08May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Govt must publish evidence used for PM’s announcement on Sunday

Parliamentary news
Following Thursday’s press conference and having spoken earlier to the Prime Minister in his call with Opposition Party Leaders, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “As Sunday approaches, many will be anxious about what the Prime Minister will announce. “With the number of cases remaining alarmingly high in care homes and the fact that the Government still doesn’t have a comprehensive plan to test, trace and isolate to keep people safe, there will be serious questions about the consequences of any significant relaxation of lockdown measures. “For the public to have confidence in the Government's plan for relaxing lockdown, they must be open and transparent. The evidence used to make these decisions must be published and available to all for proper scrutiny. “The announcement on Sunday must include a strategy to hugely increase…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

200k testing target must not be a PR stunt

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's promise to reach 200,000 tests for coronavirus a day by the end of May, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “The Health Secretary's target of 100,000 tests per day for coronavirus was always going to be a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, Hancock missed it. “Even on their dubious accounting, the Government has not made the target on a single day since 30 April. The Prime Minister’s new commitment to 200,000 tests by the end of May must be accompanied by a proper strategy and must not be a headline chasing PR stunt. “Rather than setting another arbitrary target, we need a clear plan that sets out how widespread community testing will be scaled up and easily accessible to all who need it. A…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat victory as tips are slowly reopening

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat and Opposition Leader Oldham Council recently wrote to Council bosses to reopen local waste sites in Oldham Borough.  This is now being done in a safe and sensible manner in line with social distancing.  Council leaders have now started to reopen these sites but following strict safety guidelines.  There had recently been a spate of fly tipping locally.  New measures being introduced will hopefully solve some of the issues surrounding waste during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I’m very glad we have started to drift back towards normality.  I think this will solve some public health issues associated with the lockdown. Less fly-tipping and piles of waste on our streets means a healthier Oldham Borough,”  said Councillor Sykes. These calls to reopen waste sites came after…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

“Stay safe and stay strong” on 75th anniversary of VE Day

Borough news
Marking the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Oldham Council, paid tribute to VE Day and frontline staff in the NHS and other key workers.  The 8th May marks the end of World War Two in Europe as Victory in Europe Day (VE Day).  It is an important day for many people across the UK, Europe and Commonwealth Nations.  People use this time to contemplate and pay respect to the personal sacrifice of others. There will be an address from the Queen on the BBC.  Other plans include a public doorstep singing of Dame Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again. Councillor Sykes says: “This VE Day is especially important.  Many will feel frustrated they cannot see loved ones and pay their respects as usually…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

UK death toll shows Government must answer to public inquiry

Parliamentary news
Responding to the figures published by the ONS showing the number of deaths linked to coronavirus has risen over 30,000, the highest official toll yet reported in Europe, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Every single one of these deaths is a tragedy, leaving tens of thousands of loved ones grieving.  "With the death toll in the UK now the highest in Europe, the Prime Minister and his government need to be straight with people about why they were so slow to lockdown, slow to ramp up testing, and slow to support care homes. "As the Government begins to look at relaxing the lockdown measures, they must be transparent with the public. The figures announced today will leave many understandably worried about some of the measures that have been or will be taken, and…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call for urgent child benefit uplift to cover gaps in “deeply flawed” free school meal voucher scheme

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling for the “deeply flawed” voucher scheme for administering free school meals during the lockdown to be bolstered by cash to families, in the form of an uplift in child benefit of £150 per week per child, and £100 for every subsequent child in the family. Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran has warned the flaws meant that “many vulnerable children are still falling through the cracks and going hungry.” According to the Liberal Demcorats, many parents in rural areas currently have no shop near them that is part of the scheme, and that the complex process for the vouchers disadvantaged families with low incomes and poor internet connectivity. The call comes after MPs on the Education Committee criticised the scheme heavily yesterday. Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran…
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must extend transition to avoid risk of further economic shock

Parliamentary news
Responding to TánaisteSimon Coveney's remarks that progress in negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal "has not been good", Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Unless the Government does the right thing and extends the transition period we risk crashing out without a trade deal, inflicting a double whammy just as we try to recover from the current crisis. “The NHS, food supply chains and the economy are all already under huge amounts of pressure. People are rightly worried about their jobs and their loved ones. We need to put Brexit issues to one side for now in order to focus on protecting the most vulnerable.”
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06May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must test, trace and isolate to keep people safe

Parliamentary news
Responding to the press conference from Number 10, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “It is extremely sad that the UK now has the most deaths from Coronavirus in Europe. Each death is a tragedy, and heartbreaking for the family and friends who are grieving. “It is also deeply concerning that the numbers of deaths in care homes continue to grow, and still weeks into the crisis many care home workers still do not have the PPE they need. “More broadly on the Government response to the Coronavirus there will undoubtedly be questions about why the Government abandoned testing and tracing in March, and how Ministers will scale up to the level we need in the coming weeks.  “The Government must ensure as a priority that we do not leave…
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01May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Public will not be fooled by Government manipulating testing figures

Parliamentary news
Responding to claims from the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, that the Government has gone well past its goal of 100,000 tests a day to combat coronavirus, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey:  “The Health Secretary's arbitrary target of 100,000 tests by the end of April was always a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, he missed it. It’s extremely disappointing the Government have decided to massage the metrics rather than admit they fell short, as this will only undermine public confidence. “Everyone wants the country to succeed in beating this awful disease but the British public won’t be so easily fooled by manipulation. It's deeply regrettable but we're still miles off the large-scale testing programme that will be an essential part of any plan to ease out of…
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01May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

COVID-19 impact on deprived areas shows Government must act on shameful inequalities

Parliamentary news
Responding to news that new data from the ONS shows "people living in more deprived areas have experienced COVID-19 mortality rates more than double those living in less deprived areas", Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This awful virus has wrought havoc on lives across the UK, but it's clear that those worst affected are people already living in some of the most deprived areas of the country. Those who were already vulnerable are being hit hardest. This is no coincidence. This postcode lottery of morbidity is shameful and must not be tolerated. “Many of those key workers most at risk - people on the frontlines, keeping supermarkets stocked, delivering our essentials and ensuring hospitals can stay up and running through this crisis - are also in…
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