23Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
FSB report: Govt must avert a jobs crisis in Autumn

FSB report: Govt must avert a jobs crisis in Autumn

Parliamentary news
Responding to the new report from the Federation of Small Businesses, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trade Sarah Olney MP said: “With furlough set to expire next month and countless small businesses still uncertain about their future, the Government should have already announced a cut to employers’ NICs to support as many jobs as possible. Ministers should be using every tool at their disposal to support small businesses and avert a wave of job losses in the autumn. “And thanks to the Government’s terrible EU trade deal, thousands of British exporters are struggling under a mountain of paperwork and red tape. That's not the kind of trading relationship with Europe the Government promised. The very least they can do is stop ignoring small businesses and announce new funding under an expanded…
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19Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Cycling network improvements targeted by Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

Cycling network improvements targeted by Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

Borough news
Saddleworth Liberal Democrats are already working on the next round of cycle routes for the district, even before the current proposals are brought forward.  Having set key priorities for the network – connecting village centres, travel interchanges and parks – they drew up key routes that would connect existing cycle routes to those areas, and have put forward those proposals to the highways engineers in charge of the Active Travel Fund plans.  Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It’s really important to have a vision for how we are going to join up the existing cycle routes that we have, and with new work that is going ahead. “For example, the routes in Greenfield are going to connect a new Tameside loop route. I’ve proposed that the next extension should connect…
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18Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: PM must apologise to our Armed Forces personnel

Davey: PM must apologise to our Armed Forces personnel

Parliamentary news
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has called on Boris Johnson to apologise to Armed Forces personnel and their families after the worst foreign policy failure in decades. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson has overseen the most catastrophic foreign policy failure in decades. After 20 years of service and sacrifice by our Armed Forces in Afghanistan, the Taliban have swept back to power, risking both British national security and the lives of Afghan civilians, especially women and girls. “Many former soldiers and their families are now being forced to ask the awful question: 'was it all worth it?' Hearing their stories has been truly heart-wrenching. No one in our Armed Forces should ever have to question whether their sacrifice and the sacrifice of the…
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18Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Gun licensing: Shouldn’t have taken tragedy for Patel to act

Gun licensing: Shouldn’t have taken tragedy for Patel to act

Parliamentary news
Responding to Priti Patel’s announcement that the Government will bring forward statutory guidance on firearms licensing, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for Home Affairs Brian Paddick said: “It shouldn’t have taken the tragic shootings in Plymouth for the Home Secretary to finally strengthen gun licensing checks. “Experts have been calling for new statutory guidance for six years, and Parliament legislated for it more than four years ago. Priti Patel’s failure to introduce it until now is unforgivable. “The first duty of the Government is to keep people safe. That means acting quickly and decisively on expert advice, not waiting for the next tragedy to force it into action.”
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18Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Probation report: Invest in drug treatment to cut crime

Probation report: Invest in drug treatment to cut crime

Parliamentary news
Responding to HM Inspectorate of Probation’s report exposing the lack of specialist drug treatment for people on probation, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “The Conservatives abject failure to tackle the causes of crime is making our communities less safe. “We know that effective drug treatment – both in prison and in the community – is crucial for stopping people from reoffending. We know that drug-related crime costs taxpayers £9 billion every year. So why won’t the Government invest what is needed to treat drug addiction and stop more people becoming victims of crime? “Sadly, Conservative Ministers are spending too much time trying to sound tough on crime, and not doing what will actually work to prevent it. “To break the cycle of reoffending, we must turn prisons…
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18Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: PM must call a “European Security Summit” with allies

Davey: PM must call a “European Security Summit” with allies

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to hold a “European Security Summit” with European leaders in light of the recent events in Afghanistan. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister to "start building a new international coalition by convening a European Security Summit with our close European allies." Davey has warned that “we cannot be paralysed by political failure and jeopardise our nation's safety.” Adding, "the legacy of twenty years’ sacrifice and service in Afghanistan cannot be a new terrorist threat. We cannot afford to go back to where we were twenty years ago. I urge you to act swiftly.” Commenting in the letter, Ed Davey MP said: "Prisoners who were onced kept under lock and key by…
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17Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Raab’s sticking plaster on aid: Outrageous

Raab’s sticking plaster on aid: Outrageous

Parliamentary news
Responding to Dominic Raab's comments on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme where he said he would increase the aid budget he "slashed to the bone" by 10%, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: "It is outrageous that the Foreign Secretary has come out of hiding to announce this pitiful amount of support. This is the same person who cynically slashed aid to vulnerable women and girls in Afghanistan, making life even harder for people in the country. "They should do the honourable thing and immediately recommit pre-aid cut levels to Afghanistan to support those women and girls who need it now more than ever. "Dominic Raab's legacy as Foreign Secretary will no doubt be one of shame and downright incompetence."
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17Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Unemployment stats: Figures belie scale of challenge ahead

Unemployment stats: Figures belie scale of challenge ahead

Parliamentary news
Reacting to figures released this morning showing that UK's unemployment rate dropped to 4.7% in Q2 2021 (a decrease of 0.2% on the quarter before), Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “These figures don’t give us a real picture of what is going on in our economy or the scale of the challenge ahead. "The Government needs to listen to the businesses in the hospitality sector who cannot open up fully because staff were forced to move on during the lockdown. Or the countless small businesses who say they’re months away from closing. And the parents worried how they will feed their children and pay their bills if they lose their job when furlough ends next month. “What the country needs is a long-term strategy to support jobs…
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16Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call out Raab: “Come out of hiding to address the country”

Lib Dems call out Raab: “Come out of hiding to address the country”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to “come out of hiding” and urgently update the nation on plans to evacuate all British citizens and Afghan interpreters from Afghanistan. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “Dominic Raab’s silence is deafening and an insult to all those who have loved ones still in Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary must come out of hiding to address the country and hold a press conference in the next 24 hours. “So far we’ve seen nothing but an utter failure of leadership and responsibility. The same will be said if he fails to address the nation. “With the barbaric Taliban already beginning their hunt for all those linked to allies based in the country, we must not leave…
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16Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Kabul: Our international leaders should hang their heads in shame

Kabul: Our international leaders should hang their heads in shame

Parliamentary news
Responding to the latest news that the Taliban are forming a new Government in Afghanistan, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “My thoughts are with the Afghan people. Millions will be fearing for their lives - those who have any connection to coalition forces in particular. Women and girls will be terrified that their liberties and rights are about to be permanently extinguished. It is utterly dreadful. My thoughts are also with those in the British armed forces who gave so much to keep them safe for so long. “We must not conclude that this rapid collapse was inevitable. It was not. We must never forget that the scenes playing out before our eyes are a direct result of the decisions taken by President Biden, the UK Government and other…
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