10Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Homes for Ukraine: Only 1,200 refugees allowed into UK

Homes for Ukraine: Only 1,200 refugees allowed into UK

Parliamentary news
Responding to the first Home Office figures on arrivals of Ukrainian refugees to the UK, which reveal that just 1,200 people - less than 3% of those who’ve applied - have arrived under the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey MP said: “Tens of thousands of British families have offered to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees, but the Government is squandering their amazing generosity with needless bureaucracy and delays. “It is appalling that such a tiny number of refugees have been allowed into the UK, more than a month after the Home Secretary announced this scheme. This is a humanitarian emergency, but Priti Patel is putting paperwork before people. “The Government must match the compassion shown by the British public and allow Ukrainian refugees…
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10Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems table Bill to force Sunak to reveal family tax arrangements

Lib Dems table Bill to force Sunak to reveal family tax arrangements

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have drawn up draft legislation to force the Chancellor and any other government ministers to reveal whether they or their spouses claim non-domiciled status or have holdings in overseas tax havens. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has drafted the Ministerial Tax Residency Status Bill and will present it to the House of Commons once Parliament has returned from Easter recess. It was recently revealed that Rishi Sunak was listed as a beneficiary of tax haven trusts set up in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands and held by his wife Akshata Murthy – just days after it emerged she was using her non-domiciled status to avoid paying taxes in the UK. Under the terms of the Liberal Democrat Bill, Rishi Sunak and any…
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conversion Therapy: Chaotic u-turns shredding UK’s reputation

Conversion Therapy: Chaotic u-turns shredding UK’s reputation

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that over 80 LGBT and HIV organisations have pulled out of the government’s planned international LGBT conference due to their u-turn on banning trans conversion therapy, Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “The UK should be leading the world on LGBT+ equality, but Number 10’s chaotic U-turns are shredding our country’s reputation. “The global LGBT+ conference in London this summer should be a huge opportunity to tackle discrimination and inequality around the world. It is far too important for the Government to squander like this. “By breaking their promise to ban conversion therapy completely, the Conservatives are letting down the whole LGBT+ community. They need to ban conversion therapy in full - as they pledged to."
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Channel 4 privatisation is “trashing a uniquely British legacy”

Channel 4 privatisation is “trashing a uniquely British legacy”

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4, Liberal Democrat Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Jamie Stone said: “Yet again, the Conservatives have shown they care more about lining the pockets of the super rich than supporting a great public institution. “Even Margaret Thatcher understood the huge power of Channel 4 as a force for creativity and innovation that belonged to all of us without costing taxpayers a penny. “Occasionally, we as a country manage to magic up a world-renowned gem into being and Channel 4 is a perfect example. And yet this Government seems hellbent on trashing this uniquely British legacy and undermining jobs and investment in the creative sector. “The Liberal Democrats will oppose these dangerous plans in Parliament…
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Energy Strategy: Poorly insulated homes are paying £9bn more in heating bills

Energy Strategy: Poorly insulated homes are paying £9bn more in heating bills

Parliamentary news
13 million homes across UK have poor energy efficiency ratingConservatives’ failure to upgrade homes leaves some households paying nearly £1,000 than neededIn some areas over four in five families are living in leaky homesChancellor’s failure to invest in insulating homes branded “short-sighted penny pinching” The Government’s failure to insulate Britain’s homes is leading to families paying over £9 billion more a year for their energy bills, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. It comes as the Treasury has reportedly blocked plans to invest more in home insulation in tomorrow’s energy security strategy, despite a government target of upgrading all homes to Band C by 2035. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows 13.4 million homes across the UK have received poor energy efficiency ratings (EPC Bands D-G). These households pay…
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Selling off UK vaccine manufacturing centre is “ridiculously short-sighted”

Selling off UK vaccine manufacturing centre is “ridiculously short-sighted”

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the government-funded Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) has been sold to the US firm Catalent, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "Selling this vital infrastructure is a ridiculously short-sighted move that risks leaving us less prepared for the next pandemic. Vaccines can take decades to develop and selling this facility shows this Conservative Government’s lack of long-term planning. “This facility was purpose built with more than £200m worth of taxpayers’ money to produce vaccines. With this Government wasting eye-watering amounts of public money and writing off money spent fraudulently, the Tories must come clean on how much this facility has been sold for. “The Prime Minister himself underlined how important this centre would be to protect against Covid and future pandemics. The…
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Energy betrayal: Nuclear power plants to add £96 to average bill

Energy betrayal: Nuclear power plants to add £96 to average bill

Parliamentary news
Household energy bills are set to rise by another £96 per year because of the government’s plans to build eight new nuclear power plants, new figures have revealed. This comes as the government has released its long awaited energy strategy which focused on expensive, new nuclear rather than ambitious plans to expand onshore wind, one of the cheapest forms of renewables. EDF has previously estimated that the cost of funding Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk will add up to £12 a year to household energy bills for every family in the country at its peak. The government has now confirmed that each new nuclear plant station will add around £1 per month to energy bills during construction. There are just over 27 million households in England, Wales and…
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Chancellor refusal to offer extra help to families an utter disgrace

Chancellor refusal to offer extra help to families an utter disgrace

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that Chancellor Rishi Sunak blocked plans to increase the energy bill rebate, Liberal Democrat Climate Emergency and Energy Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “It is an utter disgrace that the Chancellor is refusing to offer extra help to hard pressed families facing soaring energy bills. "Hundreds of thousands of people are being condemned to fuel poverty through this government's inaction. "Their failed energy strategy will do nothing to bring energy bills now, while hammering families with higher costs in the future. “We need a far more ambitious response to the energy crisis, including more support to help people with their bills and a massive insulation programme to make our homes greener and cheaper to heat.”
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07Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Sunak must close ‘non-dom’ spouse loophole

Sunak must close ‘non-dom’ spouse loophole

Parliamentary news
Current law states that MPs and members of the House of Lords can’t have non-dom status.Liberal Democrats called on the Chancellor to legislate to close a loophole allowing Ministers’ spouses to be non-doms. The Liberal Democrats have said that Rishi Sunak must do the right thing and ban Government members’ partners from claiming non-domicile status. Currently Ministers are not allowed to hold non-dom tax status, but this rule does not apply to their immediate family. The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to close this loophole, warning it “leaves the door open for government ministers to exploit non-dom arrangements.” The calls come after it was revealed that the Chancellor’s wife does not have to pay UK income tax on income made abroad. This was discovered on the same day…
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05Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Channel 4 privatisation is “trashing a uniquely British legacy”

Channel 4 privatisation is “trashing a uniquely British legacy”

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4, Liberal Democrat Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Jamie Stone said: “Yet again, the Conservatives have shown they care more about lining the pockets of the super rich than supporting a great public institution. “Even Margaret Thatcher understood the huge power of Channel 4 as a force for creativity and innovation that belonged to all of us without costing taxpayers a penny. “Occasionally, we as a country manage to magic up a world-renowned gem into being and Channel 4 is a perfect example. And yet this Government seems hellbent on trashing this uniquely British legacy and undermining jobs and investment in the creative sector. “The Liberal Democrats will oppose these dangerous plans in Parliament…
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