Bournemouth Parliamentary Candidates, Phil Dunn and Jon Nicholas have welcomed news that Theresa May appears to have dropped plans to scrap free school lunches for infant pupils from tomorrow's Queen's Speech.

Now that it has emerged that the cladding on the Grenfell Tower is already banned in this country, we demand answers and accountability for the utterly needless loss of life in last week's fire. The inquiry that follows this horrific event must be open and transparent with those responsible brought to book.

How many more buildings up and down the country are covered with this deadly cladding?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/18/cladding-on-grenfell-tower-banned-in-uk-says-philip-hammond

Flammable cladding used on Grenfell Tower must be banned

The Liberal Democrats have called for the type of cladding used on Grenfell Tower to be banned in the UK, after it emerged the material is currently banned in US buildings over 40 feet for fire safety reasons and is classed as flammable in Germany.

Fall in real wages shows Govt must end public sector pay freeze

As stated in our recent election manifesto, Bournemouth Liberal Democrats Jon Nicholas and Phil Dunn are calling for an end to the public sector pay freeze which currently means that workers are taking home less and less in real terms as inflation rises.

Data released by the Office of National Statistics today shows that average wages grew by just 2.1% in the three months to April, well below the 2.7% rate of inflation in that month, according to the Office for National Statistics. That means after adjusting for inflation, wages fell by 0.6%

The Liberal Democrat General Election candidates in Bournemouth and Poole have today made a pledge to constituents never to hold a second job if they are elected to Parliament on 8th June.

• Phil Dunn, candidate for Bournemouth West, is currently a secondary school teacher.

• Jon Nicholas, candidate for Bournemouth East, is a conflict management consultant.

• Mike Plummer, candidate for Poole, is a lecturer in Business and Management at Bournemouth and Poole College.

All three candidates have today pledged to devote 100% of their time to their constituency, Parliamentary duties and public service should they be elected. Neither candidate would accept paid employment outside of their role as an MP, beyond voluntary, unpaid or public service roles.

93% of homes in Bournemouth could be eligible for sale to meet Theresa May’s so-called 'dementia tax', research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

Jon Nicholas and Phil Dunn have urged residents, irrespective of their party affiliation, to join a campaign to stop the Conservative social care plans which would saddle those with long-term illnesses with crippling care costs after their death.

Following the horrific attack on children and young people at the Manchester Arena last night, we have suspended all our election campaign activities until further notice out of respect for the casualities, their friends and families.

Our thoughts are with them all

Over 50 of Britain's leading business figures and entrepreneurs - including the founder of Ebookers, Dinesh Dhamija, co-founder of Innocent Drinks Richard Reed and businesswoman Nicola Horlick - have backed the Liberal Democrats today as the only UK party campaigning to stay in single market.

In a letter to The Times, the business figures write that leaving the single market would be "destructive to the British economy," and that the Liberal Democrats are "the only party speaking for business and the majority of Britons on the key issue at this election."

The Liberal Democrats have launched their manifesto plans today for a brighter future, with pledges to reverse Conservative cuts and increase funding for the NHS, schools and police.

The Party’s landmark policy would give the people the final say on the Brexit deal which would include the option to remain in the EU.

The Liberal Democrats would put a penny on income tax for health and care, which would raise £58m for the NHS in Dorset, enough to fund 345 more nurses.

An additional £26m of funding for schools in Bournemouth, paid for in part by reversing Conservative cuts to corporation tax, would be enough to pay for 145 more teachers.

Meanwhile an additional £2.4m funding for Dorset Police would pay for 48 more officers, helping to cut crime and ensure a stronger police presence in the area.

Today, Tim Farron launched the Liberal Democrat Manifesto:

Today, as the Lib Dem leader, I am immensely proud to launch our 2017 manifesto: Change Britain’s Future.

Over the past few weeks we’ve been working tirelessly – speaking to the public, analysing costs, fine-tuning our priorities – to bring you a single blueprint for a better Britain.

This momentous new manifesto sets out our hopes and plans for an open, tolerant and united country. From defending our place in Europe, to protecting universal human rights, to building a greener economy, it encapsulates our positive vision for the future.

Read the full manifesto