pressed ministers for a clear plan to close loopholes, address VPN workarounds, and stop harmful content resurfacing.

Our freedom to travel shouldn't depend on where we live. It's time to end the postcode lottery so disabled people can make the journeys we want, when we need to make them.

Young people can’t catch a break with this Labour Government. ❌ Student loans frozen. Income tax threshold frozen. And now – railcard discounts BLOCKED in the Great British Rail Sale. Bad deal after bad deal. Young people deserve better.

🚌The 9.30am rule is outdated and unfair, creating barriers for disabled people. 🤝Andy Burnham’s plans to scrap it in Manchester are welcome - but without proper funding, many councils can’t follow. ❌ We need urgent ENCTS reform and national funding so every disabled person can travel freely.

Last month, Wes Streeting announced what families have long fought for: a full statutory public inquiry into TEWV NHS Foundation Trust. After years of ignored warnings, governance failures, and preventable deaths, real accountability is finally on the table. 👇Read more here:

Today’s announcement adjusting the government’s proposed changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief, is a welcome one. 🧵1/4

❌ This Budget was yet another blow to British farmers. ⚠️ Despite clear warnings, the government refused to reverse the family farm tax. 👨‍🌾Farmers are the backbone of our economy and food security - they deserve real support, not policies that put family farms at risk.

🎄As Parliament rises for Christmas recess I want to wish all my constituents in Harrogate and Knaresborough a Merry Christmas. ☃️ Politicians take themselves too seriously sometimes, so here is my take on the 12 days of Christmas with just some of what I’ve been up to this year!

Last week’s peerage list shows the House of Lords is still used to reward loyalty, connections and convenience - all dressed up as democracy, at a cost of £371 a day per peer. If we want a true democracy, it’s time to end this patronage palace and abolish the House of Lords.

Businesses face a triple hit from this govt: higher minimum wages, increased employer NICs and soaring business rates. Across Harrogate & Knaresborough, firms say this is unsustainable. Govt must change course now - cut business rates, scrap the NI hike & back local business, before it’s too late.

📉 Support for Digital ID has plunged from +30% to -14%. After years of leaks and IT failures, the public clearly doesn’t trust this Government with their data. ❌ Scrap the surveillance plans and focus on the NHS, the cost-of-living crisis, and essential services.

Our SEND system is failing & families are paying the price. I’ve spoken with parents forced to give up work because their children aren’t getting the support they need. No one should have to choose between earning a living and their child’s care. We urgently need an overhaul of SEND provision.

🎄 Mind’s 5km Mental Elf Race in Knaresborough is truly one of my favourite highlights of the festive period. 🏃‍♂️ It was an absolute privilege to start the race, and take part, for the second year in a row! 1/2

Started the day at Fountains Abbey parkrun 🏃‍♂️ Getting closer and closer to a sub 25min 5k!

Today I held my first ever post-Budget business breakfast at the Cedar Court Hotel. It was fantastic to be joined by tax and financial planning experts to unpick what the budget means for local businesses and our area. 1/2

My pitch for a Yorkshire Parliament 👇

Great evening out knocking on doors in Harrogate, hearing from residents about the issues that matter most. Then had the pleasure of chatting with some of our brilliant local Girl Guides for UK Parliament Week!

It’s disappointing the River Nidd at the Lido has again been rated poor for bathing water quality. This cherished spot remains unsafe because Yorkshire Water puts profit before environment. OFWAT must be replaced with a regulator with real teeth to hold polluters to account & clean up our rivers.

Suicide rates haven’t fallen in two decades, and thousands of lives are being lost each year. I urged greater support for charities like The Jordan Legacy, whose work is vital in prevention. The Govt must act now to give these charities the resources they need to reach more people & save lives.

🤝After a fantastic summer meeting residents across the constituency, I’m taking my tour to local supermarkets this weekend! 💬Come along to any of my stops to ask questions, share your thoughts, or have a chat. 👋I look forward to meeting as many constituents as possible.

🍺 Our pubs are the heart of our community - but too many are struggling to survive. 👏 Today I met with British Beer & Pub Association, they and the Lib Dems share the same goal: helping our pubs thrive. 💰 That’s why I’m proud the Lib Dems are calling for an emergency VAT cut for hospitality.

Speaking with BBC North Yorkshire today about the closure of Sherburn House in Knaresborough. Adult social care is in crisis and we need a proper solution. We can’t fix the NHS unless we fix social care. 1/2

Find my thoughts on today’s WASPI statement here 👇

Last week, I outed myself as a gamer, something I don’t really ever talk about, and contributed to a debate on consumer protections for gamers. Now spending my evening trying to figure out how to play Europa Universalis V. I said if I was elected I would be unapologetically me!

👏 Great to be out knocking on doors this week with some of our fantastic Harrogate Town and North Yorkshire Councillors 🔶 Door after door, we heard how Lib Dems at all tiers of government are making a real difference locally - working hard for residents all year round!

Lovely morning for parkrun round the stray - ahead of bonfire night and fireworks there this evening!

It is right that Ofwat blocked Yorkshire Water from paying boss bonuses. For too long, water firms have rewarded failure – paying executives millions while polluting our rivers. Accountability can’t stop here - we need real action to clean up our waterways and put people before profit.

I’ve written to the PM renewing my call for a full, judge-led inquiry into failings at TEWV. Reviews haven’t delivered the change patients and families deserve. Only a proper inquiry can bring accountability and lasting improvement. The Govt must act now to improve care and rebuild trust.

I am appalled by the horrific attack on passengers aboard a train on Saturday evening. My thoughts are with all those affected – the victims, their loved ones, and everyone who witnessed such a traumatic event. 🧵1/4

As a supporter of assisted dying and a member of the Commons Bill Committee: The JCHR should be doing a full legislative inquiry to guide implementation, not a token one-off session. And the Lords must not seek to block or kill a Bill that has been passed by the elected House.

It is regrettable that the Joint Committee on Human Rights has taken this approach to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. In my view, a last-minute, one-off and narrow evidence session is woefully inadequate. My letter to the Chair of the JCHR in full 👇

Out in Ripon this afternoon with Lord Dick Newby, lending a hand to Tom and the team in the Ripon City Council by-election. Lots of positive conversations on the doorstep!

Great evening knocking on doors in Bilton Woodfield. Lots of people said, “But there aren’t any elections!” True - not until 2027! But Lib Dems never stop working for our area. We’re out all year, not just at election time.

This afternoon, I joined Liberal Democrat colleagues to block Nigel Farage’s Bill, which would have ripped up people’s rights and withdrawn the UK from the ECHR. We will keep fighting for our freedoms – the UK will not become a Trump-style America.

Veterans dedicate their lives to protecting our country, yet often they’re left without the support they need. The Armed Forces Covenant is meant to protect them - but it’s failing. Words on paper mean nothing without action. The Govt must act now to ensure no veteran is left to struggle alone.

🗓️ The planning committee has deferred a decision on Harrogate Spring Water’s proposed expansion, kicking the can down the road instead of standing up for our precious woodland. 1/3