Here are some of the things I’ve been up to this week:

After Friday’s higher business rates bills bombshell, I’m calling on the Chancellor to throw our high streets a lifeline by: ✂️using new powers to lower high street (RLH) business rates by the full 20p 🔶 slashing VAT for hospitality as we @libdems.org.uk have called for

⚠️ WOW. High streets are being hit with a business rates bombshell. The Chancellor has serious questions to answer: ❓How many businesses will pay rates for the first time? ❓How many will see bills go up? ❓Why isn’t she using the powers she gave herself to help high streets?

This was a hopeless budget.

The botched Budget made the wrong tax choices, and was a missed opportunity to tackle the £90 billion Brexit black hole.

🚨BREAKING🚨New figures reveal the true cost of Brexit. It's time for Labour to stop being so timid and fix the damage done by the Conservatives' botched Brexit deal. That is the best way to boost growth, put money in people's pockets and properly fund our public services.

⚠️🍺 Will there be more smoke and mirrors on business rates changes in the Budget this week? Even if the Government lowers the business rate multipliers, any benefit could be wiped out by higher valuations, due to be published on Budget Day. I’ve asked the Government to publish the data ASAP

High streets are struggling, with pubs, restaurants and cafés shutting their doors. Cutting VAT on hospitality and energy would put money back in people’s pockets, support local jobs, and give the country a much-needed boost.

We Liberal Democrats are fighting to save the high street and cut your cost of living. Our plan would cut your energy bills, slash VAT for hospitality, and put £270 back in your pocket. All paid for by a windfall tax on the QE-related unexpected profits of the big banks.

The BBC belongs to Britain, but Trump wants to tear it down. We can’t allow the Trumpification of our politics or our media.

We @libdems.org.uk would put £270 back in your pocket, by: 🍻 Cutting VAT for hospitality, attractions and accommodation 💡Slashing household energy bills We’d fund this through a windfall tax on excess profits made by big banks, rather than higher taxes for struggling families and businesses.

A damning indictment of Labour’s decisions. From the jobs tax to business rates bills, the economy is barely spluttering along. The Government must take up our plans to save our high streets, put money back in the pockets of families, and fix our broken relationship with Europe.

Congratulations @victoria-collins.bsky.social 👏

Congratulations @joshbabarinde.bsky.social 👏

Hospitality is on its knees. A 5% VAT cut would give our economy and our high streets the lifeline they need.

Today, we pay tribute to everyone who fought to protect our freedoms, and who lost their lives. Lest we forget. 📷 Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force

The Govt. must decide what they think is fairer, taxing struggling families or taxing big banks? @LibDemDaisy.bsky.social

This wasn’t pitch rolling, it was pointless. The Budget will be a bitter pill to swallow as the Government seems to have run out of excuses. We can’t keep punishing households, high streets and hospices whilst big banks and social media giants don't pay their fair share.

Nobody gets more airtime or less scrutiny than Nigel Farage.

Farage is no champion of pensioners — he’d betray them if he ever reached Downing Street. We @libdems.org.uk will fight to protect the pensioners of today and tomorrow from the vultures in Reform UK.

We just stopped Nigel Farage’s plan to drag Britain out of the ECHR and tear up people’s rights. Farage wanted to scrap Churchill’s legacy and bring us closer to Trump's America.

We just defeated Nigel Farage’s Bill in Parliament to tear up people’s rights and withdraw from the ECHR. Farage wants to do away with the Britain Churchill built and turn it into a version of Trump's America. We stopped him.

Nigel Farage is colluding with anti-abortion groups in the America to roll back women’s rights in the UK. We won’t stand for it. The Liberal Democrats will not let allow Trump’s America to become Farage’s Britain.

Welcome to the team @charliemaynard.bsky.social

GB News losing their mind over the fact we @libdems.org.uk just defeated Farage and Reform

Daisy Cooper makes it clear: if Nigel Farage is serious about tackling racism in his party, he needs to act now. @libdemdaisy.bsky.social

🧵 The Government can’t keep sitting on its hands - thoughts and prayers won’t fix this. As families look on at the ever increasing costs of food bills, energy bills, children’s school uniforms and more, the winter is looking very expensive and very bleak. [1/2]

If the Government is planning to bring forward fair reforms asking the super-wealthy to pay their fair share of tax then we will look at them closely, but this simply cannot become a jobs tax 2.0 for self-employed people in the squeezed middle.

🧵 Finally, the Government are putting an end to their 'mum's the word' approach to the economic disasterclass that is Brexit. The botched Brexit deal - dreamt up by Farage and delivered by the Conservatives - has delivered nothing but extra red tape, extra costs, and crushed opportunity. [1/3]

Today's GDP figures show the Government is simply not doing enough to kickstart growth.   The Chancellor must quit her slowcoach approach to the economy and finally drop her damaging national insurance hike, which has stifled business and hit high streets up and down the country

Elon Musk is stoking far-right extremism on our streets. The Prime Minister should order a security assessment of the threat Musk poses to our democracy. @libdemdaisy.bsky.social #PMQs

Hong Kongers in St Albans and around the UK are asking whether the Prime Minister is trading their safety and security in our communities, in favour of having a cosier relationship with Beijing. At #PMQs I challenged the Prime Minister directly on this

Great meeting of our new @libdems.org.uk Economy & Business team yesterday. Alongside myself as Treasury Spokesperson, we are: 🔸 @joshuareynoldssl6.bsky.social Trade 🔸Sarah Olney MP Business 🔸 @stevedarlingmp.bsky.social DWP 🔸Charlie Maynard MP Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury …and Jennie 🦮

Families and businesses fear more tax hikes after the Tories' stealth tax and this Government’s unfair jobs tax. The Chancellor must rule out extending these stealth taxes. We need a real growth plan and the big banks, tech giants and gambling firms must be made to pay their fair share.

Ming was a principled politician, and had such generosity of spirit. We @libdems.org.uk are so proud to have had him as one of our own. My thoughts are with his family and friends as he’s laid to rest today. May he rest in peace.

We still have a lot of work to do to deliver the two-state solution that will finally allow Israeli and Palestinian children – both – to grow up free of this cycle of violence. 

 But at least today, that work can finally begin. And that should give us all hope. @eddavey.libdems.org.uk

Nigel Farage called Reform’s manifesto a contract with the British people. Now he’s torn that to shreds. It’s clear that they can’t be trusted with our economy.

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.

Unlike Farage, we're proud of Britain. Britain has problems that need fixing, but we must never forget our strengths, our people and our values. They are what make this country special.🇬🇧

This is incredibly sad news. Ming will be missed hugely in our Lib Dem family.

@libdems.org.uk are clear that climate action and tackling the cost of living must go hand in hand We plan to halve energy bills within 10 years, by ensuring people see benefits of renewable energy in their bills, and can access affordable loans to invest in energy-saving measures

In my conference speech, I announced our @libdems.org.uk call for a new Energy Security Bank - funded by a windfall tax on big banks - to offer affordable loans for households, small businesses and community energy groups to lower energy bills.

Wanting the UK to succeed is patriotic. Asking America to sanction us, like Farage did, isn’t. That’s not love of our country - it’s sabotage.

Elon Musk is a deeply irresponsible man and all party leaders should call him out.

Over the past year, the Government has done nothing but neglect farmers - with the cruel family farm tax, cutting the farming budget and selling out British farmers by accepting lower-standard US beef. Liberal Democrats back British farmers who deserve so much better.

Kemi Badenoch is chasing Reform and losing her own MPs in the process. The Tory party is crumbling, and lifelong Conservatives are turning to the Liberal Democrats.

Here are some of the things I’ve been up to last week. 📝 Sign up to my monthly newsletter to keep updated on all my work: www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/e-newsletter...

Today is #BackBritishFarmingDay, and it's more important now than ever.

Parents of disabled children face endless hoops just to care for their loved ones. At PMQ's, @EdDavey.LibDems.org.uk called to overhaul the system, the PM agreed.

Here are some of the things I’ve been up to this week. Sign up to my monthly newsletter to keep updated on all my work: www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/e-newsletter...