Parliamentary news – Page 25 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

17Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

‘Back off our BBC!’ say Lib Dems

Responding to DCMS Secretary Nadine Dorries' comments regarding the future of the BBC, Liberal Democrat DCMS Spokesperson Jamie Stone MP said: “This latest Tory attack on the BBC threatens to destroy a service which is respected around the world for its high quality content. “Freezing the license fee represents a stealth cut of almost £2 billion that will put services, including local radio stations and children's programming, at risk. “What’s worse, there is no clarity about the future and threadbare funding will only further chip away at our cherished national broadcaster. “Our world leading creative industries support thousands of jobs, but Nadine Doris only cares about trying to silence unfavourable headlines. “The Government must stop this reckless ideological crusade and back off our BBC.”

14Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government fails to recruit ex-teachers after spending under £4,000 on the campaign

Parliamentary news

A Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Question has today revealed that the Department for Education spent just £3882 on the campaign to bring retired and ex-teachers back to the profession to fill Covid-related absences. It comes as just 485 ex-teachers have been recruited by the Education Secretary's failed recruitment drive, while official data from the Department for Education yesterday reported 44,000 teachers and school leaders have been absent from schools across the country. In a Government press release, Nadhim Zahawi claimed the campaign was part of [doing] “everything in my power to protect education”, yet spent less than two months average salary for a teacher on the entire campaign. Teacher absences across the country are now reaching crisis point with Zahawi planning for shortages of 25%. Last weekend on the BBC Sunday…

14Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

New amublance stats show service at breaking point

Parliamentary news

New NHS Ambulance Service statistics have shown that for category C1-C2 calls, the average response time in December 2021 for England was the second longest ever, after October 2021. In addition more than 36,000 people in England who called 999 with a “category 2” condition such as a stroke or a heart attack waited almost an hour for an ambulance in December. Responding, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “Ambulance services are at breaking point and it's the Government that is to blame. The Conservatives have run ambulance services into the ground with every single target being missed for the most severe cases. "Behind every single one of these statistics is a tragic personal story. "After months of failing to get a grip on the ambulance crisis, it’s…

14Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

6 million NHS waiting list – PM must apologise to patients being let down

Parliamentary news

Responding to the new statistics that show NHS waiting lists have grown to six million while A&E waiting times are the worst on record, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "Patients are being catastrophically let down by this government's woeful neglect of the NHS. "A&E waiting times are the worst on record, while millions are being left waiting in pain for an operation. "Boris Johnson was repeatedly warned about the terrible pressures facing our NHS and frontline staff, but chose to bury his head in the sand. He must apologise now to the millions of patients being let down. "An urgent strategy is now needed to improve morale and recruit more healthcare staff, to tackle the backlog, cut waiting times and offer every patient the care they deserve."

14Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey: Met Police mustn’t let Boris Johnson off the hook

Parliamentary news

Responding to the Metropolitan Police's statement that they will not investigate any of the Downing Street parties until after the findings of Sue Gray's inquiry, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: “The evidence that Boris Johnson broke the law is clear to everyone. Cressida Dick mustn’t let him off the hook through a shady establishment stitch-up. “The police don’t need the Government’s permission to investigate a crime, and they mustn’t turn a blind eye to criminality just because it is committed by Boris Johnson. "It is ludicrous to pretend that we can leave it to a civil servant appointed by Boris Johnson to get to the bottom of this. “The Met Commissioner might think it’s one rule for Boris Johnson and another rule for everyone else, but that doesn’t…

12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

High Court VIP Lane ruling: Conservatives treated pandemic as a cash cow

Parliamentary news

Responding to today's High Court ruling that the Government's use of the 'VIP Lane' to award PPE contracts was unlawful, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "This damning judgment confirms what the public already suspected. Not only did the Conservatives give their mates privileged access to lucrative Covid contracts, they did it unlawfully. "The Tory party treated a pandemic as a cash cow for their friends and donors. Once again, it's a case of one rule for Tory Ministers and their cronies and another for everyone else."

12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey letter to Cressida Dick: PM must be interviewed by Met Police on Garden Party

Parliamentary news

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has written to Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Cressida Dick, calling on her to launch a full police investigation into the Downing Street Garden Party on 20 May 2020 including interviewing Boris Johnson under caution. It comes after Boris Johnson admitted at Prime Minister’s Questions today that he did attend the party but claims he thought it was a “work event”. The letter calls on Commissioner Dick to launch a full investigation into the illegal gathering, ensure the Prime Minister is interviewed under caution about his role and confirm that if he and others are found to have broken Covid laws, they will be charged and fined in the same way as ordinary members of the public. It comes after figures revealed that over 17,700…

12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Cladding: Government failing innocent leaseholders

Parliamentary news

Responding to a Government statement from Michael Gove in Parliament on cladding, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: “The Conservative Government is still failing to understand the scale and urgency of the building safety crisis faced by many innocent leaseholders stuck in unsafe and unsellable homes. "Innocent leaseholders have eye-watering bills sitting on their kitchen tables for non-cladding fire safety defects, not knowing whether they have to pay them or not "They also have no idea what they can do if the shoddy companies that are responsible no longer exist, whether or how they’ll be protected from homelessness or bankruptcy, or when their living nightmare will end. "This is a step in the right direction - but there’s a long long way to go.”

12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Dentist staffing crisis as almost 1,000 walk away

Parliamentary news

Data acquired by the Liberal Democrats has revealed a growing dentist staffing crisis as almost 1,000 practitioners have walked away from the profession in the past twelve months. Official figures show there were 23,733 dental practitioners in 2021 - 951 fewer than the previous year, leaving more patients struggling to get the dental care they need. The information, first covered in the Express, was published in response to a Parliamentary Question by Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, who is calling for urgent action to ensure people can get the treatment they need. Commenting Ed Davey MP said: “The lack of NHS dentists across the country is a real crisis for people. “As well as being unable to sort out dental pain in the short term, people are storing up problems…

12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Rural areas set to be hit hardest by energy bill price hike, including Chancellor’s own seat

Parliamentary news

Rural areas in England and Wales will be hit hardest by the expected rise in energy bills in April, new research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. New analysis of ONS data by the party shows median bills are expected to rise by an average of £598, while many largely rural areas will see increases of £700 or more. Of the 20 local authorities with the highest increase in bills, 16 are only represented by Conservative MPs. This includes the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s area of Richmondshire, where people face an average rise of £737, the fourth highest rise in England. People living on the Scilly Isles face average increases of £968, higher than anywhere in the country. It comes as energy bills are expected to rise to unprecedented levels in…

Category: Parliamentary news