13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Free School Meals: Government either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it

Free School Meals: Government either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP has condemned Minister Victoria Prentis' defence of the Government's decision not to extend Free School Meals. She said: "This is yet another example of the Government ignoring their own advisors and short-changing children, as they continue to lose out. The Government either doesn't care or doesn't get it. “It's common sense to expand free school meals to all children on Universal Credit - we are suffering a cost of living crisis where parents are worried about putting food on the table. “Our children’s health and education should be a top priority, but time and again under this government they are treated as a complete afterthought.”
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Johnson must slash taxes now instead of making “empty promises”

Johnson must slash taxes now instead of making “empty promises”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have piled pressure on Boris Johnson to help families by bringing in an emergency tax cut now. Speaking on a campaign visit to Tiverton and Honiton today, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "Families are facing record fuel prices and soaring bills, but Boris Johnson is still insisting on hammering them with tax rises. This is a government in crisis, too divided and weak to offer the help people need to cope with the cost of living emergency. "Instead of making yet more empty promises about tax cuts in the future, Johnson should listen to Lib Dems calls for an emergency VAT cut now to put money back into people's pockets. Every day that Conservative ministers fail to act means more pain for families struggling…
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Gove gives green light to gas drilling in Surrey area of natural beauty

Gove gives green light to gas drilling in Surrey area of natural beauty

Parliamentary news
In a decision published yesterday, the Conservative government announced it will grant planning permission to explore for gas in Dunsfold, by the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It comes despite concerns raised by the local community and environmental campaigners about the damage the drilling could do to the countryside and the UK’s climate ambitions. In a report by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove admits that “there are significant harms to the character and appearance of the landscape from the proposal,” and that it would “degrade the quality of the setting of the AONB.” However, he concludes this is outweighed by the benefits of gas exploration. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “It is shameful that the Conservatives have ignored the concerns of…
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Vagrancy Act: Moran condemns ‘duplicitous’ proposal to bring back Act

Vagrancy Act: Moran condemns ‘duplicitous’ proposal to bring back Act

Parliamentary news
Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has slammed the Government as ‘duplicitous’ for including a clause in the new Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which would allow for the reintroduction of the recently repealed Vagrancy Act. The clause allows for the Secretary of State for DLUHC to re-criminalise rough sleeping, despite the House of Commons voting to repeal the Vagrancy Act earlier this year. The Government claims that this is ‘placeholder text’ which will be amended at the Committee Stage of the Bill, but has not given assurances that rough sleepers will be protected from the return of this legislation. The repeal of the Vagrancy Act was the culmination of a campaign which began in 2018 for Layla, after it was brought to her attention by…
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
NI Protocol: Govt must come clean and publish full legal advice

NI Protocol: Govt must come clean and publish full legal advice

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have criticised Brandon Lewis' refusal to commit to publishing the government's full legal advice around its plans to overhaul the Northern Ireland protocol. It comes after Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael raised the issue in Parliament last week and demanded the government publish its legal advice in full. Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The refusal to publish this legal advice looks like yet another attempt to cover up Boris Johnson’s repeated lies and law-breaking. The government must come clean and publish what legal advice was received and who from in full. “The public deserves full transparency over the legality of plans to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol and risk a trade war with our closest neighbours. If Conservative ministers have nothing to…
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call for fuel duty cut in rural areas

Lib Dems call for fuel duty cut in rural areas

Parliamentary news
Rural fuel duty relief scheme should be doubled to 10p a litre and expanded to cover more areasHouseholds in rural areas paying £2,000 a year more on transport costs than those in urban areas The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to cut fuel duty in rural areas to help families bearing the brunt of record petrol prices. It comes as analysis of official figures by the party reveals that households in rural areas pay £114 a week on transport costs, almost £40 more than those in urban areas. It means that rural households are shelling out almost £2,000 more a year on transport than those in urban areas. The Liberal Democrats are calling for an expansion of the rural fuel duty relief scheme, which is currently only offered…
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Food strategy: PM claims to be backing farmers are “empty words”

Food strategy: PM claims to be backing farmers are “empty words”

Parliamentary news
Responding to Boris Johnson's comments on the government's Food Strategy, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: “Boris Johnson has slashed basic payments for farmers and undercut our world-leading animal welfare standards. His claims to be backing farmers are nothing more than empty words from a prime minister who has consistently broken his promises to rural communities. “If this Conservative government was serious about supporting British farming, they would scrap their short-sighted plans to cut basic payments to farmers by a fifth this year. “Voters in Tiverton and Honiton have a chance to speak for farming communities around the country and force Boris Johnson to act instead of taking them for granted.”
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13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
GDP fall: Barrage of tax hikes is leaving people to suffer

GDP fall: Barrage of tax hikes is leaving people to suffer

Parliamentary news
Responding to ONS data revealing GDP fell by 0.3% in April, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “The Government’s barrage of tax hikes and lack of cost-of-living support are leaving people to suffer, and now that’s translating into worrying economic figures. “The UK has the best universities, the best services sector and the best workforce – yet this Government is in such disarray that we’re headed for the lowest growth in the G7. Their incompetence is nothing short of dangerous. “Instead of giving speeches full of empty promises, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak need to start listening to people and give them real help with the cost of living.”
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07Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems table no confidence motion in “lying lawbreaker” Boris Johnson

Lib Dems table no confidence motion in “lying lawbreaker” Boris Johnson

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats will today table a Parliamentary no confidence motion in Boris Johnson after he narrowly avoided being removed from office by his own Conservative MPs. The party has called for Parliament and the people to have a say on Johnson’s position after he marginally won support from his own MPs, despite breaking the law and misleading Parliament following his involvement in a string of illegal parties held at Number Ten during lockdown. It comes after 148 Conservative MPs voted to say they have no confidence in Johnson to hold the office of Prime Minister and to be the leader of the Conservative Party. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “The lying lawbreaker in Number Ten is clinging on by the skin of his teeth. Yesterday’s events have unleashed…
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01Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Travel chaos: Send in the army to get Britain moving

Travel chaos: Send in the army to get Britain moving

Parliamentary news
Army logistic personnel should run travel command centre to keep airports, roads and ports movingMore flight cancellations on the way and motorways tipped for deadlock The Liberal Democrats have called for the army to be brought in to help solve unprecedented levels of travel disruption as queues at airports up and down the country reach critical mass going into the Platinum Jubilee weekend. With families facing their bank holiday getaway being cancelled or heavily delayed, the party has urged the Government to call on the Armed Forces “best and brightest” to run point on logistics. This would include the running of a command centre to sort out airports, keep roads moving and get ports unblocked. It comes after the party’s transport spokesperson called for an emergency COBRA meeting to be…
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