Our country is hurting right now.

125,000 lives have been taken by this cruel virus. So many families, mourning the loss of a loved one.

Even those who have been spared the agony of bereavement are suffering enormous hardships. A whole year of isolation, fear, grief.

After so much hurt, we need hope. And that is what our wonderful NHS staff and volunteers are injecting into our lives as they work tirelessly delivering vaccines.

The UK's economic recovery starts with small business.

Small businesses lay at the heart of every local community, and every local economy, they create the jobs people need. In Government, Liberal Democrats championed small businesses and helped them create two million new jobs.

Now, during this pandemic, it's been the Liberal Democrats pushing for more action to support small businesses and the self-employed, every step of the way. We know how tough the past year has been, for almost every small business.

The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but this Conservative Government has turned its back on refugees - hitting vulnerable children the hardest.

Today Liberal Democrats members have passed a motion calling for the resettlement of refugee children and families in the UK.

Good afternoon Conference.

Our country is hurting right now.

125,000 have been taken by this cruel virus.

125,000 mums and dads. Brothers and sisters. Sons and daughters.

125,000 empty chairs at kitchen tables.

So many families, mourning the loss of a loved one.

Even those who have been spared the agony of bereavement… even they are suffering enormous hardships.

Liberal Democrats are urging the government to fix its response to Covid-19.

The Liberal Democrats have watched in horror and disbelief as the government made mistake after mistake tackling the Covid-19 crisis.

We mourn the suffering and loss of life caused by the Conservatives' ineptitude. We demand the Government reassess its approach and address the long term ramifications of the pandemic.

For too long those with disabilities have struggled to obtain secure employment - a struggle intensified by Covid-19. Even though the huge increase of working from home could have made finding and keeping a job easier, disabled workers have instead been disproportionately impacted by furlough, reduced hours and redundancies.¹

Young people's lives have been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have taken a toll on young people's education, mental health and future prospects - hitting those with fewer resources especially hard.

The Liberal Democrats believe significant policy changes are needed now to safeguard young people's futures. We want to make up for the opportunities missed in lockdown, giving young people the chance to flourish.

Students at schools and universities across the country have experienced massive disruption to their education throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

So many young people have not had access to an adequate computer or internet connection at home, and for those who depend on accessible educational materials, such as large print, audio and Braille - these resources have been severely lacking.

At our Liberal Democrat Spring Conference today, I outlined my vision for building a Fairer, Greener and More Caring country by putting recovery first. Take a look at my commitments here:

An Inquiry into Covid-19

In my speech, I called on Boris Johnson to set up the independent inquiry he promised me in the House of Commons last June. No more excuses. No more delays. The British people deserve answers.

4.5 million fewer children with adequate education, 5.6 million fewer children a year immunised, 100,000 more preventable deaths. This cannot be the legacy of the UK's development policy.

The Conservative Government has reneged on its manifesto pledge and cut spending on international aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI). That may sound like a small change, but the difference is billions of pounds in funding withheld from the countries that need it most, and thousands of lives are already being impacted