20Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
‘Computer Says No!’ – Police officers still failed by Mayor’s new iOPs system

‘Computer Says No!’ – Police officers still failed by Mayor’s new iOPs system

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence
Police officers and the victims of crime across Greater Manchester continue to be let down by a new computer system backed by £29 million in public money from Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Burnham. A report by accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers into police performance was finally published last Friday after being hidden for many months by Mayor Andy Burnham. Pressure from the Liberal Democrat Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, helped bring the findings to light. It includes a damning litany of the inadequacies of the iOPs (Integrated Operational Policing System) system. Councillor Sykes said: “Police officers have complained to me about the inadequacies of iOPs from the time it was first introduced in June 2019. The PwC report candidly records the frustration…
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18Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call for immediate ban on conversion therapy in all forms

Lib Dems call for immediate ban on conversion therapy in all forms

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for a total ban of conversion therapy in the UK, with no exemptions for religious practices. The party also wants to see a criminal ban on referrals, transportation of minors overseas, and advertising and promotion of any conversion practices as well as a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of conversion therapy. Their calls comes in the same year as the Government have met with the Evangelical Alliance and LGB Alliance, who advocate religious exemptions for gay conversion therapy, whilst failing to honour their promise to ban the practice. Liberal Democrat Equalities spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “Gay conversion therapy has no place in our society. The last three Conservative Prime Ministers have each promised to ban it, but still we have seen no…
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18Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
NHS workers face £940 fall in income from Tory tax hike and Universal Credit cut

NHS workers face £940 fall in income from Tory tax hike and Universal Credit cut

Parliamentary news
NHS workers face a £940 hit to their incomes next year due to Conservative plans to increase national insurance to 13.25% and cut Universal Credit, analysis published by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. The figures show that the 3% pay rise for NHS workers announced by the government earlier this year will be more than wiped out by the combined impact of the unfair tax hike and slashing of support to working households. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said the government’s proposals were a “slap in the face for our NHS heroes” and accused ministers of launching an “unfair tax raid on nurses and others on the frontline of the pandemic.” He was speaking as the Liberal Democrats meet for their Autumn Conference this weekend. The research, conducted for the…
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18Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call on Govt to create a Care Leavers education support package

Lib Dems call on Govt to create a Care Leavers education support package

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have agreed upon a new deal for Care Leavers at their party conference today. The package calls for support measures for Care Leavers particularly in the area of education. The party is calling for further provision to support carers right the way through their education, with support measures proposed from the early teens right the way to further education. The motion calls for young people and Care Leavers to have specialised mentoring, extra exam support and tuition. The package also calls on the Government to increase the Care Leaver Bursary from £1,000 to £2,000. The Liberal Democrat motion focusing particularly on education comes as almost 100,000 children in care across the UK face disadvantaged in their early life. The Liberal Democrats have called the situation for Care…
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18Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems urge sanctions and Olympic boycott on China over Uyghur genocide

Lib Dems urge sanctions and Olympic boycott on China over Uyghur genocide

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have passed a motion at their party conference that calls for sanctions on Chinese officials and a boycott of the Winter Olympics. The motion also calls for family reunification of those forced into “re-education” camps and calls on the Foreign Secretary to grant asylum to Uyghurs fleeing persecution. Liberal Democrats have consistently called on the UK Government to take urgent action against those perpetrating these atrocities, including the use of Magnitsky sanctions. Ahead of the vote at their party conference Lib Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran has written to every UK Government Minister urging them to back a boycott of the Winter Olympic games due to happen in February 2022. In the letter, Layla says, “The accounts of what is taking place in Xinjiang are horrifying,…
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18Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Introduce a Health Data Trust to protect private medical data

Introduce a Health Data Trust to protect private medical data

Parliamentary news
Today, at their Conference, the Liberal Democrats have backed ambitious plans to safeguard private health data. The party is calling for the establishment of a five-point ‘Health Data Charter’, which will set out key tests for whether data sharing is in the interest of the public and the NHS. They also propose a ‘Sovereign Health Data Trust’, which would bring together experts, clinicians and patient representatives to oversee the implementation and observance of the new charter. Commenting on the proposals, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: “In an increasingly digital world, it’s important that we understand how companies and organisations are able to access and manage our personal data - particularly health information. “Sadly, this current Government is refusing to be honest with people about how they’re handling…
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17Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
22,000 fraud cases dropped by the police last year, new figures show

22,000 fraud cases dropped by the police last year, new figures show

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have accused the Home Secretary Priti Patel of being “asleep at the wheel” in the fight against fraud, after the party revealed that over 22,000 investigations into fraud cases were dropped by police last year. Analysis of Home Office figures shows that between April 2020 and March 2021, 22,420 fraud cases were closed without a suspect being identified, an increase of 20% on the previous 12 months. Only 9% (4,853) of all the 51,870 cases closed in 2020/21 resulted in a suspect being charged. The Liberal Democrats are demanding an urgent government strategy to tackle the fraud epidemic, support victims and catch the criminals responsible. Online fraud has soared during the Covid pandemic, with internet banking fraud more than doubling between 2019 and 2020. Those falling victim…
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17Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Ed Davey statement on opening of Lib Dem conference

Ed Davey statement on opening of Lib Dem conference

Parliamentary news
Speaking ahead of the opening of the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference today (Friday 17 September), Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “The Liberal Democrats go into this conference feeling energised by our recent successes and determined to stand up for people who are sick and tired of being taken for granted. “Our stunning by-election win in Chesham and Amersham showed we are the party that can take on Boris Johnson’s Conservatives and deliver a fair deal for families around the country. “Already we have forced the government into watering down their undemocratic planning reforms imposed on communities and U-turning on illiberal Covid passports. “Boris Johnson is kidding himself if he thinks these U-turns will stem the tide of voters turning to the Liberal Democrats in former Conservative strongholds across the…
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16Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Nadhim Zahawi slammed for misleading free school meal comments

Nadhim Zahawi slammed for misleading free school meal comments

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the new Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi for misleading comments made on BBC Radio 4 last year about free school meals. In October 2020, the minister claimed research showed families didn’t like meals being labelled as free and preferred “to pay a modest amount, £1 or £2”. However, when asked to provide the research referred to by the former children’s minister, who also repeated the claim on Times Radio, the Department for Education said it was not aware of any that backed up his comments Commenting on the appointment of Nadhim Zahawi, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “Gavin Williamson was the most incompetent Education Secretary in living memory, but with children having missed millions of school days, their futures hang in the balance.…
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15Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government risks sleepwalking into another winter lockdown

Government risks sleepwalking into another winter lockdown

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has warned the government's Plan B risks being "too little too late" if it is only implemented once the virus is out of control. It comes after the Health Secretary Sajid Javid said this morning that the government’s Covid Plan B will only be put in place if the pandemic “gets out of control.” Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “People looking at this so-called winter Covid Plan B will be deeply concerned that the government still doesn’t understand how to control this virus. “Time after time throughout this pandemic the government has acted too late, failing to provide people with the right support and failing to control the virus, costing tens of thousands of lives. Plan B is the same thing all over again,…
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