14Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
No resignation gongs for Johnson

No resignation gongs for Johnson

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have said Boris Johnson should be barred from handing out knighthoods, peerages and other honours when he steps down as Prime Minister. The party’s Chief Whip, Wendy Chamberlain, has written to the chairs of the House of Lords Appointments Commission and the Cabinet Office Honours Committee urging them to reject Johnson’s resignation honours list if he puts one forward. It comes after recent reports Boris Johnson has promised knighthoods and peerages to Conservative MPs to persuade them not to hand in their letters of no confidence to the 1922 committee. Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said: “Boris Johnson should have already left Number 10. Instead he’s promising people knighthoods and honours in a desperate attempt to cling on to power. “A Prime Minister forced from…
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11Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Veiled threat to Met Police from Boris Johnson ally over partygate a “dark moment”

Veiled threat to Met Police from Boris Johnson ally over partygate a “dark moment”

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that a senior ally of Boris Johnson has said the Met Police will need to be 'very certain' that he has breached lockdown rules before issuing him with a fine, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “This veiled threat by Number 10 allies is amongst very heavy competition perhaps the darkest moment of this whole sorry saga. “It shows a fundamental belief in the heart of government that Boris Johnson should be above the law and that Number 10 will bring any institution into disrepute to save Johnson’s skin. "This is a sobering reminder of why we need a cast-iron guarantee that Boris Johnson and his team will have nothing to do with the appointment of Cressida Dick's successor. “There was a time that the Conservatives called…
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11Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Home Affairs Committee must approve new Met chief

Home Affairs Committee must approve new Met chief

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling for the next Metropolitan Police Commissioner to be subject to a confirmation hearing and vote by Parliament’s cross-party Home Affairs Committee, to make sure the Government can’t “stitch it up”. Following Cressida Dick’s sudden retirement, there are fears that Boris Johnson and his allies could handpick her successor, despite being under criminal investigation. Under the current law, the Home Secretary chooses the Commissioner and “must have regard” to the Mayor of London’s recommendation. The Liberal Democrats are proposing a change to the law to add a requirement that the Home Affairs Select Committee votes to approve the appointment before it can be made. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Boris Johnson is under criminal investigation by the Met. We cannot leave it…
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11Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Cressida Dick successor must not be handpicked by Johnson

Davey: Cressida Dick successor must not be handpicked by Johnson

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that Cressida Dick has quit her role as the Met Commissioner, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson must have no role in choosing Cressida Dick’s successor to lead the Met. A man under criminal investigation by the Met should not be able to choose who’s in charge of it. “I would like to thank Cressida Dick for her years of dedicated police service, but a change of leadership in the Met is long overdue. “Met police officers who work incredibly hard and risk their lives to keep us safe deserve better. They urgently need new leadership that will change the culture and rebuild the public trust and confidence that officers need to do their jobs and keep us all safe. “No one handpicked by…
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11Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Restarting China trade talks sends “dangerous signal” over Uyghur genocide

Restarting China trade talks sends “dangerous signal” over Uyghur genocide

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports in Politico that the Boris Johnson is planning to restart trade talks with China, Liberal Democrat Trade Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “How can the Conservative Government plan to strike a trade deal with China given the genocide against the Uyghurs? “Conservative Ministers are sending a dangerous signal to Beijing that they can get away with whatever they want. “Rather than hold new trade talks with China, the UK must ban imports from Xinjiang, and recognise the genocide taking place there. We must not stay silent.”
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10Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Partygate picture: Johnson is not fit to be Prime Minister

Partygate picture: Johnson is not fit to be Prime Minister

Parliamentary news
Responding to the new image which shows Boris Johnson pictured with an open bottle of bubbly at an alleged No 10 Christmas Quiz, Liberal Deomcrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: "These new images confirm what we already know - Boris Johnson is not fit to be Prime Minister. "The Met Police must add this to the long list of rule-breaking parties to investigate without delay. "Conservative MPs must also look themselves in the mirror and do the patriotic thing by calling on Boris Johnson to resign. Everyday the Prime Minister stays in office is an insult to those who endured such hardship during the pandemic."
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10Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM must correct record on fraud figures and apologise to four million victims

PM must correct record on fraud figures and apologise to four million victims

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has challenged Boris Johnson to correct the record after misleadingly claiming crime has fallen, and apologise to the four million victims of fraud he has written out of the picture. The UK Statistics Authority last week officially rebuked Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for misleadingly claiming that crime had fallen, following a letter of complaint by Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng then claimed this weekend that fraud isn’t something people experience in their day-to-day lives. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats show there were 100,393 fraud offences referred to the police in London last year, 8,957 fraud offences in Surrey which is home to Kwasi Kwarteng’s constituency of Spelthorne, and 11,829 fraud offences in Essex which includes Priti Patel’s seat…
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10Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems table motion to allow MPs to call out Johnson’s lies in Parliament

Lib Dems table motion to allow MPs to call out Johnson’s lies in Parliament

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion to allow MPs to point out when the Prime Minister makes misleading statements, without being thrown out of the Commons. The motion, tabled by Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, would amend Parliament’s standing orders to allow MPs to say in the Commons Chamber why they believe “the Prime Minister has misled the House.” Under current rules, doing this would be deemed as “grossly disorderly conduct” which would lead to the Speaker having no choice but to evict an MP from the chamber. The Liberal Democrats are calling on Conservative MPs and opposition parties to back the change, so that Boris Johnson can be held to account for his lies and “Trumpian” behaviour. It comes after Boris Johnson has repeatedly made misleading statements in…
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08Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Downing Street overhaul: Boris Johnson wasting taxpayers’ cash during cost of living crisis

Downing Street overhaul: Boris Johnson wasting taxpayers’ cash during cost of living crisis

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have written to Boris Johnson challenging him to set out the cost of the merger of Number 10 and the Cabinet Office into the new Office of the Prime Minister. The party has also challenged Johnson to rule out any public money being spent on renovating the Downing Street flat as part of this change, saying “it should be curtains for Johnson - not more curtains for Johnson.” According to the Institute for Government, the average cost of a departmental merger is £15 million. Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP labelled the sums as “staggering”, given the cost of living crisis which is now facing the country. Wendy Chamberlain MP, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, commented: “The law-breaking Downing Street parties demand only one response - that…
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07Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
So-called Conservative Government levelling up agenda is all fur coat and no knickers

So-called Conservative Government levelling up agenda is all fur coat and no knickers

Borough news, housing and development
The Conservative Government’s announcements on the "levelling-up" agenda included dropping targets for gigabit broadband across the country, on the heels of dropping high speed rail lines across the north. Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “The Government has abandoned crucial targets, and failed to provide the funding needed to meet these new ones. It is a fig leaf for a Prime Minister who everyone can see for what he is.” “If the Government is serious about levelling up, why has it just abandoned plans for local high speed rail? “Why is it loading the bill for social care on to local council tax payers, particularly those like Oldham? “Why did it abandon its target for high-speed broadband to 85% of homes by 2025? “Levelling-up is just the latest Tory buzzword…
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