Dear John,

I’ve just come from the launch of our general election manifesto, and I couldn’t be prouder.

At its heart is a bold, ambitious and fully-costed plan to save the NHS and fix the care crisis.

I’m proud that we have made the NHS central to our campaign. Not just because it’s the number one issue on the doorsteps, but because it’s crucial to get our economy back on track and build the liberal society we all want to see.

And I’ve spoken about how important care is to me personally. I’ve been a carer for much of my life, first for my mum when I was a teenager, then for my Nanna, and now for my son John, who is severely disabled.

Caring has been in the shadows for far too long. I am proud that we have brought it into the light.

There’s much else to be proud of in our manifesto too – from tackling child poverty to bold action on the climate crisis, to fixing our broken relationship with Europe, which would boost our economy and restore Britain’s standing in the world.

And, of course, we know the changes our country needs can only happen if we transform the nature of British politics itself – including fair votes through proportional representation.

That is the fair deal the Liberal Democrats are fighting for, and it runs throughout our manifesto.

You can read it here:

Our party is the most democratic in British politics - it’s central to who we are. The policies we shared today were built by thousands of Liberal Democrat members sharing their views and ideas over the last five years with the Federal Policy Committee and the manifesto working group, led by Dick Newby.

It is an incredible achievement by so many. To every single one of you who helped make this possible, thank you.