02May 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Average family facing £5,500 tax hike over next decade under Conservatives

Average family facing £5,500 tax hike over next decade under Conservatives

Parliamentary news
The average family is facing a £5,550 tax hike over the next decade as a result of Conservative tax rises, new research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. The Liberal Democrats are calling on Boris Johnson to scrap the tax hikes and bring in an emergency tax cut in the Queen’s Speech, to help families struggling with the cost of living crisis. The research by the House of Commons Library finds that even after Rishi Sunak’s promised cut to income tax in 2024, families will still be left poorer by around £600 a year. The analysis is based on a typical household with two earners on a median salary of £33,790. It looks at the total impact of the tax changes announced by the Conservatives since 2021, including the…
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27Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Ban water company bosses’ bonuses until sewage discharges end say local Liberal Democrats

Ban water company bosses’ bonuses until sewage discharges end say local Liberal Democrats

Borough news, environment, health and social care, Parliamentary news
Water company bosses were awarded £27 million in bonuses while pumping raw sewage into England’s waterways over 1,000 times a day. Oldham Liberal Democrats demand a “sewage bonus ban” to ban future bonuses until sewage dumps stop. England’s water company bosses have awarded themselves almost £27 million in bonuses over the past two years despite pumping out raw sewage into waterways 1,000 times a day, the Liberal Democrats have revealed. Analysis of Companies House records by the Liberal Democrats shows that executives at England’s water and sewage companies were paid £48 million in 2020 and 2021, including £27.6 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives. The eye-watering executive pay packets and company profits were made despite the Environment Agency reporting nearly 772,000 sewage dumping events taking place in 2020 and 2021…
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27Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Outgoing NFU Deputy President joins Lib Dems

Outgoing NFU Deputy President joins Lib Dems

Parliamentary news
Today the outgoing Deputy President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) has announced he has joined the Liberal Democrats. Stuart Roberts recently finished his high profile role at the NFU to become politically active. He will join Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey today visiting an agriculture college in Hampshire. Well-known vet and Liberal Democrat candidate for Winchester Danny Chambers will also join them. Stuart, who owns and manages a farm in Hertfordshire, has held numerous senior positions in the NFU and the food and farming industry. He was previously a Conservative Councillor in Hertfordshire but has joined a growing number of farmers who are no longer supporting the Conservative party. Today’s announcement follows last year’s political earthquake in North Shropshire where local farming communities voted Liberal Democrat for the first…
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27Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Anger as Shaw residents wait years for working speed signs despite the cash having been found

Borough news, road safety
Shaw councillor, Howard Sykes MBE hit out at council complacency today as he called the wait for replacement Vehicle Activated Speed (VAS) signs on Buckstones Road, Shaw “an absolute disgrace”. Councillor Sykes said, “Speeding on Buckstones Road is a huge concern for Shaw residents. These signs have been faulty many years. More than two years ago cash found to replace them and yet the council are still not getting the basic jobs done, like this. Meanwhile, drivers, horse riders, walkers, church goers and children in Shaw are left with an unnecessarily dangerous road. Lives are at risk or injury every week these sign are delayed.” When in operation, VAS signs have proven to be a cost-effective way to tackle speeding in areas where speed cameras have been refused like Buckstones…
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27Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Figures reveal Conservatives breaking police pledge as recruitment stalls

Figures reveal Conservatives breaking police pledge as recruitment stalls

Borough news, Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservatives for being soft on crime, as new official figures show they are failing on their manifesto pledge to recruit 20,000 more police officers. A total of 4,814 extra officers were recruited in the second year of the uplift, well short of the Government’s 6,000 target. It means the recruitment rate would have to increase by a third, to 6,424 extra officers in the final year of the policy to meet the target of 20,000 by March 2023. Senior police chiefs are starting to warn that the target won’t be met. Acting Met Commissioner Stephen House told MPs last week that “We are experiencing issues in the Met and I think other large forces are starting to experience recruiting challenges.” Responding to the figures,…
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27Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Ed Davey demands rural cost of living rescue package including heating oil price cap

Ed Davey demands rural cost of living rescue package including heating oil price cap

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Lib Dems call for rescue package for struggling families in rural areasConservatives accused of leaving rural communities “out in the cold” after refusing to cap price of heating oilTop 25 areas most reliant on heating oil revealed The Liberal Democrats have demanded a rural cost of living rescue package, including a cap on heating oil prices to help struggling families off the gas grid. The party warned that the Conservatives are leaving rural communities “out in the cold” by refusing to help with soaring bills. Rural communities are bearing the brunt of the cost of living crisis with soaring heating bills, petrol prices and food costs all hitting struggling families. The rural cost of living rescue package would include a cap on heating oil costs to support the estimated 1.5…
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25Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Changes to bus services for Oldham, Shaw, and Crompton from Sunday 24 April

Changes to bus services for Oldham, Shaw, and Crompton from Sunday 24 April

Borough news
Significant changes to bus services across Oldham are due to come into effect from Sunday 24 April. The alterations are claimed to improve connectivity with a focus on improving access to the Metrolink whilst adding more evening and Sunday bus services. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “It’s important that residents have access to public transport. With the cost-of-living crisis affecting people right across our community, more of us are turning to public transport as a way of keeping costs down. I give a cautious welcome to the introduction of new services covering Shaw and Crompton and I’m pleased that residents will benefit from extended service hours and weekend services.” “The loss of the 408 will impact on some people but there are at least…
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25Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conservative MPs soft on the law-breaker in Number Ten

Conservative MPs soft on the law-breaker in Number Ten

Parliamentary news
After confirmation that there will be an inquiry into whether the Prime Minister misled Parliament over lockdown parties, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: “Boris Johnson’s lies and law-breaking are groundbreaking. He’s not only the first Prime Minister to have been given a criminal penalty by the police while in office, but also the first to be referred for a parliamentary inquiry for lying. “By keeping the Prime Minister in his job, Conservative MPs have made themselves complicit in his law-breaking and his lies. There is no need to let this drag on for more weeks – they should sack Johnson now. “Conservative MPs love to claim others are soft on crime, but the truth is they’re being soft on the law-breaker right in front of them in…
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25Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
GP crisis worsens as one in four people left waiting over a week for appointment

GP crisis worsens as one in four people left waiting over a week for appointment

Parliamentary news
Latest figures show 6.2 million people, or one in four, waited over eight days to get a GP appointment in FebruaryPostcode lottery reveals one in three people in some areas waiting one week or more to see their doctorNumber of same day appointments falls by over half a million compared to previous monthAhead of the Local Elections the Lib Dems have slammed the broken Conservative promise to hire more GPs and demanded an urgent recruitment plan A staggering 6.2 million people waited over eight days for a GP appointment in February, Liberal Democrat research has revealed. This is up 9% from the previous month, when 5.7 million waited for eight days or more to see their GP. The analysis of the latest NHS figures shows that one in four (24.4%)…
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25Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Shocking figures reveal one police station closed every two weeks since 2015

Shocking figures reveal one police station closed every two weeks since 2015

Parliamentary news
217 police stations and counters across England have closed since 2015, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. It's the equivalent of over one police station closing every two weeks in the past seven years under the Conservatives. The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats through FOI requests to every police force in England and Wales, with responses London and the South East, in particular, have seen a staggering fall in the number of police stations. Thames Valley Police, responsible for policing in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, has closed the most locations, with 23 stations and 44 counters closed since 2015. This includes 41 closures in 2016 alone. The Metropolitan Police is second in the country on stations closed, with 36 since 2015 – 31 of…
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