On Back British Farming Day, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on the Government to protect UK food and farming standards in future trade deals.

It comes as the Government are said to be on the brink of agreeing a controversial trade deal with New Zealand, with fears that it could lead to local farmers being unable to compete with a flood of cheap imports.

'Westmorland and Furness' has been voted the most popular choice for the name of the new council in a public poll held by local MP Tim Farron.

Nearly 2,000 people took part in Tim's poll to find a name of the new authority which will cover the South Lakeland, Eden and Barrow-in-Furness areas, following the Government's decision to reorganise Cumbria's councils earlier this summer.

This Autumn's North West Liberal Democrats regional conference will be held in-person and online on October 30th.

The policy motion taken by Regional Conference Committee and Regional Policy Committee has been announced - it is on the subject of high speed rail project HS2.

The motion is here.

Note any amendments to it need to be submitted by 12 noon on October 4th to policy@northwestlibdems.org.uk

North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain moved a "Westminister Hall" debate (transcript here) on Wednesday 8th September criticising the closure of offices of the British Council, an important cultural institution financed by the British Government.

As Wendy noted "the British Council was created [in 1934] in response to a changing global stage: the United Kingdom was losing its traditional forms of influence, extreme ideologies were on the rise around the world and there was a global economic crisis."

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury Christine Jardine MP has spoken of her fears arising from the series of crises that are erupting under the Conservative Government,

"The Government has spent months lurching from crisis to crisis, and the consequences will be felt by normal families as we head towards Christmas," she said.