Cheltenham Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservative Government of “incompetence and chaos” after the Autumn Statement saw tax hikes and cuts to services for people in Cheltenham. The Chancellor’s measures come in the wake of economic turmoil following the “mini-budget” which saw mortgage rates spike to record levels.

Cheltenham MP urged to tell residents whether he’s taking ministerial resignation payout during cost-of-living crisis

Cheltenham’s MP is being urged to tell constituents whether he will take a £14,000 payment for his belated resignation from government.

Alex Chalk is among a group of former ministers due payments totalling more than £410,000 – a list which also includes his former boss Boris Johnson and outgoing Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham, Max Wilkinson, has called on Mr Chalk, who was Solicitor General in the Johnson government, to publicly declare that he will not take the payment.

Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, those resigning from office are entitled to 25% of the annual salaries they were paid when holding that office.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham Max Wilkinson said:  

“Cheltenham residents who resign from their jobs with immediate effect wouldn’t even get their notice period paid up, so why should ministers? That’s particularly true for those who were part of the awful Johnson government.

“People here deserve an answer to a simple question: is our MP taking the payout or not?”

Alex Chalk resigned as Solicitor General in the dying days of Boris Johnson’s time as Prime Minister. The resignation came more than 1,000 days after his public pledge to resign if there was a ‘scintilla of a suggestion’ that the government would act unlawfully.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham, Max Wilkinson has called on Alex Chalk MP to oppose Kwasi Kwarteng’s “shambolic” budget.

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate calls for Windfall Tax on oil firms to cancel the energy price cap rise.

Local people have shared their fears about the future of NHS healthcare in Cheltenham.

Please let me know your views and help me fight to defend our local health services:

https://digitallibdems.typeform.com/to/uphsyU7d

Cheltenham declares cost of living emergency after Lib Dem campaign

• Max’s call for a cost of living emergency declaration backed locally
• Lib Dem council calls on government to help local families
• More support for help schemes initiatives to be explored

The local Liberal Democrats have accused Alex Chalk of hiding after failing to respond to the Sue Gray report. The Liberal Democrats have also branded Conservative MPs defending Boris Johnson as “insulting local people’s sacrifices.”

A staggering 100,000 Gloucestershire residents waited over eight days for a GP appointment in February, Liberal Democrat research has revealed. This is up 9% from the previous month, when 5.7 million waited for eight days or more to see their GP. 

Sir Ed Davey joined parliamentary candidate Max Wilkinson on a visit to one of the places where sewage is dumped in the River Chelt.