By cutting VAT from 20% to 17.5% the Lib Dem amendment to the Queen's speech would have saved families an average of £600 each, and would have also reduced inflation by keeping prices down in the shops. However, it was blocked after 300 Conservative MPs, including Michael Fabricant, Kate Griffiths and Christopher Pincher, voted it down.

It's been a great result last week for the Lib Dems in England. Nearly two hundred NEW councillors elected. Three NEW councils under the Liberal Democrats' control, bringing the total to sixteen.

Sad that we had no candidate in Tamworth to demonstrate what the swing there to Lib Dems might have been, and of course there were no elections this year in Lichfield or East Staffordshire (wait for next year, though!).

Vehicle crime epidemic: 140,000 car and bike thefts unsolved last year

• New figures reveal 77,300 car thefts and 63,500 bike thefts went unsolved last year
• Only 3.9% of car thefts lead to someone being charged, down from 6.8% five years ago

Analysis of new Home Office statistics by the Liberal Democrats have revealed a "vehicle crime epidemic," with over 140,000 car and bike thefts going unsolved by police last year.