Eid marks the end of Ramadan — a holy month of prayer and personal reflection.

I’m sure it feels strange to celebrate again with Covid restrictions in place.

But despite the many challenges of the past year, I’m amazed at how we’ve pulled together as a country — making it clear that we are a nation of carers.

And Muslims across the UK have made huge contributions to our communities.

From frontline workers to the more than 100 Muslim community support groups that helped those in need, the Islamic principle of acting in service to others has no doubt been on full display this year.

So to everyone celebrating Eid, I wish you joy and peace.

Eid Mubarak!

Liberal Democrat have had some great early wins:

• We made gains from Labour in Sunderland;
• We became the largest party on Stockport council;
• We held Orkney, re-electing Liam McArthur MSP;
• We made gains in Cambridgeshire, taking away the Conservative’s majority.

We have decided that Autumn Conference will take place from 17th to 20th September. It will be held online. That was a very difficult decision to take and we had a very lengthy discussion about it.

Today Liberal Democrats are launching our new campaign to protect British farmers and maintain our food standards.

The Tories failing to commit to maintaining our high animal welfare and environmental standards”

I am deeply concerned that family farming businesses are at risk as the Tories continue to botch our transition away from the EU agricultural system.

Some farmers even risk losing up to half their entire income as the Government is blundering their way towards a new Environmental Land Management scheme.

Liberal Democrats support this new scheme, but the Tories are being much to slow – they are stubborn and out of touch with farmers.

Meanwhile, they’re failing to commit to maintaining our high animal welfare and environmental standards for imported foods.

This would allow foreign imports to undercut responsible British farmers.

Liberal Democrats back British farmers.”

Farmers are the guardians of our landscape, they are the stewards of our countryside and vital allies in tackling the climate and ecological crises.

The Liberal Democrats are committed to maintaining the beauty and biodiversity of our countryside which is why we want to ensure public money goes towards public goods like restoring our peat bogs, creating new natural flood protections and managing land to encourage species recovery.

But the Tories risk forcing our family farmers out of business meaning we lose the very people who need to deliver these public goods.

Liberal Democrats back British farmers. We would:

• Ensure food imports from trade deals meet the UK’s high animal welfare and environmental standards.
• Maintaining existing farm payments in full until the new Environmental Land Management scheme is fully rolled out.
• Enhance and protect the British countryside by supporting the farmers who manage the landscape.