06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Places for Everyone must not compromise Green Belt for anyone

Places for Everyone must not compromise Green Belt for anyone

Borough news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats have submitted their response to the consultation being conducted by the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester outlining their opposition to his latest Places for Everyone plan.  Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE summarised the position of Liberal Democrat Councillors to the Mayor’s proposals: “We remain implacably opposed to any plan to build new homes on our open spaces; our view remains Places for Everyone must not compromise Green Belt for anyone.  We believe that the requirement for new homes can be met with our stated policy to build first and always on brownfield sites, to push for the completion of development on sites with existing planning permission for new housing, and to act with purpose to bring back into use our empty homes or to convert…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Green electricity: PM full of “bombast and bluster”

Green electricity: PM full of “bombast and bluster”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called out Boris Johnson for being full of “bombast and bluster” on green electricity, pointing to the Government’s poor record on renewables. The Prime Minister plans to use his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference to announce that all of Britain's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2035. But a recent analysis by the Liberal Democrats found that UK renewables growth is actually at its slowest rate since 2010. The UK also recently fired up old coal power plants to meet the nation’s electricity demand, as gas prices have soared. Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Climate Emergency and Energy, said: “Yet again this Government is guilty of chasing headlines whilst failing to take the necessary action to achieve what they claim they…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tory donor scandal: Electoral Commission must launch investigation

Tory donor scandal: Electoral Commission must launch investigation

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports about a prominent Conservative donor in the leaked 'Pandora papers', Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "It is simply wrong that wealthy donors get privileged access to Conservative Ministers, while millions of people and small businesses have been excluded from their support throughout the pandemic. It’s even worse when those donors are seemingly implicated in corruption themselves. "The Electoral Commission should launch an immediate investigation into these allegations. The Tories must comply with this investigation and explain what they are doing to stop the flow of dirty money into the UK and apparently into their own party coffers."
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
EU HGV driver visas: Sticking plaster solution is dismal failure

EU HGV driver visas: Sticking plaster solution is dismal failure

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the Government has only received 127 visa applications from EU HGV drivers, Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: "The Government's sticking plaster solution to recruit drivers at the last minute has been exposed as a dismal failure. "Ministers knew that their new immigration rules were worsening the HGV driver shortage for months, yet they sat on their hands and waited until it was too late. This lack of leadership has let down all those people still struggling to fill up their tank and go about their daily lives. "The Government must urgently treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves. They need to stop branding HGV drivers and other key workers as "unskilled", and allow them to work here for a longer period…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Boris Johnson is living in a parallel universe

Davey: Boris Johnson is living in a parallel universe

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's speech at the Conservative party conference, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson’s speech was the most out of touch display by a Prime Minister in decades, he has created a cost of living crisis which he refuses to fix. “The Conservative Party conference may as well be happening in a parallel universe. Johnson pretends that somehow long queues at the petrol station and empty shelves in the supermarket are all part of his cunning plan and blames anyone he can for the wreckage he is causing: UK businesses, journalists and the British public. “People across the country are working hard and making big sacrifices, yet the Prime Minister refuses to offer any meaningful support. Instead he's hitting millions of working families…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Level up premium: Drop in the ocean for lost learning

Level up premium: Drop in the ocean for lost learning

Parliamentary news
Responding to Boris Johnson's solitary policy announcement during his keynote speech at Conservative Party conference today, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education Daisy Cooper MP said: “What Boris Johnson has announced today is a drop in the ocean. We can't level up unless our children can catch up on all the learning they've lost to Covid. "Parents and children have worked hard and made huge sacrifices during the pandemic, but Boris Johnson and his Conservatives are still refusing to support them with proper catch-up funding. "If the Conservatives cared about education they would invest the £15 billion their own expert said our children need. One third of that should go directly to parents in the form of Catch-Up Vouchers to spend on whatever their children need most."
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Sykes secures U-turn on free bags for Oldham’s valiant litter-pickers

Sykes secures U-turn on free bags for Oldham’s valiant litter-pickers

Borough news
After an exchange of emails, Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has secured a U-turn in Council policy over the provision of free bin bags from the Council to the borough’s volunteer litter-pickers. Councillor Sykes said: “I am delighted that common sense has finally prevailed. It was crazy for a Council not to provide free bin bags to members of the public who in their own time are ‘doing their bit’ to help keep our borough clean.” Councillor Sykes made his request for free bags on behalf of one of his constituents and her friend: “My constituent has been going out with her friend to collect rubbish, but after running out of bin bags was told they had to pay for their own as the Council was ‘unable to…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dem push to crack down on essay cheating receives Government backing

Lib Dem push to crack down on essay cheating receives Government backing

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision by the Government to endorse their calls for tougher sentencing for ‘Essay Mills’. Essay Mills refers to essay writing services, which enable students to have their essays, thesis and even parts of their PhD written for them for a fee. The industry currently makes millions of pounds every year and are often marketed at students as an easy way to get good grades. Lord Mike Storey, former leader of Liverpool City Council, has tabled Private Members' Bills in the House of Lords three times on this issue and has been working across party lines to raise awareness around the damage these services can have. In his most recent Private Members' Bill, tabled in May this year, Lord Storey also raised a case he was…
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06Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Raab’s comments on misogyny are callous and insulting

Raab’s comments on misogyny are callous and insulting

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that new Justice Secretary Dominic Raab does not understand the meaning of misogyny, Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “It’s little wonder the Conservatives are failing to tackle misogyny when their Justice Secretary doesn’t even seem to know what it is.” "These comments are an insult to the millions of women and girls impacted by misogyny and show just how out of touch the Conservatives are on this issue. "Women and girls deserve better than these callous remarks. The Government must make misogyny a hate crime so that police forces take these crimes more seriously and support women and girls who are being so desperately let down."
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05Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government attacks on Human Rights Act must end

Government attacks on Human Rights Act must end

Parliamentary news
Responding to Dominic Raab's comments on the Human Rights Act, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael MP said: "This Conservative Government’s attacks on human rights and the rule of law must stop. "Trying to weaken people’s ability to challenge the Government just because the courts sometimes rule against you is the act of dictators and despots, not democrats. "Liberal Democrats will oppose any attempts to water down the Human Rights Act and will always defend individuals’ abilities to challenge the government and uphold their rights."
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