19Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
HS2 Plan: Figures reveal Tories to miss clean rail target by 235 years

HS2 Plan: Figures reveal Tories to miss clean rail target by 235 years

Parliamentary news
Only 179 kilometres of railway track were electrified last year, meaning it could take another 235 years to meet the Government’s own net-zero rail target, analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. It comes as the Government published its strategy today confirming cuts to the HS2 high speed rail line in Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Today’s plan has announced the electrification of “around 180 route miles” (289km), which is just 2.2% of the Government's target of electrifying 13,000km of railway track by 2050. Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, Sarah Olney MP, said: “These figures are a huge embarrassment for the Government as they lift the lid on their shiny new rail plan. But it’s hardly a shock - the Conservatives haven’t hit their electrification targets in years. “You only have…
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19Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Damning NAO report shows PM must apologise for pandemic failings

Damning NAO report shows PM must apologise for pandemic failings

Parliamentary news
Responding to the National Audit Office report on the Government’s failure to prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said: “This is a damning report that reveals a comprehensive failure from government to prepare adequately for the pandemic. “That failure has cost many lives and contributed to an economic collapse the scale of which we are yet to understand. Most hurt of all will be a generation of school children left behind by the Conservatives who still refuse to make more funding available to help pupils catch up. “The Prime Minister must apologise for this failure and acknowledge that an apology is only the beginning of the process. We need an immediate full inquiry and he must make £15 billion available for children to catch up…
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18Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conservative minister refuses to rule out triggering Article 16 before Christmas

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…
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18Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Social care: Unfair changes an ‘insult’ to families facing eye-watering costs

Social care: Unfair changes an ‘insult’ to families facing eye-watering costs

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the Government’s social care plans are even less generous than previously thought, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP, said: “It beggars belief that months after the Prime Minister announced his ‘plan’ to fix social care he is now moving the goal posts to make it less generous for those who can least afford it. "The least well-off families will now be hit by the Tories double whammy: an unfair tax rise to pay for social care, and bigger personal care bills. “The lifetime cap on care costs was already far from generous. Now someone with fewer assets could see the amount they pay in care cost double with the Prime Minister’s last minute changes to the plan. “Sneaking out these unfair…
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18Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Integrated Rail Plan: Consolation prizes for millions after broken Conservative promise

Integrated Rail Plan: Consolation prizes for millions after broken Conservative promise

Parliamentary news
Responding to early details of the Government's Integrated Rail Plan before its unveiling, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: "If Boris Johnson says he crashed the car into a ditch over his handling of Tory sleaze, then he's careered off the tracks with this miserable rail plan. "In breaking a promise he made to half of England, he's made a complete mockery of his so-called levelling up agenda and left Britain with a rail system that is decades behind the times. "Millions of people across the Midlands and the North will be waking up to hear they've been thrown a few consolation prizes that'll do next to nothing in solving the capacity issues on their railways. "It just goes to show that this Conservative Government is out of…
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18Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Over budget, late, cancelled

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Leader believes Labour’s track record on town centre regeneration projects does not bode well for Spindles Oldham’s Liberal Democrats are concerned that Labour’s decision to go it alone on the redevelopment of Spindles may lead to cost overruns, delays in delivery and money written off – if the Administration’s past record is anything to go by. Liberal Democrat Group Leader, councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Director of Economy, Emma Barton outlining his fears. “The Spindles – Town Square redevelopment is a hugely costly project. Not for nothing did we brand the project ‘Spendles’ for we discovered that the true cost of acquiring the shopping precinct was £10.6 million and Labour have allocated up to £65 million more to transform it,” said Councillor Sykes. “The fact…
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17Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
No10 must publish Covid contract correspondence

No10 must publish Covid contract correspondence

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that several Conservative MPs put forward companies for the Covid contract ‘Fastrack VIP Lane’, in which they or someone close to them had an interest, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “With billions wasted on useless PPE by this Government over the pandemic, the public has a right to know who is responsible for this criminal level of waste. These leaked names are just more evidence of the cronyism and sleaze at the heart of this Conservative Government. “Not only do we need a public inquiry into corruption, but the Liberal Democrats are calling on No 10 to immediately publish all relevant correspondence of every MP that successfully or otherwise tried to access the Fastrack VIP Lane. “The public should not have to wait…
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17Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Best foot forward: Liberal Democrats call for more action to protect Oldham’s public rights of way

Best foot forward: Liberal Democrats call for more action to protect Oldham’s public rights of way

Borough news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have written to senior council officers calling for more action to protect the borough’s public rights of way. “During the restrictions placed on all our leisure activities throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, our local countryside became more inviting, and many more residents have taken the opportunity to enjoy a walk along our local paths,” said Group Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE. “The recent welcome appointment of a new footpaths officer has meant that we now have more capacity to protect, register and promote our countryside footpaths for the benefit of Oldham residents. I am particularly keen to ensure that the new officer continues our good work with responsible local landowners and walkers’ groups. He also must work to bring back into use, make more accessible, and register…
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16Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Portrait ‘demonstrates esteem’ for Queen, says Liberal Democrat Leader

Portrait ‘demonstrates esteem’ for Queen, says Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news
The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Chief Executive and Leader asking for a portrait of the HM The Queen to be displayed in the Council Chamber. “Council debated this issue earlier this year when we sat in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.  Now Councillors will finally be returning to the Council Chamber for their deliberations in December (delayed from November), it seems the opportune time to display a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen in the Council Chamber and at the Civic Reception, particularly as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee next year,” said Councillor Sykes. 
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16Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Pensioners betrayed by broken Tory promise on triple lock

Pensioners betrayed by broken Tory promise on triple lock

Parliamentary news
Responding to the rejection of an amendment to the Social Security Bill which would prevent the ditching of the pension triple lock, Liberal Democrat Work & Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP said: "Pensioners will not forget this triple lock betrayal. "The Government have ploughed ahead with their manifesto-breaking plan, by rejecting a fair and sensible solution that would have saved the triple lock. The result is a downgraded rise in the state pension just as a cost-of-living crisis begins to bite. It is clear this Conservative Government is completely out of touch. “The Prime Minister never misses a chance to talk about rising wages as a result of Brexit, yet at the same time calls this rise an anomaly to justify betraying pensioners. So which is it? Because it cannot…
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