17Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Soaring inflation: Cut VAT to help families and keep prices down

Soaring inflation: Cut VAT to help families and keep prices down

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to cut VAT, to help families with the cost of living while keeping soaring inflation in check. It comes as the Chancellor Rishi Sunak rejected calls to cut taxes now as he claimed it could risk fuelling inflation. When the last emergency VAT cut was introduced in December 2008, inflation fell from 4.1% to 3.1%. The ONS also found that the cut to VAT in the hospitality sector in 2020 led to a fall in consumer inflation. The Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) has forecast that Rishi Sunak is due to rake in an extra £8.6 billion in extra VAT due to inflation over the next year, or £430 per family. Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Rishi Sunak’s excuses for…
Read More
17Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Foster carers left months without reply as Oldham Council slammed for inaction

Foster carers left months without reply as Oldham Council slammed for inaction

Borough news, health and social care
Oldham’s foster carers have been left waiting months for a response after raising concerns about the cost-of-living with senior council figures. Shaw representative and Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE called the situation “shameful” as he and his colleagues called for answers on behalf of local foster carers. Oldham Council has so far been unable to provide answers to foster carers in the Borough who have raised concerns about making ends meet during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. (See attached letter which is one of many councillors have received at the end of March/early April). Councillor Sykes said: “This is an incredibly stressful time for foster carers who are rightly raising concerns about Oldham Council’s policy towards supporting them financially. Other local councils offer foster carers reimbursement through council…
Read More
16Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Parliament must have a say on new ethics adviser

Davey: Parliament must have a say on new ethics adviser

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for Parliament to have a say in the selection of Lord Geidt’s replacement as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The party has said it is right and proper that Parliament plays a role in the vetting of Boris Johnson’s new ethics adviser after his last appointment was a prominent ally. Geidt handed in his resignation yesterday evening amid a row over whether Johnson broke the Ministerial Code through lying about his lawbreaking in Number Ten during lockdown. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: “History has shown that Boris Johnson plainly can’t be trusted to choose the person who marks his homework. “Even Lord Geidt could no longer stomach Johnson’s lies and lawbreaking. “Parliament must be able to vet this next appointment so that…
Read More
15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Save Our Rivers: Liberal Democrats call for Sewage Tax on river polluters

Save Our Rivers: Liberal Democrats call for Sewage Tax on river polluters

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have called on government ministers to tax water companies responsible for over 750,000 sewage dumps over the last two years. Last year the Environment Agency found that every river in England suffered from pollution. All local rivers including the Beal, Irk, Medlock and Tame rivers failed the most recent chemical pollution tests carried out by the agency. Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader and Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “It’s despicable that the Conservative government has allowed these harmful sewage dumps to happen in the first place. The very least a responsible government would do is to make these polluting companies pay for the clean-up. This pollution has a lasting effect on eco-systems for aquatic, bird and insect life not to mention the effect…
Read More
15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Bees under threat: Liberal Democrats call for pesticide ban

Bees under threat: Liberal Democrats call for pesticide ban

Borough news, environment
Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes MBE is campaigning against the use of pesticides that are harmful to bees. Pesticides containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam are known to be extremely damaging to bees and other insect life. Last year, the government overturned a ban on pesticides containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam. Use of thiamethoxam had previously been banned within the European Union but Britain’s departure from the EU paved the way for the ban to be lifted. Councillor Sykes said, “British Bees are already in danger and that makes the government’s decision to overturn this ban so disappointing. Bees are essential to the local environment as pollinators and conservationists are clear that the use of this pesticide will threaten not only bees, but also wildflowers and the human population itself as…
Read More
15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Scrapping the Plug-in Car Grant is the wrong move at the wrong time from out of touch Government

Scrapping the Plug-in Car Grant is the wrong move at the wrong time from out of touch Government

Parliamentary news
Following the Government's announcement that the Plug-in Car Grant will no longer be available for new electric cars, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: "It beggars belief that this out of touch Government is scrapping these grants for new cars while petrol and diesel prices are soaring and electric cars remain unaffordable for so many. “Britain is gripped by a cost of living emergency where families are struggling to fill up at the pumps. We should be slashing VAT on electric vehicles, not cutting the Plug-In Car Grant. “This is the wrong move at the wrong time. The Conservatives are doing everything they can to put people off owning an electric vehicle and it frankly makes a mockery of their pledge to end new sales of petrol and…
Read More
15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Rail strikes: Shapps should resign if these strikes ago ahead

Rail strikes: Shapps should resign if these strikes ago ahead

Parliamentary news
Responding to Network Rail and train operators releasing their strike timetables for next week, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “Grant Shapps should resign if these strikes ago ahead. The first duty of the Transport Secretary is to keep our country moving, yet an entire summer of rail strikes means he will have failed. “Commuters and holiday goers will struggle to forgive the unions if these strikes go ahead, but Grant Shapps is just as much to blame for sitting on his hands. “We’ve already seen our airports become scenes of chaos and now rail passengers look set to suffer the same fate. It is a shocking track record for Grant Shapps. “He needs to take full and personal responsibility for preventing these strikes. Britain won’t accept a…
Read More
15Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Somewhere over the rainbow

Borough news, fairer council
Since July 2019 Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett has repeatedly asked when Oldham will have its own splash of rainbow in the town centre. While many other authorities up and down the country have painted their steps or zebra crossings in a show of support to the LGBT+ community Cllr Hamblett may have finally been told it could go ahead after nearly 4 years. Councillor Hamblett said: “As the Liberal Democrat Diversity and Inclusion spokesperson along with being one of the openly LGBT+ members on this council, I think it’s quite poor it’s taken them this long to give me and the community an answer. I am grateful that the council have finally come to offer Oldham pride funding and other support to ensure the weekend goes ahead. Cllr Hamblett added:…
Read More
14Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Grenfell anniversary: Public inquiry into Government handling of building safety scandal is needed

Grenfell anniversary: Public inquiry into Government handling of building safety scandal is needed

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for an independent public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the building safety scandal on the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Today [14 June] marks five years since 72 residents lost their lives in a fire that engulfed a block of flats in London. In spite of a Government promise that a similar tragedy would never happen again, almost 10,000 tower blocks in England are still considered ‘unsafe’ due to cladding and other dangerous fire safety defects. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove was unable to answer how many buildings still have flammable cladding on them when asked last week. The inquiry would have the power to summon witnesses and require them to give evidence under oath,…
Read More
13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Free School Meals: Government either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it

Free School Meals: Government either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP has condemned Minister Victoria Prentis' defence of the Government's decision not to extend Free School Meals. She said: "This is yet another example of the Government ignoring their own advisors and short-changing children, as they continue to lose out. The Government either doesn't care or doesn't get it. “It's common sense to expand free school meals to all children on Universal Credit - we are suffering a cost of living crisis where parents are worried about putting food on the table. “Our children’s health and education should be a top priority, but time and again under this government they are treated as a complete afterthought.”
Read More