trade – Page 2 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

22Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Article 16: Tory chaos and confusion over Christmas triggering

Responding to the International Trade Secretary's comments that the Government would "absolutely not" trigger Article 16 before the end of the year - and Downing Street's subsequent slapping down of those comments - Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “This is yet more chaos and confusion from the Tories. Even our hard-Brexiteer Trade Secretary knows it would be madness to crash our trading relations with the EU just weeks before Christmas, and yet No 10 are refusing to rule it out. “The PM spent the morning making a chaotic speech, talking about Peppa Pig and losing the plot. Is it any wonder that ministers don’t know what their own position is? Liberal Democrats are clear – the Government must rule out triggering Article 16 so that families…

18Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Conservative minister refuses to rule out triggering Article 16 before Christmas

Parliamentary news

A Conservative minister has failed to rule out triggering Article 16 before Christmas, risking disruption to families and businesses over the festive period. Responding to an urgent question in Parliament this morning by Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, Conservative Paymaster General Michael Ellis failed to rule out triggering the mechanism this side of Christmas, adding that “we want a negotiated outcome but we are willing to use Article 16.” Meanwhile, Conservative MP Peter Bone suggested in the debate that the date of triggering Article 16 was irrelevant. Commenting after the debate, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Northern Ireland Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The government’s failure to rule out triggering Article 16 before Christmas risks catastrophic disruption to businesses and households. "This complacency could see families missing out on Christmas parcels and…

05Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government failing to support UK’s world leading cultural sector

Parliamentary news

Following a Liberal Democrat debate in the House of Lords, the party has challenged the Government to do more to protect the UK’s vital cultural sector. The Government claims it wants to ‘level up’ and ‘build back better’, but has failed to give the UK cultural sector the support it needs to do this. Their failure to resolve disagreements over visas with the EU has left musicians and performers unable to tour, with Sir Elton John wading into the debate to call for action to resolve this. The Liberal Democrats are calling for greater financial support for cultural institutions and freelancers, a halt to attempts to privatise Channel 4, and an agreement to secure visa-free travel for musical performers and artists across Europe. Baroness Lynne Featherstone, who led the debate,…

17Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Butcher visas: Groundhog day for half-baked visa schemes

Parliamentary news

Reacting to the Government giving overseas butchers a six month temporary visa, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Food and Rural Affairs Tim Farron MP said: “It is groundhog day again as Ministers scramble to rush out another half-baked and inadequate visa scheme. "If Ministers think the answer to the shortages we face is a handful of temporary visas for one sector after another, they are badly mistaken. They just can't seem to learn from their mistakes. “Businesses across the UK are suffering because of the Conservatives’ damaging new immigration rules, imposed in the midst of a pandemic. The answer must be to rewrite those rules and abolish the arbitrary distinction that rejects key workers such as care staff and HGV drivers as ‘unskilled’.”

21Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

US trade deal failure another broken manifesto promise from Boris Johnson

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have accused Boris Johnson of “yet another broken Conservative manifesto promise,” after the Prime Minister admitted that a trade deal with the United States is unlikely to be concluded anytime soon. Boris Johnson yesterday told reporters that “I wouldn’t hold your breath” on the prospects of a UK-US trade deal, adding that Joe Biden “has a lot of fish to fry.” The Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto stated that the party would have 80 per cent of UK trade “covered by free trade agreements within the next three years, starting with the USA.” Liberal Democrat Trade Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP commented: “For years we were told one of the biggest prizes of Brexit would be a trade deal with the United States. “Yet Boris Johnson has effectively admitted…

14Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government’s shambolic trade policy damages British business

Parliamentary news

Reacting to the Government announcing a delay to import checks, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trade Sarah Olney MP said: “The Government’s 'independent trade policy' is in shambles. Utterly unable to secure the UK’s vital imports, the only solution to the supply chain crisis they could cobble together is to kick the can down the road. “British businesses and consumers need to have the certainty that their supply chains won’t get choked off and that they’ll continue to find all the products they need in the supermarket. “The Conservative government must urgently explain how they’ll avoid damaging shortages and price rises when import checks do come into force.”

09Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must fix ‘gaping hole’ in EU trade deal

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have called for the UK Government to take swift action to support the UK creative industry, which is being hard hit by the current EU trading arrangements. During the post-Brexit negotiations, European officials offered the UK a tailored package to support the creative industries. This would’ve seen some elements of temporary Freedom of Movement retained for the UK and EU performers and companies. However the UK Government rejected these plans, and this has had a huge impact on the ability of UK performers, artists and performers to tour Europe and greatly reduced the opportunities available to new, aspiring talent. Today in the House of Lords Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paul Strasburger, who is campaigning on this issue with Sir Elton John, pushed the Government on what they…

21Jul 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

NI Protocol: Government “taking us all for mugs”

Parliamentary news

Reacting to Lord Frost's statement on the NI Protocol, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs and Northern Ireland Alistair Carmichael MP said: "This is a joke. The Government is taking us all for mugs when they say this mess could not have been predicted. They signed up to the Protocol knowing full well businesses would be caught up in a game of political football. It is time to get a grip and sort it out. "Their confrontational attitude will get us nowhere. Instead, they must focus on working together with the EU to help those people caught in the middle of it all. "The reality is that a solution to the Protocol’s problems is on the table by aligning with animal and food standards, which is what businesses want. That…

24Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Trans-Pacific Partnership doesn’t deliver for small businesses

Parliamentary news

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trade Sarah Olney has called on the Government to not rush into the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership and to "balance our diplomatic interests with our economic ones." During the Commons debate on the TPP, which will increase GDP by only 0.017%, Sarah urged the Government to consider whether the risks of entering this partnership was in the interests of the public. Speaking after the debate, Sarah Olney MP said: "The Government have hailed this new agreement as a remedy to post-Brexit trade but in reality it's set to be a drop in the ocean. "Our most important trading relationship with the EU is suffering, and British small businesses trading with Europe are struggling under complicated new rules and red tape. "It is time the Government starts paying…

16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Australia trade deal sells UK farmers down the river

Parliamentary news

Responding to news that a trade deal between the UK and Australia has been agreed, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trade Sarah Olney MP commented: “The Conservatives have serious questions to answer about how this agreement will prevent cheaper and lower quality food products flooding the UK market, threatening our agriculture and food safety. “For a deal with such few economic benefits to the UK, the Government should have at least ensured that UK standards on animal welfare are maintained, protecting farmers and consumers, but it seems that they have been sold down the river. “Ministers must urgently explain what steps they will take to limit the damage from this deal. And they must finally start paying attention to the thousands of small businesses that are struggling to trade with our…