12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Schools facing “tidal wave” of around 100,000 teacher absences

Schools facing “tidal wave” of around 100,000 teacher absences

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that over 300,000 children are off school alongside around 100,000 teachers and teaching assistants, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, Munira Wilson MP, said: "The Education Secretary is standing idly by as schools are facing a tidal wave of teacher absences. His failure to prepare has led to a slow-motion car crash as Covid mixes with the return to schools. "The Government's catch-up plans are a drop in the ocean, their ex-teacher recruitment campaign is nowhere to be seen, and it is unforgivable that ministers failed to equip classrooms with the air purifiers they need. "The Conservatives have failed to get a grip of Omicron in the education system and now we are seeing it wreak havoc."
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12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Questions needs to be asked of Pennine Care after missed opportunities to save a life

Borough news, health and social care
Shadow Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care and Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett as written to the Joint Scrutiny Committee for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust Chair Councillor Colin McLaren to ask for an agenda item regarding the coroner’s report last year after multiple opportunities were missed to help the patient needs to be placed on the 18th January meeting. This is in regards to the community Eating Disorder Service to ensure what measure has and will be in place to prevent future deaths and what powers has been taken to ensure such actions. This comes after the news the trust had been ordered to take urgent action after a woman with anorexia died after opportunities to engage with health services were missed, following a coroner’s report last year. Councillor…
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12Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Met Police fined over 17,700 people for breaching Covid laws

Met Police fined over 17,700 people for breaching Covid laws

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Metropolitan Police to investigate the Downing Street Garden Party held in May 2020, after figures revealed the force has fined thousands of people in London for breaches of lockdown rules during the pandemic. Analysis of the latest official figures by the party show that the Metropolitan Police have given out 17,745 Fixed Penalty Notice fines for breaches of various Covid laws between 27th March 2020 and 17th October 2021. These include 113 fines for holding a gathering of over 30 people, more than any other police force in the country. In total, police have issued 118,419 fines for breaking government imposed lockdown rules in England between March 27 2020 and October 17 2021, according to data from the National Police Chiefs Council. This…
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11Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Burnham must keep his promises: clean air and no job losses

Burnham must keep his promises: clean air and no job losses

Borough news, environment
Andy Burnham must keep his manifesto promise to clean up air pollution in Greater Manchester without “the loss of a single job or business”. His plans to implement a Clean Air Zone – following the instructions of the Conservative Government – were clear in his manifesto but have come under withering public attack as the implementation date nears. “The Liberal Democrats have a simple message for Mayor Burnham,” said Oldham’s Opposition Leader and Transport Spokesperson for Greater Manchester, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE. “Keep your promises, or admit you were elected on a platform you couldn’t stick to. You need to pause and re-think the whole scheme, and you need to do it now!” The Clean Air Zone is being introduced because there are an estimated 1,200 deaths a year in…
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10Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Great turnout for community safety meeting

Great turnout for community safety meeting

Borough news
Grotton Pavilion welcomed a substantial – if suitably socially distanced – audience to a meeting with the local police team, Greenfield Community Safety organiser Lee Hudson, and Dobcross organiser Neal Killan. Local resident Alicia Marland, who set up the event and is coordinating the group, welcomed the positive response from the community, and thanked the contributors for their input. Alicia said: “Thanks to all the residents who attended tonight's community crime watch meeting in Grotton. What a fantastic turnout.  “It was a brilliant presentation from Lee who started the Greenfield scheme in 2017 who has successfully reduced crime through local initiatives and working closely with the police.” The idea of the community crime group is to have a simple, coordinated group which can alert local residents to potential issues in the area – whether that’s…
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10Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Cladding: Conservatives still have “head in the sand” over leaseholder reforms

Cladding: Conservatives still have “head in the sand” over leaseholder reforms

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports of the potential reforms put forward on cladding by Michael Gove's Department for Levelling Up, House and Communities, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: “The Conservative Government still has its head in the sand about the scale of this scandal and the nightmare that leaseholders are living. "I’m relieved that the government has seen sense on this aspect but many questions remain. Innocent leaseholders are still facing eye-watering bills to fix non-cladding fire safety defects, not of their making, and more defects may be discovered once cladding starts to come off. "Anything short of putting new laws in place to make the developers pay for their shoddy and dangerous house-building is a betrayal of innocent leaseholders whose lives have been put on hold for four…
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10Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Almost 130,000 families in fuel poverty in cabinet ministers’ seats

Parliamentary news
Pressure is mounting on the government to announce more support for people facing soaring energy bills, after analysis by the Liberal Democrats found almost 130,000 families in cabinet ministers’ seats are living in fuel poverty. The party’s leader Ed Davey said the figures showed cabinet ministers are “turning a blind eye” to families in their own backyard who are struggling to pay soaring heating bills. The research shows that several cabinet members including the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have constituencies with an above-average proportion of households that are fuel poor. In Liz Truss’ seat of South West Norfolk, 7,896 families are fuel poor or 17% of households in the constituency, the highest number out of any cabinet minister after Stephen Barclay. Rishi Sunak’s seat of Richmond…
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10Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Scrapping free Lateral Flow Tests would cause “cost of living with Covid crisis”

Scrapping free Lateral Flow Tests would cause “cost of living with Covid crisis”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have said that scrapping free Lateral Flow Testing would create a "cost of living with Covid crisis" for millions as the Government has been forced to deny reports of a proposal to scrap free tests. Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper is calling for free Lateral Flow Tests to remain for as long as the Government are asking people with Coronavirus to self-isolate. Responding to the news that the Government may end free Lateral Flow Testing, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "It seems this Government is happy to hand out billions in crooked Covid contracts to their chums, but intends to scrap free covid tests plunging millions into a cost of living with Covid crisis. "Scrapping free tests when cases are at record levels…
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07Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conservatives’ broken promise to Afghans leaves women and girls left at “back of the queue”

Conservatives’ broken promise to Afghans leaves women and girls left at “back of the queue”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have today slammed the Conservatives’ broken promise to Afghans as a "total betrayal". It comes after a statement from Home Office minister Victoria Atkins in Parliament revealed that women, girls, and religious and other minorities in Afghanistan have been put to the back of queue of the Government's resettlement scheme. Commenting on the statement in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said: "Back in August, this Government made a promise to women, girls, and religious and other minorities in Afghanistan - that they would be a priority under the new Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme. That was a promise of hope to these people, at a time when they are living in fear from the Taliban because of their identity. “Now, the Conservatives have not…
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07Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Geidt letters: Just another day in the Number 10 circus act

Parliamentary news
Responding to the published letters from Lord Geidt to Boris Johnson over the investigation into the Downing Street flat refurbishment, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said: "This is just another day in the Number 10 circus act and the latest chapter in the Conservative sleaze scandal. Boris Johnson's excuse for the non-disclosure of WhatsApp messages - because he had a new phone - is akin to the dog eating your homework. "This desperately sad attempt to cover his own back will leave serious question marks hanging over the outcomes of Lord Geidt's investigation into the flat refurbishment. "Boris Johnson may have completely pulled the wool over Lord Geidt's eyes, but the public will take a very dim view of this utter nonsense."
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