Despite the tough economy, why is #Winchester so strong for small business? @winchester.gov.uk#WinchesterCouncil and businesses regularly meet through Winchester BID, helping the Council make the best decisions for the local economy. Was a pleasure to visit P&G Wells, running strong for... about 300 years.

It was kind of Robert Jenrick to set me up for an obvious joke at his expense.

Brexit has cost us billions in lost trade and left us with a stagnant economy. The Conservatives caused this damage. Labour won't fix it. It doesn't matter who the new Labour leader is - if they won't commit to joining a new customs union, they will fail to fix the economy.

£14 saved for every £1 spent! Citizens Advice Winchester and the local NHS mental health ward at Melbury Lodge are working together to provide life admin support for patients, massively reducing readmission rates. I asked Ministers to roll this idea out across the country.

Wes may be gone, but he left us one parting gift: ANOTHER consultation. Children, parents, NHS staff have been saying for years we have a crisis. We do not need more words, we need action.

Organisations like @trinitywinchester.bsky.social and @dogstrust.bsky.social do incredible work to support vulnerable people fleeing domestic abuse day-in, day-out. I urged the House to celebrate their invaluable work to keep people safe and supported.

We don't have time for all this Starmer Drama when bills are soaring and conflicts are raging around the world. We should be focussed on our food, energy and national security.

It must feel a bit odd for the King give a speech on what his government is planning to do going forward, when we won't even know who is going to be in charge of the government by the end of the week.

What do my @libdems.org.uk colleagues do to improve their mental health?

From the battlefields of Ukraine to hospitals across Europe, antimicrobial resistance is becoming one of the greatest threats to global health. In this talk, I'll be explaining how modern conflict fuels the rise of drug-resistant superbugs, and why Britain cannot afford to ignore the warning signs.

Mental health must be treated with the same seriousness that we treat physical health. That is my message for Mental Health Awareness Week. Follow along throughout the week to find out more about what I've been working on in Winchester and in Parliament to improve the way we treat mental health.

🔶🔶🔶🔶🔶🔶🔶🔶🔶!

Vote Liberal Democrat today to STOP Reform UK and KICK OUT the Conservatives. ⌚Polls are open until 10pm today. 📍You can find your polling station here at libdems.org.uk/where 🪪 You DO need photo ID to vote. 📃 You DO NOT need your polling card to vote.

Making the case for a UK-EU Customs Union on the BBC today!

We should not be breeding animals that we know will struggle to breathe, to walk, or to live without pain. The government's Animal Welfare Strategy should be demonstrating ways to tackle extreme breeding leading to brachycephalic dogs. Read my article in PoliticsHome here:

I'm off to deliver leaflets, but Moose has decided he wants a duvet day.

This month I've been fighting for emergency measures to tackle the energy crisis caused by Trump's illegal war, voting to ban harmful social media for under-16s, campaigning to improve healthcare services across the Winchester area,

Women and babies are being let down. Over half of maternity units in England do not reach 'good standards' for safety, causing avoidable harm and even deaths. The @libdems.org.uk have a plan to back our #NHS staff and keep new mums and babies safe.

The Public Office Bill will hold those who deliver public services to account. Water companies in England and Wales are privately owned but deliver an essential public service, yet are not required to follow the Bill’s code of conduct. I have written to the Secretary of State to change this.

The intelligence of an animal has no effect on its capacity to feel emotion. Like humans, we know animals experience pain, excitement and suffering. I brought this up in a debate on animal testing this week - and urged the Minister to strengthen our commitment to high animal welfare standards.

We must protect our democracy from foreign interference. That means banning donations from anyone linked to foreign governments. It means no politician should profit from a platform like X. It's time to close these dangerous loopholes.

Conservative-run Hampshire County Council is about to receive an extra £50 million from government to improve bus services. So it's time for them to restore the services they cancelled and keep us all connected.

Horrifying news from North London. My heart goes out to the victims, their loved ones and the whole Jewish community. Hatred like this has no place in Britain. The Government must do more to keep Jewish communities safe and confront antisemitism wherever it appears.

We did it! The Tobacco and Vapes Act is now law, helping to create the first ever smokefree generation in the UK. This is a huge moment for our #SmokefreeUK campaign and a major milestone in our mission to beat cancer. #SmokefreeGeneration Learn more: cruk.org/smokefreegen

Our amazing #NHS staff do such a great job under tough circumstances, but we're in desperate need for investment in local services, including GPs, to cut waiting times and get people the care they desperately need. www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/2605637...

Lib Dems are clear: children’s wellbeing comes first. Our MPs pushed for faster action and stronger protections online. The Conservatives chose 21 months of dither and delay, We must act to protect children now.

Kemi Badenoch and Farage backed Donald Trump’s reckless war from day one. Now oil prices are surging, markets are in shock, and British families are footing the bill. The Liberal Democrats have a plan to cut costs now.

Not once, not twice, not three times. Four times the Liberal Democrats have voted to ban harmful social media for under 16s. Parents, teachers and children themselves tell me: we do not need a lengthy, bureaucratic consultation. We need action now.

Parents vs multi-billion pound tech companies - is that a fair fight? Here's my clash with Dan Hodges on @lbc.co.uk Cross Questions. We need to ban harmful social media for children, just like we banned smoking.

"Nobody wins unless everybody wins." If a disease with pandemic potential emerges anywhere, it quickly becomes everyone's problem. If crops fail in one part of the world, the consequences are felt globally.

Hearing from parents of children with SEND about how they had been let down by the system was heart breaking. With the govt planning reforms, the voices of families with SEND children must be at the heart of consultation. I co-signed this letter asking the govt not to ignore these families.

🔶 LIB DEM WIN - CUTTING YOUR BILLS ✂️ The Government has finally listened to Ed Davey and announced they will break the link between gas prices and electricity prices. Electricity from solar or wind is now much cheaper than gas. But people aren’t seeing the benefit of cheap renewable power.

Scrolling is the new smoking. I hear it from parents, teachers, and from children themselves. Big tech companies have created addictive algorithms that monetises attention. We did not expect parents to take on the smoking industry alone, so we cannot abandon them on social media safety either.

James MacCleary and I, with many of our fellow Lib Dem MPs, have called on Govt to stop letting US planes use UK bases if Trump restarts the war and targets civilian infrastructure. Our Govt must also hold Iran's leaders to account - and stop blocking proscription of the IRGC.

After Boris Johnson, many of us expected boring competence from Keir Starmer - no more scandals, no more sleaze. Yet here we are - spending days on the terrible judgement to appoint Mandelson, rather than focussing on tackling the cost of living and helping our struggling healthcare services.

Since last May, Reform has lost about one in ten of its councillors. As @markpackuk.bsky.social says the high numbers give the appearance of “a rather dysfunctional group of people” who are not very good at getting on with each other. Local communities deserve better. observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Resident doctors study for years but are often left unable to find a training placement. I urged the government to increase training places and future opportunities for resident doctors, so they have a job for life.

No horse-ing around here. Great to meet Prestur, an Icelandic horse to learn more about how he supports neurodivergent children and adults to build confidence, relationships and resilience for the future. I even got to dust off my old stethoscope!

Having worked on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, I understand how vital moving towards a #SmokeFreeUK is for public health. It's one of the leading causes of preventable death, disability and ill health. I was glad to meet with @cancerresearchuk.org#SmokeFreeUKto highlight cross-party support for this Bill.

Water companies should not be able to dodge fines. While they hike bills, dump sewage in our waterways and fail to invest in vital infrastructure, you have to ask - just what is Ofwat doing? I signed this letter calling for urgent action:

Children and families are being let down by a broken system. They deserve far better and any SEND reforms must keep their best interests at its heart. I urged the Secretary of State for Education to support children with SEND and their families.

Older residents who once relied on regular bus services, axed by Stagecoach after County Council funding cuts, have been forced back into their cars, only to be hit by soaring petrol prices. Read my latest column in the @hampshirechronicle.bsky.social: www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/2602107...

Bishop's Waltham needs a new GP surgery. When it first opened its doors, there were 7,000 patients on the books. Now there are well over 14,000. Sign my petition to add your voice to my campaign to ensure that Bishop's Waltham gets a new GP surgery. winld.org.uk/bishops-walt...

Be it maternity services, the difficulty of receiving an endometriosis diagnosis or gynaecology waiting lists, women are being let down. The Women's Health Strategy includes a commitment to ending the medication postcode lottery for hyperemesis gravadarium, a very severe type of morning sickness.

Right tests, right diagnosis, right treatment. This breakthrough is the result of tireless work by dedicated researchers and doctors - many from Winchester! This will help us ensure everyone gets the help they need and stop antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

When water companies get fines they should not be allowed off the hook - particularly when they continue to hike bills and pump sewage into our rivers and waterways. Glad to support this important Bill today in Parliament, alongside my Liberal Democrat colleague, @freddievanmierlomp.bsky.social

The FCA must investigate whether Farage's plans to cash in on crypto could potentially amount to market abuse and a conflict of interest. We cannot allow political leaders to treat the financial markets like a personal piggy bank to line their own pockets.

There's a proven link between people deliberately harming animals and going on to commit domestic abuse. Currently the law does not allow us to identify these people early. I brought this up in parliament and introduced a motion asking the government to address this gap in the legislation.

Fed up of potholes? We are too. After 29 years of Conservatives running Hampshire County Council, it is time for a change.

We’re calling for immediate action to tackle the cost of Trump’s war and keep Britain moving.