Category: Parliamentary news

Responding to Priti Patel's claim that UK staff shortages can be dealt with by training 8.45 million people who are economically inactive, Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat Home Affair spokesperson said: “This claim is yet more evidence that the Tory Government does not care a jot about people's lives.  “Rather than allowing people to travel to the UK and contribute to our economy by working, Priti Patel would rather drag people out of education, out of retirement and out of hospital beds and set them to work.   “What’s more, they are unfairly deeming whole sectors ‘low skilled’ when they are nothing of the sort. Shortages of overseas workers will affect the most vital sectors of our economy and society, not least our health service and social care sector. We can’t just pull…

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has warned the Prime Minister that “serious questions remain” over the recruitment of Andrew Sabisky by Dominic Cummings and called for the Prime Minister to “condemn the offensive comments” and “curb Dominic Cummings’ power to appoint and sack at will”. The warning comes amidst Downing Street’s continued refusal to say whether Boris Johnson agrees with Andrew Sabisky who suggested black people were mentally inferior and advocated compulsory contraception to prevent a “permanent underclass”. Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The Prime Minister should never have allowed Dominic Cummings to recruit someone with such extreme and offensive views. Serious questions remain as to why due diligence was not followed in the recruitment of someone clearly so unfit to be in…

NHS statistics released today have revealed over 40% of NHS staff have felt unwell due to workplace stress, with the numbers continuing to rise over the last 5 years.  Responding to the statistics, the Liberal Democrats have called for the Conservative government to “end the maltreatment of NHS staff and prioritise funding for doctors and nurses in the upcoming budget”. Following this, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “Our dedicated NHS staff work day in and day out to look after our loved ones. However, with services being cut to the bone and over 100,000 vacancies across the NHS, workplace stress is skyrocketing. “The comprehensive NHS staff survey has shown that there has been no marked improvement in NHS staff feeling unwell as a result of work related stress in five…

Responding to an ONS report for February 2020 which estimates that a record 974,000 people are in employment on “zero-hour contracts” in their main job, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said: “With more people than ever before depending on low-paid, irregular work to make ends meet, the Conservatives have no right to celebrate today’s employment figures. “Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in jobs that are badly paid, don’t offer career advancement, and take a toll on people’s wellbeing. Yet Boris Johnson keeps hiding behind high employment figures, refusing to address the problem and its impact on overall wage growth. “The UK doesn’t simply need more jobs, it needs better jobs. The Liberal Democrats will keep holding this Conservative Government to account and fight for a better future for all employees.”

Responding to the Government's proposed changes to migration rules, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Too many businesses are already struggling to hire the workers they need. Now the Tories want to stop them recruiting all but the highest paid employees from abroad. “The Conservative Government's immigration proposals are based on xenophobia, not the social and economic needs of our country. Ten months is nowhere near enough time for either employers or the Home Office to get ready for these new rules, creating chaos and confusion. “Liberal Democrats will oppose these destructive policies and continue our fight for a fair, effective immigration system that works for our economy and treats everyone with dignity and respect.”

Speaking ahead of the Prime Minister's Europe adviser David Frost's speech in Brussels tonight in which he set out Boris Johnson's plans for a trade deal with the EU, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:  “Boris Johnson should listen to the views of British businesses who want to maintain the closest possible alignment with the European Union. The UK is not South Korea or Canada and people do not want lower standards.  “It appears the Conservatives are pursuing a scorched earth policy when it comes to continued UK participation in EU programmes, which will have serious implications for our ability to tackle climate change, maintain security cooperation and provide opportunities for our young people. “The Liberal Democrats will continue to make the pro-European case, hold Johnson accountable for Brexit…

Following the widespread flooding across parts of the UK as a result of Storm Dennis, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey called on the Prime Minister to convene a COBRA meeting in order to better coordinate the country's response. With more warnings in place for later this week, Ed Davey has lambasted the "shocking" response from Boris Johnson. Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “My thoughts are with all of those affected by the floods. I would like to thank our emergency services and the environment agency for their efforts to keep people safe. “However, Boris Johnson's response to these floods has been shocking. He seems determined to pretend they're not even happening. “Boris Johnson must take this crisis far more seriously and hold a COBRA meeting…

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has urged the Prime Minister to “put an end to the offence caused and sack Andrew Sabisky” and called for Dominic Cummings' power to appoint and sack at will be curbed.  The call follows Downing Street’s refusal to say whether Boris Johnson agrees with an adviser, recruited by Dominic Cummings, who suggested black people were mentally inferior and advocated compulsory contraception to prevent a "permanent underclass". Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “When you have a Prime Minister who has referred to people as ‘picaninnies’ with ‘watermelon smiles’, it is sadly no surprise that Boris Johnson has signed off on Dominic Cummings recruiting someone with such extreme and offensive views. “This Conservative Government is a national embarrassment. By giving Dominic…

Responding to Grant Shapp's comments that following Sajid Javid's resignation the date of the budget could be delayed, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “To delay the budget now shows just how chaotic the Tory government still is. What is worse is how Dominic Cummings is not only playing games with the Cabinet, but with people's livelihoods. “Our economy is tanking under Boris Johnson. Rather than trying to help all those struggling to get by, he and Cummings have instead forced out the Chancellor of the Exchequer just before the budget, throwing the Treasury into chaos. “Any delay in the budget will send out alarm bells that a major change of economic policy is now being planned without any democratic legitimacy from the Tory manifesto just weeks ago."

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey and Liberal Democrat DCMS Spokesperson Daisy Cooper have written to the Prime Minister calling for him to reverse plans to scrap the BBC licence fee. In the letter sent to Number 10 Ed Davey and Daisy Cooper outline how the Conservative government's plans will "cost the BBC hundreds of millions of pounds" and "at least double the cost of viewing the BBC". Following the letter Ed Davey said: “The Liberal Democrats will fight tooth and nail for the BBC. Everyone has witnessed this Prime Minister try to wriggle out of press scrutiny and then attack parts of the media from the BBC to Channel 4, to newspapers he doesn’t like.  “The British Press is by no means without criticism, but at its…