rights – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

07Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Elections Bill: Blatant assault on democratic rights

Ahead of tonight's vote on the controversial Elections Bill, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael MP said: “You don’t strengthen our democracy by making it harder for people to vote. “The Conservatives’ voter ID law is a blatant assault on our fundamental democratic rights, and Liberal Democrats will resist it all the way. “Between this and their attacks on the courts, the Human Rights Act and the right to peaceful protest, Boris Johnson and his Tory Ministers are desperately trying to stop people holding them to account for their disastrous policies. We won’t let them. “Instead of pushing ahead with their discriminatory and unnecessary voter ID law, Ministers should get behind our efforts to build a better politics with a fairer electoral system.”

26Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Coronavirus Act: Rights and freedoms must be restored

Parliamentary news

Responding to the results of the vote on the Coronavirus Act extension, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP commented: “This vote hands Conservative Ministers a blank cheque to use draconian powers they don’t need. I am proud that Liberal Democrats voted against it. “We continue to support all necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus and keep people safe, but none of them rely on the Coronavirus Act. The Prime Minister even had to resort to lies to persuade MPs to back him today. “Despite all their talk about freedom, the Conservatives have shown they have no intention of restoring people’s civil liberties once the need for restrictions has ended. “Liberal Democrats will remain vigilant to stop the Government abusing these powers, and to make sure that everyone’s…

10Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

LGBT advisor resignation exposes ignorant Government

Parliamentary news

Responding to Jayne Ozanne’s resignation from the Government's LGBT Advisory Panel, Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: "This resignation highlights how badly this Conservative Government is letting down the LGBT+ community in our country. "LGBT+ people still face far too much discrimination, and the Government must do far more to tackle it. It is clear that Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are not up to the job of tackling prejudice in our society. "Ministers’ failure to ban conversion therapy has exposed just how little they care about the issues facing the LGBT+ community. Boris Johnson has been far too slow and his inaction now disturbs even his own advisors. "Liberal Democrats are continuing our fight to ban conversion therapy. The Government must act now to end this awful practice."

29Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Stopping no-deal must be the priority, Lib Dems say

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have reaffirmed their commitment to stopping a no-deal Brexit and oppose Boris Johnson’s efforts to “drag the country's reputation through the mud” by breaking international law. During a debate at the Liberal Democrat Autumn conference, the Party’s new Brexit spokesperson Christine Jardine slammed Boris Johnson for “sacrificing everything and anything in his ideological pursuit of Brexit.” The debate comes as talks between the EU and the UK on a free trade agreement have show no signs of progress, and amidst mounting controversy over Government plans to to break international law over Brexit. Other proposals agreed by the Liberal Democrats include a commitment to campaign to protect and enhance the rights of UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, and to uphold the provisions…

20Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

PM riding roughshod over our rights by restricting judicial review

Parliamentary news

Responding to reports that the Government is planning to restrict judicial review, following a Court of Appeal decision against the Home Secretary, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “Threatening to weaken the courts because of a judgment you disagree with is the act of dictators and despots, not democrats. “With these plans, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings are trying to enable the Government to run roughshod over people’s rights and allow Ministers to break the law with impunity. “Liberal Democrats will always defend individuals’ abilities to challenge the Government and uphold their rights. We will not stand by and allow Johnson and Cummings to undermine the rule of law, which is so fundamental to our society.”

20Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems bid to block corporate lawsuits watering down protections post-Brexit

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have launched an attempt in Parliament to block corporations from using secretive tribunals to water down environmental or worker protections, and safeguard human rights and transparency in post-Brexit trade deals. Liberal Democrat MPs have tabled an amendment to the Trade Bill – which is due to be debated in the House of Commons on Monday – to require the Government to assess each new trade agreement’s impact on citizens’ rights with regard to gender, age, race, class and economic well-being. With separate amendments, the Party’s MPs will attempt to stop the Government from introducing controversial “investor-state dispute settlements” – better known as ISDS. Through such mechanisms, large overseas corporations can sue the UK if they believe that certain laws, such as environmental or worker protections, harm their…

13May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call for Safe Trace App Law to ensure coronavirus app is safe and effective

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to bring forward a new “Safe Trace App Law”, to ensure the Government’s coronavirus tracing app is safe and effective. The calls comes as it is reported the NHS tracing app is set to be rolled out nationwide by end of next week, despite concerns. The party says this new primary legislation would force the Government to justify its decision to reject plans for a decentralised app (as recommended by the Information Commissioner) and pursue a centralised app instead, despite experts warning that: It may not work on phones that are locked or when it’s running in the background.It will drain a phone’s battery, so won’t work for long.It will be incompatible with other countries’ apps, including Ireland’s.It puts people’s privacy at…