01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Ukrainian refugees deserve far better than spin and confusion from Government

Ukrainian refugees deserve far better than spin and confusion from Government

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Government's announcement on additional Ukrainian refugees being offered refuge in the UK, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “People across the UK are urging the Government to stand with Ukrainians and offer them sanctuary. Yet all Priti Patel has done is repeated the Prime Minister’s vague and very limited announcement yesterday. “Ukrainians are fleeing for their lives. They deserve far better than just more spin and confusion from our Government. “The Home Secretary should come back to Parliament urgently to announce a full refugee scheme to resettle Ukrainians in the UK. She should also withdraw her Anti-Refugee Bill that would criminalise Ukrainians and other refugees who come here seeking asylum. “Our country has a proud history of offering sanctuary to people in need. The…
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Misogyny vote: Conservatives turning a blind eye to anti-women hatred

Misogyny vote: Conservatives turning a blind eye to anti-women hatred

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence, Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have criticised the Government for rejecting a law that would make misogyny a hate crime. Today, Conservative MPs voted against the law, which had been passed by the House of Lords last month. The vote comes days after a man pleaded guilty to the murder of Sabina Nessa and just days before the anniversary of the murder of Sarah Everard. Cross-party peers had added a clause to the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to make crimes motivated by hatred of women aggravated offences, so they are treated as seriously as crimes motivated by racial or religious hatred. Liberal Democrat MPs voted to keep the amendment, which now returns to the House of Lords. Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Justice and Women & Equalities,…
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government plans for “second-class refugees” defeated

Government plans for “second-class refugees” defeated

Parliamentary news
https://twitter.com/brianpaddick/status/1498602606087884802 The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the defeat of a clause in the Government’s controversial Nationality and Borders Bill that would have created two classes of refugees. The party’s Home Affairs Spokesperson in the Lords, Brian Paddick, co-sponsored an amendment to remove Clause 11 from the Bill. The clause would have put refugees into “Group 2” if they come to the UK through other countries, giving them only a temporary right to stay in the UK and restricting their ability to sponsor close family members to join them. The amendment, which had cross-party support, was voted through tonight in the House of Lords by 204 votes to 126. Speaking after the vote, Lord Paddick said: “Priti Patel’s Anti-Refugee Bill would criminalise people simply for seeking asylum in the UK. That…
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
We’ll keep fighting to stop Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

We’ll keep fighting to stop Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

Parliamentary news
Responding to the votes on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill today, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The Conservatives have struck another blow against our fundamental democratic rights, but the fight isn’t over. “Priti Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws are dangerous and draconian. They are part of the Conservative Government’s attempts to silence any opposition to its policies. “Liberal Democrats will keep fighting to stop these anti-democratic laws when the Bill returns to the House of Lords.” Human rights campaigners at Liberty called the protest laws in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill "Heavy-handed crackdowns on protest [which] grind democracy to a halt and violate our fundamental human rights." Read their full analysis here.
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Ukraine: Government still failing to offer fast and simple refugee scheme

Ukraine: Government still failing to offer fast and simple refugee scheme

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Home Secretary’s announcement of an expanded family visa scheme and humanitarian sponsorship pathway for people fleeing Ukraine, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It is shameful that we are having to drag the Government inch by inch towards making a real commitment to the Ukrainians now fleeing Putin’s war machine. https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1498697473216421893?t=6acW4VZPKIo1j8Jmd0Gf9Q&s=08 “Even as the Russian missiles rain down and a huge convoy advances on Kyiv, the Home Secretary is still refusing to open a fast and simple refugee scheme for Ukrainian refugees. Worse, she is pressing ahead with her Anti-Refugee Bill that would criminalise any Ukrainians who come here to seek asylum. “The Government should withdraw that Bill, and immediately establish a fast, safe route for Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK. “Our…
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Freeports: Government leaves door ‘wide open’ for Putin’s cronies

Freeports: Government leaves door ‘wide open’ for Putin’s cronies

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Conservatives voting down a Liberal Democrat amendment to the National Insurance Bill that would've created a public register of beneficial ownership for businesses in UK freeports, Liberal Democrat Trade Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “Tonight the Conservatives have chosen to leave the back door wide open for Putin’s cronies to keep stashing their ill-gotten wealth on UK soil. “It’s hugely disappointing to see the Government have the chance to end the era of Russian interference in the UK for good, but fail to act. There is now a real risk that Kremlin-linked oligarchs and other economic criminals will be able to hide their cash in our new freeports with next to no scrutiny. “We cannot allow freeports to become hubs for money-laundering and illicit trade. The Government…
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28Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Use ‘oligarch tax’ to insulate the UK from Putin’s gas price spike

Davey: Use ‘oligarch tax’ to insulate the UK from Putin’s gas price spike

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called for an ‘oligarch tax’ to offset increased gas prices at a time when households are already facing a cost of living crisis. The Liberal Democrats said this would ensure that Putin’s cronies and Russian energy companies foot the bill for any gas price spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The oligarch tax would comprise of two elements: Freezing and beginning the process of seizing the assets of Putin’s cronies who have money and property in the UK, using Unexplained Wealth Orders.A windfall tax on oil and gas superprofits, including those of Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, whose trading arm is based in London. Gazprom recently announced a £179m dividend. This can then be used to reduce UK dependency on Russian gas. The government…
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28Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems to vote against Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

Lib Dems to vote against Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MPs will today [Monday 28th February] vote against the Government’s attempts to reintroduce draconian laws cracking down on the right to protest. Two key laws were removed from the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill through Liberal Democrat amendments in the House of Lords last month. They would create new powers to impose restrictions on public assemblies and one-person protests. Liberal Democrats also supported cross-party amendments to remove the power to ban protests that are “too noisy”. The Government has tabled motions to overturn those Lords amendments, which the House of Commons will debate today. Ahead of the votes, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Priti Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws are dangerous and draconian. The fundamental right to peaceful assembly and protest has always…
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28Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Russian oil tanker in Orkney: Boris Johnson must intervene

Russian oil tanker in Orkney: Boris Johnson must intervene

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson and MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael has written to Boris Johnson urging him to sanction and deny Russian-owned vessels access to UK ports following Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine. In his letter, Mr Carmichael highlighted his previous exchange with Mr Johnson in Parliament in which the Prime Minister indicated that new measures meant the government could sanction Russian-owned companies like Sovcomflot, one of the largest petroleum shipping companies in the world. One Sovcomflot vessel (NS Challenger) has already departed from Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland with a second, the NS Champion, due to arrive at Flotta terminal in Orkney on Tuesday. Currently such vessels operate freely and cannot legally be denied access to ports by local authorities. Mr Carmichael also highlighted that during…
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28Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
BP pull out: Other companies must follow suit

BP pull out: Other companies must follow suit

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision of BP to offload their almost 20% stake in Russian state-owned oil firm Rosneft in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Reacting to the news Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, who called for this to happen in Parliament on Thursday, said: “I welcome BP’s decision to pull out of Rosneft because of Putin’s horrifying war in Ukraine. We now need all other British companies to follow suit, with immediate effect, and the Government to step up with stronger sanctions. “The world must isolate Russia like the rogue state it is, and the UK must stand firm in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The only way sanctions work is if every organisations and all governments are willing to shoulder responsibility and take…
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