Mental health is a fundamental part of our overall health. Yet for too long, a firefighting approach to mental health has left millions of people without any support until they reach a crisis point.

Britain faces a mental health crisis, with rising levels of eating disorders, suicide and severe illness. The services that are supposed to support people are unable to cope, having been pushed to breaking point under the Conservatives.

Now, the Labour Government is shockingly scrapping suicide prevention grants and vital mental health targets. And last year, Nigel Farage disgracefully said that the UK is creating a “class of victims”.

The Liberal Democrats believe in a mental health system that intervenes early, supports families, and meets people where they are.

Today, our members passed a transformative new evidence-based policy to ensure that mental health is treated with the urgency and dignity it deserves.

Putting Prevention First

We would move away from a system that only reacts to crises and toward one that builds resilience, through:

• Mental Health Check-ups: Introducing regular check-ups for everyone at key stages of life, to ensure nobody is left unsupported when they are vulnerable.
   
• Walk-in Youth Hubs: Opening a mental health hub in every community for young people, with specific support for children that have fallen between school and CAMHS support.
   
• Support for Our Farmers: Tripling the Farmer Welfare Fund to provide mental health outreach at livestock markets and county shows, and offering support following Rural Payment Agency visits.
   

• “No Wrong Door”: Enshrine the “no wrong door” principle into law so people get the help they need, regardless of which public service they have turned to.

   

A Fairer, More Integrated System

Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is often tied to housing, debt, and employment. Our plan integrates these services to provide a safety net that actually catches people:

• Financial & Housing Support: Integrating mental health services with money, substance abuse, and housing advice by default.
   
• Free Prescriptions: Making NHS prescriptions free for those with chronic mental health conditions, ending the unfair financial burden on the most vulnerable.
   
• Properly Supporting Carers: Placing a legal duty on health professionals to identify and support unpaid carers and family members, ensuring they aren’t left to cope alone.

By investing £400 million – funded through a windfall tax on big banks and an increased digital services tax on social media giants – we can build a system that saves money in the long run and, more importantly, saves lives.

Liberal Democrats have a proud record of pushing Britain’s mental health services forward. Now we are offering the bold solutions we need to fight the crisis unfolding in our communities.

British universities are a world-leading export and an engine for innovation. They drive regional economies, host groundbreaking research, and provide life-changing opportunities.

But today, the sector is at a breaking point. Students are facing a cost-of-living nightmare, with 40% living on less than £100 a month after rent. Meanwhile, the Labour Government’s National Insurance hike and international student levy are draining nearly £700m from campuses annually.

The Liberal Democrats paid a heavy political price for making promises on tuition fees we couldn’t keep. We’ve learned from that.

That’s why we are not making unrealistic pledges. We are setting out a pragmatic, costed and achievable plan that would make a real difference to graduates now, while also fixing the system for the long term.

Today, our members passed our new policy to achieve that:
 

A Fairer Deal for Students and Graduates

We believe your background should never limit your ability to study. To make university life affordable again, we are calling for:

• Reintroducing Maintenance Grants: Reintroducing grants of £3,500 per year for the most disadvantaged students, ensuring they can graduate with £10,000 less debt.
   
• Cutting Graduate Repayments: Reversing Labour’s threshold freeze to immediately put hundreds of pounds back into the pockets of graduates. Under our plans, lower and middle earning graduates could save up to £14,000 over the lifetime of their loan.
   
• Debt Write-offs for Public Service: Writing off portions of student debt for those who commit 10 years of service in key public service roles.
   

• Ending “Moving the Goalposts”: Establishing an independent watchdog to stop governments from making retrospective, unfair changes to loan terms.

   

Securing the Future of the Sector

Universities need stability to innovate. To protect the financial health of the sector and boost the UK’s research power, our policy includes:

• Reversing Damaging Tax Hikes: Scrapping the National Insurance rise and the international student levy that are currently draining university budgets.
   
• A “Unified Tertiary” Approach: Bridging the gap between Further Education and Higher Education so colleges and universities can share facilities and co-deliver courses.
   
• Doubling Degree Apprenticeships: Specifically in areas with skills shortages, with 50% of places reserved for students from low-income households.
   
• Regional Innovation Centres: Creating a national network of research hubs to ensure every region benefits from university-industry collaboration.

Driving Global Innovation

We want to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. Our plan would reform visa rules to allow PhD students to found startups during their studies and quintuple “proof of concept” funding to £200 million to help turn academic research into successful British businesses.

This is a bold and deliverable plan to ease the cost-of-living pressure on graduates today, while building a system that is sustainable for universities and fair for the students who study in them.

Town centres and high streets are the beating heart of communities up and down the country. They are the places where we connect, shop, and take pride in where we live. But for too long, they have been allowed to fall into disrepair – blighted by empty shops, cracked pavements, and anti-social behaviour.

The former Conservative Government’s economic mismanagement, and a lack of vision now from Labour, have left our local businesses struggling with unfair taxes and soaring energy costs.

Liberal Democrats have a plan to breathe life back into our town centres.

Today, our members passed a comprehensive new policy to revitalise our high streets, support local entrepreneurs and make our shared spaces safe and sustainable.

Boosting Local Business and Cutting Costs

Our high streets cannot thrive if shops sit empty and small businesses are taxed out of existence. We are calling for immediate action to lower the barriers for local traders:

• An Emergency VAT Cut: A temporary cut in VAT from 20% to 15% for hospitality, visitor accommodation, and attractions to boost footfall and help families with the cost of living.
   
• Business Rates Reform: Replacing unfair business rates with a Commercial Landowner Levy to shift the tax burden from struggling tenants to commercial landowners, to stop penalising productive business investment and use land and buildings more efficiently.
   
• Cracking Down on “Ghost” Landlords: Requiring overseas landlords to provide UK contact details and closing loopholes that allow units to be leased to shell companies.
   

• An “Out of Town” Levy: Ensuring large-scale out-of-town developments contribute to a fund that reinvests directly into our high streets.

   

Creating Spaces People Love

A successful town centre must be more than just a place to shop; it must be a place to belong. Our plan focuses on design, culture, and community:

• Community Hubs: Making it easier to convert vacant shops into community spaces without bogged-down planning rules.
   
• High Street Culture & Community Fund: Partnering with the Arts Council to provide five-year grants for community-led cultural initiatives and local events.
   
• Community Investment Schemes: A “High Streets Back Home” scheme allowing local people to invest directly in their community – by supporting community asset purchases, restoring heritage buildings or backing local enterprise space.
   

• Homes Above Shops: Encouraging the conversion of upper floors into quality housing to bring residents – and life – back to the heart of town.

   

Safe, Clean, and Accessible

No one wants to visit a high street where they don’t feel secure. We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to the issues that drive shoppers away:

• Tackling Organised Shoplifting: Calling on the National Crime Agency to set up a dedicated unit to dismantle the organised gangs targeting our local stores.
   
• Smarter Design: Investing in strategic lighting and CCTV to discourage anti-social behaviour.
   
• Better Access: Funding high-quality pedestrianisation projects and promoting active travel while reviewing parking charges to ensure they support, rather than hinder, evening and weekend footfall.

Liberal Democrats are committed to building town centres that inspire pride for generations to come. It is time to stop ignoring the decline of our high streets and breathe new life into them as vibrant hubs for the future.