14Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Christmas Quiz: PM with nowhere left to hide

Christmas Quiz: PM with nowhere left to hide

Parliamentary news
Responding to a photograph which shows the Prime Minister allegedly hosting a Christmas quiz in 10 Downing Street last year whilst London was in Tier 2 restrictions, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "This slew of rule-breaking revelations leaves Boris Johnson with nowhere left to hide. "The British public did what they were asked, often at huge personal cost, but over the last year, it seems that Johnson and his cronies flouted rules, laughed about it, and are now desperately trying to cover it up. "Johnson is destroying public trust at every turn. For every day he remains in No 10, he undermines the national effort to accelerate the booster programme and hold the line against Omicron. Johnson just needs to go."
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09Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM accused of “rank hypocrisy” as figures over 70,000 people have been fined for lockdown parties

PM accused of “rank hypocrisy” as figures over 70,000 people have been fined for lockdown parties

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have slammed Boris Johnson’s “rank hypocrisy” on the Number 10 Christmas party, after it emerged over 70,000 people have been fined by police for gatherings banned under lockdown rules. Figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council reveal 74,354 Fixed Penalty Notices were handed out for illegal gatherings under the various Covid regulations between March 2019 and the end of restrictions in July 2021. These were typically fines of £200, meaning people would have been fined around £15 million for holding illegal gatherings during the pandemic. 4,321 of those Fixed Penalty Notices were for gatherings that breached the Tier 3 rules, which applied to the whole of London when the Number 10 Christmas party took place last December. A total of 2,296 fines were handed out for all…
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09Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Boris WhatsApp messages must be handed over to Simon Case investigation

Boris WhatsApp messages must be handed over to Simon Case investigation

Parliamentary news
The Cabinet Secretary has been urged to include Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages as part of the investigation into Christmas parties at Downing Street. The demand follows this morning’s revelations that WhatsApp messages from Boris Johnson suggested he misled Lord Geidt's investigation into Downing Street flat donations. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has called on the Cabinet Secretary to investigate if the Prime Minister attended illegal Christmas parties held on the 13th and 27th November, and publish full findings, including relevant WhatsApp messages. Commenting on the letter, Liberal Democrat Justice spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “Simon Case cannot fail the British public. He must not be misled by Boris Johnson the same way it appears Lord Geidt was over dodgy donations. “The public must see justice is done on this, and…
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09Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Inquiry must look into all Downing Street parties

Inquiry must look into all Downing Street parties

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for the Cabinet Office inquiry to be extended into all parties that took place in Number 10 last year, along with any that took place in other government departments. It comes after Boris Johnson confirmed at a press conference today that he has only asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to look into the party that took place on December 18 last year, not an earlier gathering that the prime minister allegedly attended on November 27. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: “Boris Johnson has already done huge damage to public trust. Now he’s making things even worse by dodging scrutiny about claims he attended other parties at Downing Street. “The official inquiry must be widened to look into all the parties held…
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08Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: PM must fess up over Xmas party

Davey: PM must fess up over Xmas party

Parliamentary news
Responding to a new leaked video which shows the Prime Minister's former press secretary joking about a party in Downing Street last Christmas, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: "People will rightly be furious with Boris Johnson, not just for holding a party during lockdown, but also for refusing to own up to it. Once again he shows it's one rule for us and one rule for him, with the Conservatives continuing to take people for granted. "Whilst millions cancelled plans and had to be alone at Christmas, unable to celebrate, or worse unable to say goodbye to a dying loved one - the Prime Minister was breaking his own rules to allow a boozy party in No10. "It's clear that Boris Johnson has never believed the rules apply…
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08Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Williamson party: Met Police must investigate

Williamson party: Met Police must investigate

Parliamentary news
Reacting to the news that Gavin Williamson hosted a party last December with friends whilst London was the midsts of tier-2 lockdown restrictions and 1.2million children were out of school, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: "Not only content with being one of the most inept Education Secretaries in history, Gavin Williamson also saw fit to party with friends whilst over a million children missed out on school and had to endure a harsh Christmas separated from family and loved ones. "His callous disregard for the rules shows that it is truly one rule for us and one rule for them. With millions of lost hours of schooling, this is yet another blow for our children - who've endured so much during this pandemic and are being ignored…
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21Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tory MPs refusal to wear masks in Commons “utter hypocrisy”

Tory MPs refusal to wear masks in Commons “utter hypocrisy”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have said it is "utter hypocrisy" for Conservative MPs not to wear masks in the Commons, after the Health Secretary yesterday urged people to wear masks in crowded spaces. It comes after Conservative minister Edward Argar was pressed on the issue on the Today programme and said it was up to individual MPs to "reach their own views." Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “It is utter hypocrisy that the public are rightfully being advised to wear masks while Conservative MPs refuse to do so. “The very same day that Sajid Javid was urging the public to take steps to protect themselves against the virus, Conservative MPs were laid across the green benches maskless and irresponsible. “Cases are skyrocketing and we are getting a feeling of groundhog…
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06Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Anger as local Tory Councillors take credit for a scheme they tried to slash

Borough news, Saddleworth News
After trying on three separate occasions to slash the money for a community toilet scheme across Saddleworth, Tory Councillors have now tried to take credit for the scheme when it reopened after lockdown. Liberal Democrat Councillors repeatedly stopped local Conservative Max Woodvine’s plans for participants in the scheme to have their money cut in half, preserving the payments for local businesses across Saddleworth. Liberal Democrat group leader Sam Al-Hamdani said: “I was astonished when I then saw the Conservatives pretending that they were the driving force behind the scheme. I did think that they had more integrity than that, but it seems I was wrong.” The scheme, run by the Parish Council for the last decade, was on hold during the pandemic, as participating members were unable to keep the…
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25Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Hypocrite Hancock should go

Hypocrite Hancock should go

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has broken Covid rules, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care Munira Wilson MP said: "Matt Hancock is a terrible Health Secretary and should have been sacked a long time ago for his failures. "This latest episode of hypocrisy will break the trust with the British public. He was telling families not to hug loved ones, while doing whatever he liked in the workplace. "It’s clear that he does not share the public’s values. Rules for them and rules for us is no way to run a country. "From the PPE scandal, the crisis in our care service and the unbelievably poor test and trace system, he has utterly failed. It is time for the Health Secretary to go."
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08Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Foreign aid: Government cuts wreck UK reputation

Foreign aid: Government cuts wreck UK reputation

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for International Development Layla Moran MP challenged the Government on their controversial cuts to the foreign aid budget during today's Commons debate. The Government has faced criticism from across the House after abandoning their manifesto pledge to retain 0.7% of international development funding. Following the debate, Layla Moran MP said: "In today’s debate, the Minister drew moral equivalence between maintaining our promises to starving children and leaving our future generations with extra debt. This is shameful – especially when our young people, like the rest of the country, overwhelmingly support the 0.7% target. "This week the eyes of the world will be on the UK at the G7, yet the Conservatives seem determined to ruin our country’s reputation – from abandoning our development commitments around the world,…
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