The UK produces 2.26 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year.

Less than half of this is being recycled.

The Conservatives claimed they will cut plastic pollution. They announced a deposit return scheme in 2018, but it is currently due to be implemented by 2023.

In reality, all the Tories have done is try to get headlines with piecemeal bans on straws and stirrers.

"Only someone as deceitful as Boris Johnson could dress up exploiting nurses as a gift to the NHS."

Not only is Boris Johnson's pledge for 50,000 nurses not true.

The Conservatives are trying to profit from taxing hardworking nurses.

The Conservative's manifesto commitment includes 12,000 nurses from abroad. The visa fee will be £464 for EU and international nurses. The cost to the Home Office of processing one of those visa applications, however?

One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. More women are killed or incapacitated by violence against them than by cancer. Every week, two women in England in Wales are killed by a current or former partner.

Faced with these facts it seems almost impossible to imagine the mountain we need to climb to end violence against women. We need to take bold action now to tackle this crisis. This International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I'm proud to set out the Liberal Democrat plan to protect women from violence.

Liberal Democrat candidates are standing in every seat in the North West except Chorley, where we are following the convention of not standing against the Speaker.

FInd your local Lib Dem candidate here.

No one should live in fear of harassment or physical violence.

Trans Awareness Week is a time dedicated to celebrating trans and gender non-conforming people.

It is also an important opportunity. We must bring attention to the continued injustices and inequalities faced by trans people today

The week will culminate in the Trans Day of Remembrance. This is a day to honour those who have either been killed or have taken their own lives as a result of transphobia. As we pause to we remember the lives lost, we are reminded that transphobia is never funny or trivial. It can be fatal.