24Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Continue Free Television Licences for Over 75s

Campaigns
Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council has appealed to the Government. This is in a letter to the Secretary of State of The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The intention is to provide enough funding to continue free television (TV) licences. This is for the over-75s beyond the current 1st August 2020 cut-off date. The call comes as Covid-19 prevents many elderly people who are shielding from going out as normal. For many who live alone, the television may be their sole companion. Not just a source of entertainment, the television allows people to stay informed on current Government advice in an ever-changing situation. Councillor Sykes comments: “Tragically, Covid-19 has taken far too many of our citizens, particularly our older…
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22Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Challenge is for Government, not teachers

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Prime Minister has announced he wants all pupils’ back to school every day and all day from September, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran said: “We all want to be able to have pupils back at school and learning in the best environment possible. However, we cannot safely do that without a national plan for reopening schools or without having a comprehensive test, trace, and isolate system fully up and running. “The Prime Minister should wake up and fully grasp the issue. The challenge is not for teachers, it’s for the Government to explain how and when this can be achieved. “Sadly, Boris Johnson is once again setting ambitious goals without having made a plan or reaching out to the people who actually have to…
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22Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

2m review must consider test, trace and isolate strategy

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Government will announce in the coming week whether the 2m social distancing rule in England will be relaxed, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “The economic and public health impact of the Coronavirus is deeply worrying and has left thousands of families facing financial hardship and uncertainty. We all want to get back to normal life as soon as possible. “However, any easing of the lockdown can only happen once the Government delivers a comprehensive strategy to test, trace and isolate to protect lives and prevent a new surge. “Thus far, the Government has been woefully slow to ramp up capacity and their tracing plans are in disarray. It is clear Ministers failed to prepare properly and have created confusion by badly communicating their…
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22Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Mark Windrush Day by giving the right to remain to all NHS workers, Lib Dems say

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are marking Windrush Day by renewing calls on the Government to give all NHS and social care workers who have worked in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic indefinite leave to remain. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine urged Ministers to make clear by backing these calls that “those who have put their lives at risk for our country are welcome to live in it.” The Royal College of Nursing are also calling for reform, citing statistics from the Nursery and Midwifery Council which shows more than 10% of the total registered nursing workforce in the UK come from overseas. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Thousands of the doctors, nurses and support staff who work in our NHS – the people on the…
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19Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Debt response must be green recovery plan

Parliamentary news
Responding to news that public debt has risen to over 100% this month, the first time since 1963, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This level of public debt hasn’t been seen in generations, but nor have we experienced such a devastating pandemic that has demanded such necessary spending.  “Many families will rightly worry what comes next. The Conservatives must not slash and burn our public services in response - that would harm our society and harm prospects of growing our economy out of this debt.  “The best response to this debt is a massive green recovery plan so we can provide the green jobs and the green growth to pay off the debt, get people into employment and tackle the climate emergency at the same time.”
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19Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Govt must do more to tackle disproprotionate BAME Covid-19 deaths

Parliamentary news
Responding to analysis from the ONS released today which confirms the risk of death involving COVID-19 among some ethnic groups is significantly higher than that of those of white ethnicity, Liberal Democrats Home Affairs and Equalities Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “We must do more to tackle the disproprotionate impact of Covid19 on BAME communities. “If the Government is serious about tackling systemic racial inequality then we need more than just a review. We need action. We need an effective Race Equality Strategy. “For a start, BAME communities are far more likely to be working on the frontline in the NHS and social care. Ministers should ensure there is adequate PPE and introduce an additional service payment for each day on the frontline.”
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19Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sir Simon McDonald’s premature departure raises serious questions

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports Sir Simon McDonald - permanent secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - is set to retire early after the Prime Minister indicated he wanted someone new after the merger with the Department for International Development, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Sir Simon McDonald’s premature departure from the FCO will raise many questions. “McDonald has been a constant voice of reason and his absence will be noticed at a time when the Government appear intent on undermining the UK’s position on the world stage. “The Government’s bully boy approach to the civil service is dangerous and counterproductive at such a precarious moment in our country’s history.”
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18Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must regulate big tech companies’ use of COVID-19 app data

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Government is now shifting to a COVID-19 tracing app based on technology provided by Apple and Google, Liberal Democrat Digital, Culture Media and Sport spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “Every minute counts in the fight to contain COVID-19, but the Government has spent months working on this now failed app - which many of us warned from the start would not keep people safe. "Ministers must accept that legal assurances are needed to rapidly re-build public trust and keep people safe. They must start by ensuring that restrictions are put in place to regulate how the big tech companies they are now working with can access, use and store people’s medical information and other personal data.  "Any app is, of course, only part of the broader test, trace and isolate system, yet…
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18Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call for Race Equality Strategy

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson Christine Jardine has called on the UK Government to introduce a Race Equality Strategy to tackle racial injustice.  Speaking in a debate on the effect of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, Christine Jardine said the crisis and the disproportionate effect that the pandemic is having on BAME communities had "shone a stark spotlight" on the issue and added "this must be our time for change." On 14th June, Boris Johnson announced a review into racial inequality in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. However, further details of the review are yet to be announced. Christine Jardine said this was not enough, stating "what we need now is action". Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat Equalities spokesperson said: “We have reports, reviews and recommendations weighing down the shelves of…
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18Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Govt must guarantee schools’ funding boost isn’t at expense of anything else

Parliamentary news
Responding to news that the Government has announced plans, including a tutoring scheme, to help pupils catch up on lost learning as a result of school closures during the COVID-19 crisis, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran said: “These initiatives need to form part of a wider national plan agreed with teachers, experts, unions and others. The plan must be flexible and work for school leaders’ circumstances on the ground. Top-down initiatives with funding tied to them won’t make a big enough difference if schools are unable to fully reopen safely. “Ministers must also guarantee that this is additional funding, and will not come at the expense of money for anything else. I very much hope the tutoring scheme will draw on the abilities and experience of existing supply teachers and recently retired teachers. They can deliver top…
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