"This is a very popular idea which would give the public something back for bailing out the banks.
"I welcome the Treasury Select Committee's review into what to do with the Government's holding in RBS and Lloyds and hope that it furthers the case for giving the public their share."
Key Liberal Democrat initiatives were announced in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday including banking reform, a single tier pension, energy reform, strengthening shareholder power and House of Lords reform.
The Coalition government's next term will focus on helping families, supporting growth and jobs, and delivering long-standing reform to our banking sector. Long lasting reforms are proposed to put the UK on a stable footing and offer help and support to families, small businesses and communities, protect the environment, as well as reaffirming the commitment to helping the poorest nations.
The key themes from the 2012 Queen's Speech are economic growth, justice and constitutional reform.
These reforms will help build a sustainable future for our country. The Coalition Government's plans will offer help and support to families, small businesses and communities, protect the environment, as well as reaffirming our commitment to helping the poorest nations.
In 2010, Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition Government to act in the long-term national interest. Our most urgent task was to tackle the record deficit left to us by Labour and we're continuing this work today.
We have already made some tough choices, and we will continue to make sure we keep spending down so, unlike the rest of Europe, families can benefit from low interest rates and Britain is protected from the global debt storm.
"It's been a disappointing and difficult night for the Liberal Democrats. I'm really sad that so many colleagues and friends, Liberal Democrat councillors, who've worked so hard, so tirelessly, for so many years, for communities and families in their local areas, have lost their seats. And I want to pay tribute to all the great work that they have done.
"I'm determined that we will continue to play our role in rescuing, repairing, and reforming the British economy. It's not an easy job and it can't be done overnight. But our duty is to boost jobs and investment and restore a sense of hope and optimism to our country.
"I believe that, over time, people will come to acknowledge our unique role, the Liberal Democrats, in this Government as the only party that combines responsibility on the economy with social fairness."
The polling stations have yet to open as I'm writing this. I've spent the last few days reminding postal voters to send their ballots in, mostly using the Connect phone bank.
I've also been out with fellow campaigners delivering last minute messages to our supporters - reminding them of our track record of hard work and achievement.
Wherever I go on the campaign trail, I am struck by the passion and determination of Lib Dem candidates and their teams, and by their dedication to their communities. I haven't met a single Lib Dem candidate who doesn't objectively deserve to be elected. But of course, not everyone will have won by the time you read this.
Over the last few weeks, being out on the doorsteps with you - from Dundee to Dollis Hill and all parts in between - has been exhilarating. If I needed reminding why I am a Liberal Democrat, then being out with our activists, who live and breathe community politics would have done the job.
All of us know that for the good of the country we have put ourselves in the political firing line - and made life really hard electorally. We have been given a precious chance in appalling circumstances to make this country greener, fairer and more liberal - we were right to grasp that chance.
All the same, being in power at such a difficult time as this has not made us popular - many of those who identify themselves as Liberal Democrat supporters are confused or even angered by our role in government.
So in our communities we have a chance to make a difference on the ground - whether we were successful this week or not. I often tell the tale of my dear friend and mentor Neva Orrell who lost her seat in Leyland, Lancashire no less than three times. Each time she lost, the Liberal group on the council was down to zero, but each time she carried on campaigning and each time she won her seat back next time.
I hope that most of you reading this will have won in the elections, but if you didn't, can I just say that I am utterly proud of you. Take the weekend off, and then on Monday, get out there and do a Neva.
Response of LD Working Group to the Expert Panel on the National Curriculum
Headlines
- An overall framework for curriculum promoting breadth and balance to apply to all publicly-funded schools
- Support for diagnostic and sample testing, and internal testing moderated by 'chartered assessors': rejection of old-style SAT-type testing and league table publication of results.
This Thursday across much of England, Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners will be standing for election to represent their communities on their local council. I would like to wish them the very best in those elections - every vote for the Liberal Democrats and every Liberal Democrat councillor elected is a step towards a more liberal country.
Liberal Democrat councillors have a well-deserved reputation for dedication and commitment to their local communities. And our record on freezing council tax, protecting local libraries and giving pay rises for the lowest paid council workers shows the difference we make when we run local councils.
Labour may choose to lie in what they tell people about our record in government, but I remain very proud of what we have achieved: raising the income tax threshold and cutting taxes for 23 million ordinary working people, implementing the Pupil Premium, creating record numbers of apprenticeships and delivering the 'triple lock' guarantee for pensions.
We have only been able to implement these much-needed liberal policies because of the hard work of Liberal Democrats across the country. That hard work can make a difference again on Thursday.
Commenting on the Protection of Freedoms Act receiving Royal Assent, Chair of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, Adrian Trett said:
"The Protection of Freedoms Act is a major win for the LGBT rights. Gay and bisexual men who were convicted for acts that are now perfectly legal will finally be able to get them deleted from their criminal records. It marks the end of the overhang from a bygone era when being gay was still criminalised.
"It shows the determination of the Liberal Democrats and the Coalition Government to do the right thing. The march for equal rights is not over yet but with today's news and the consultation on how to introduce equal marriage, we're steadily chipping away at the final hurdles."
Liberal Democrat research published today shows that Labour are wasting millions of pounds on vanity projects, executive car services and corporate communications while slashing library services, closing dementia centres and ending support for the most vulnerable.
Simon Hughes is calling on voters to stop Labour turning more of our councils into nearly bankrupt authorities, just like they did to the country.
