09Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
UK Government must recognise Uyghur Genocide

UK Government must recognise Uyghur Genocide

Parliamentary news
Responding to the judgement of the Uyghur Tribunal, which determined that the human rights abuses taking place against the Uyghurs constitute a genocide, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “Today’s verdict proves beyond doubt that the human rights abuses taking place against the Uyghurs by the Chinese Government do constitute a genocide. “The testimony gathered by the Tribunal is horrifying - detailing torture; rape; forced reeducation; forced labour, mass surveillance; forced sterilisation; cultural and religious destruction and other terrible abuses. All those who came forward and gave evidence, in the face of threats to both their own and their families’ safety, have revealed the true scale and depth of the crimes against humanity taking place in Xinjiang. “In the face of such irrefutable evidence, we must not…
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09Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Plan B: Downing Street late to the party on work from home

Plan B: Downing Street late to the party on work from home

Parliamentary news
Responding to the government announcing 'Plan B' measures in England, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "Once again, Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have shown that they think it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else. "It’s extremely damaging, and undermines public trust in this Government at a critical time. “Asking the public to work from home where they can is the right thing to do but once again, why has it taken so long to act? The Government’s own scientific advisors said that working from home would have the single biggest impact on reducing Covid cases, weeks ago. "The Liberal Democrats have been calling for this already, but yet again the Conservatives are late to the party on this - not something you can say of those…
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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

Liberal Democrat Councillors call for fair play in the world of football

Borough news
With the publication of the fan-led review into football thrusting governance of the fair game into the spotlight, Oldham Liberal Democrats will propose a motion in support of Fair Game to the next meeting of Oldham Council (15 December). Fair Game is a national campaign that seeks radical reform in the way football is managed to make the ‘beautiful game’ more fan-focussed and financially sustainable. Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani will propose the motion. He explained: “I’m a City fan – I was there when we were losing games in the third tier, and I have seen us ride the rollercoaster all the way to the top. As much as I love watching the great players it has brought to my club, I don’t think that the way football works is even…
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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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07Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

More cash needed to warm homes this winter

Borough news
As Oldham Borough residents face massive hikes in fuel bills this winter, local Liberal Democrats are furious that the Warm Homes Discount, which helps our poorest residents heat their homes, will only go up by £10. Liberal Democrat councillors Hazel Gloster and Dave Murphy will be calling upon Oldham Council at the next meeting (15 December 2021) to support a demand to the UK Government that the Warm Homes Discount be increased to meet the new reality. Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing the motion: “Homeowners face up to 40% price increases this year while many of our oldest and poorest residents have seen the Conservative Government betray their promise to increase state pensions by the Triple Lock and also scrap the £20-per-week Universal Credit top-up for the needy.” “For…
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07Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Olympic boycott: No excuses – UK must follow US lead

Olympic boycott: No excuses – UK must follow US lead

Parliamentary news
Responding to the US's announcement of a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: "The UK Government has sat on its hands as the CCP has perpetrated awful human rights abuses, which in the case of the Uyghurs amounts to the crime of genocide. We should have been first out of the blocks in boycotting the Beijing Olympics, but now it's imperative we follow the lead of one of our closest allies. "No ifs, no buts and no excuses - the Foreign Secretary must come to Parliament tomorrow and announce that the UK ministers and officials are boycotting Beijing 2022 as well."
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07Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Raab must apologise for Chevening party as Afghanistan fell

Raab must apologise for Chevening party as Afghanistan fell

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have today called upon Deputy PM Dominic Raab to apologise for hosting a party at Chevening House for local Conservative activists as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Raab is reported to have held the party for 50 association colleagues on the 4th of September - the same time at which MPs, their offices and the Afghan Special Cases Team were working tirelessly to assist in evacuating Afghans. It comes after the testimony of whistleblower Raphael Marshall, who claims that the then Foreign Secretary delayed decision-making by inserting himself as a bureaucratic block. The Liberal Democrats have also called upon the Deputy PM to urgently update Parliament on the progress of the FCDO’s internal inquiry into the evacuation. Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, commented:…
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