01Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Cavity appearing in NHS dental workforce

Cavity appearing in NHS dental workforce

Parliamentary news
Responding to the reports that 1 in 4 new patients not currently on the books with an NHS dentist have tried and failed to secure an appointment due to recruitment problems, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Judith Jolly said: “This statistic is appalling and should be to Matt Hancock and those in the Conservative Government. As we see more and more dentists leave the NHS, it is clear that it is part of the wider NHS struggles to hire and retain staff. “One of the key problems with the NHS ten year plan was that it was completely undermined by a lack of serious workforce planning. The failure of the Tories to tackle the problems in recruitment and retention, in dentistry and across health professionals, is frankly unacceptable. Especially, considering over 26,000…
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01Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Tories failing to act on modern slavery in car washes

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent action to tackle modern slavery in hand car washes after Conservative Ministers rejected a licensing scheme in their response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Commission. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: “Yet again the Tories are failing to take the necessary action to tackle modern slavery, even though Theresa May once called it ‘the great human rights issue of our time’. “Both a committee of MPs and the Government’s own Director of Labour Market Enforcement have called for a trial licensing scheme to prevent car washes exploiting vulnerable people. Conservative Ministers, however, have decided to ignore them. Instead they are leaving it up to the public to choose ‘responsible’ businesses on the basis of a kitemark. “The victims of human trafficking…
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31Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey: Shocking new figures expose prison crisis

Campaigns, Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent action to tackle overcrowding and recruit more prison officers following new figures showing a dramatic increase in deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison. The statistics, published today by the Ministry of Justice, show that in 2018 there were 325 deaths in prison, up 10% since 2017. They figures also reveal self-harm incidents and assaults have reached new record highs. In the 12 months to September 2018, there were: 52,814 incidents of self-harm, up 23% year-on-year;33,803 assaults, up 20% year-on-year & the highest on record;This includes 10,085 assaults on staff, up 29% year-on-year. Liberal Democrats Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:“These shocking statistics are yet more evidence that our prisons are in crisis. They are stuffed full of people on short sentences, leaving overstretched staff simply unable to cope and unable to provide…
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31Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Govt must follow evidence not chase headlines in fight against knife crime

Campaigns, Parliamentary news
Responding to the Home Secretary's plan to give new powers to the police to tackle knife crime, Liberal Demcorat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:  “The UK is in the grip of a knife crime epidemic, so all ideas should be considered, especially ways to stop the glorification and incitement of this violence on social media.  “But Ministers must remember that ASBOs have a very mixed record - they were often seen as a “badge of honour’ by young offenders and required significant police resources which no longer exist thanks to the Conservatives’ police cuts. “Worse still, this plan ignores the evidence and the policy of the current Justice Secretary, that short term prison sentences won’t deter young people from carrying knives and instead increase the risk of re-offending. “Ministers must…
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31Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Moran: Rough sleeping shames our whole country

Moran: Rough sleeping shames our whole country

Campaigns, Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have today called for cross-party support for Layla Moran's Bill to scrap the Vagrancy Act following the publication of official figures which reveal there were 4,677 rough sleepers across England in Autumn 2018.Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:“The fact that thousands of people sleep rough every night shames our whole country. These figures don’t even capture the many more ‘hidden homeless’ in insecure and unsuitable accommodation. “Even worse, hundreds of homeless people die each year, as the tragic death of Kane Walker in Birmingham on Sunday reminded us. The Tories are failing our most vulnerable people."The Liberal Democrats demand better. We want the Government to be building up to 100,000 social homes a year, provide accommodation and support to those in need, and finally back my Bill to scrap…
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30Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats find more cash for highways and environment

Borough news
– Money would also build a new health centre for Shaw and Crompton by cutting civic centre waste In their budget proposals for the coming financial year (2019/20), the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council have found more than £2 million more to invest in front-line services over the next three years largely by identifying more ways to save money at the Civic Centre.  This money would be used to pay for a further £5 million investment in the Borough’s highways, including a £1 million fund dedicated to restoring pedestrian footways; create a new Environmental Task Force to respond quickly and effectively to instances of fly-tipping, dog-fouling and littering; and pay to build a new health centre for patients in Shaw and Crompton.  The Liberal Democrats also want to reverse…
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28Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems: Culture in our schools system is toxic

Lib Dems: Culture in our schools system is toxic

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Department for Education’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy that was published this morning, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran said: “Although any changes that improve the learning environment for children and working conditions for teachers are to be welcomed, we won’t see any fundamental changes in schools under this government. “For years teachers have faced real terms cuts, feeling undervalued and overworked whilst battling funding cuts and swelling class sizes. The problems that we see in our education system won’t go away until the government reverse these cuts and invest properly in the education of our future generations. “The culture that exists, of endless testing, Ofsted and league tables needs to be abolished – it’s toxic and we must instead focus on pupil and teacher well-being.”
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24Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tory failures result in increase in violent crimes

Tory failures result in increase in violent crimes

Parliamentary news
Responding to the latest official figures which have revealed a 19% rise in violent crime recorded by police in England and Wales, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:  “We are facing an epidemic of violent crime. Behind these shocking figures lies hundreds of tragedies of young lives cut short. All Conservative Ministers have done is make things worse.  “From severe reductions in the police budget to the weakening of security at our borders, the Prime Minister bears personal responsibility for decisions that have left people and communities in danger. “Conservative Ministers ought to be getting a grip, yet they have farmed out responsibility to Police and Crime Commissioners and asked them to sort it out. “The Liberal Democrats demand better for our communities. We demand more police, more youth services and people…
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24Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PAC report highlights fragmentation of schools system

PAC report highlights fragmentation of schools system

Parliamentary news
Commenting on the report by the Public Accounts Committee, Academy Accounts and Performance, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran, who sits on the committee, said: “This report shows the risks which come from the increasing fragmentation of the schools system, and erosion of scrutiny and oversight, which has resulted from the Conservative's ideological drive to create more and more academy schools.  “Parents will no doubt be concerned that a lack of accountability will be jeopardising the quality of education their children receive.  “I'm in no doubt we need far greater oversight and scrutiny of academies and am pleased that this report recommends a number of steps towards this. “The Liberal Democrats believe multi-academy trusts should be subject to the same inspections as local authorities, and that we need to return more power to local councils to oversee schools in their local areas.”
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13Jan 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats vow to continue to fight to save Oldham’s Greenbelt from massive land grab for housing and industrial use

Borough news, Campaigns
The Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council is gearing up for the next round in its fight to save Oldham’s Greenbelt and green spaces. Labour’s Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and the 10 Council Leaders are due to agree the latest proposals for the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) which identifies where future houses will be built and industry based. Last year, public opposition, backed by support from Liberal Democrat Councillors across Greater Manchester, forced the Mayor to withdraw the original proposals to build homes on greenbelt across the county, including many thousands in Shaw, Crompton, Saddleworth, Chadderton and Royton. The so called new proposals are now in the public domain and according to Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham…
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