16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government putting businesses and jobs at risk

Government putting businesses and jobs at risk

Parliamentary news
Commenting on today's economic statement from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, which failed to extend support for businesses despite the delay to lockdown easing, Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury, commented: “While extending the commercial evictions moratorium is a welcome step, the Government has failed, yet again, to offer the long term clarity and security that business needs to recover. "Government continues to ignore the pleas of businesses struggling to survive. Neglecting to extend support at the same time as restrictions are continued is a dereliction of duty from the Treasury. “The Government now risks thousands of business closures and job losses, brought on by the mounting weight of staff costs, business rates bills and loan repayments. “What we should have seen instead is a long-term…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Slow down in renewables “failure of leadership”

Slow down in renewables “failure of leadership”

Parliamentary news
New statistics show that renewable energy generation growth has slowed significantly in the last year, despite promises from the Conservatives to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to make Britain the “Saudi Arabia of wind energy.” Offshore wind generation capacity grew by just 4% in 2020, compared to 20% the previous year. Onshore wind increased its capacity by just 1.1%, continuing a downward trend since 2017, when the Conservatives made it significantly harder to build new onshore wind farms. Solar capacity increased by 1.6%, continuing its limited growth since the Conservatives cut subsidies for solar power in 2016. Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Climate Emergency, said: “In the year the UK is hosting a climate conference, we have to lead the world in tackling the climate emergency. "However,…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lockdown easing delay: Frustrating and avoidable

Lockdown easing delay: Frustrating and avoidable

Parliamentary news
Responding to the delay to lifting lockdown restrictions in England, Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, commented: “Caution from the Government is welcome. We have sacrificed so much and come so far that now is not the time to take big risks. But it is the time for the Government to be putting in place robust long-term measures to stop individual cases becoming outbreaks and outbreaks becoming new waves. “It is frustrating that this situation might have been avoided if the PM had placed India on the Red list sooner instead of prioritising his trade deal. The impact of this delay on the thousands of businesses that have been preparing to open fully on the 21st will be immense. “The hospitality and events industry especially is struggling after…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Priti Patel failing on legal routes for refugees

Priti Patel failing on legal routes for refugees

Parliamentary news
As Refugee Week begins, the Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in Parliament calling on the Government to establish safe and legal routes for refugees to come to the UK. The motion, tabled by the party’s Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP, calls on the Government to resettle 10,000 refugees each year, as well as a further 10,000 unaccompanied refugee children from elsewhere in Europe over the next 10 years. It follows Home Office data showing that just 353 refugees were brought to the UK last year, compared with 4,968 the year before. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but now the Conservative Government is turning its back on refugees. “Priti Patel is threatening…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Extend furlough or risk “jobs disaster”

Extend furlough or risk “jobs disaster”

Parliamentary news
Responding to the latest unemployment figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "A fall in unemployment is always welcome, but the Government has to provide further reassurances to business or we risk a jobs disaster when furlough ends. “The support furlough offers will be reduced from next month and will come to an abrupt end in September. "We must not underestimate the impact this withdrawal will have on people’s lives at a time the pandemic and its new variants are still forcing businesses to close. “This latest delay to the roadmap, emphasises the need do extend the furlough scheme and provide businesses with the certainty they need to drive our recovery.”
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Australia trade deal sells UK farmers down the river

Australia trade deal sells UK farmers down the river

Parliamentary news
Responding to news that a trade deal between the UK and Australia has been agreed, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trade Sarah Olney MP commented: “The Conservatives have serious questions to answer about how this agreement will prevent cheaper and lower quality food products flooding the UK market, threatening our agriculture and food safety. “For a deal with such few economic benefits to the UK, the Government should have at least ensured that UK standards on animal welfare are maintained, protecting farmers and consumers, but it seems that they have been sold down the river. “Ministers must urgently explain what steps they will take to limit the damage from this deal. And they must finally start paying attention to the thousands of small businesses that are struggling to trade with our…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
“Unacceptable” that Daniel Morgan report held back

“Unacceptable” that Daniel Morgan report held back

Parliamentary news
Following Baroness O'Loan's comments that the Home Secretary Priti Patel interfered with the publication date of the Daniel Morgan report, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It is totally unacceptable for the Home Secretary to have held up the publication of this crucial report for four weeks. “For no good reason, Priti Patel has extended the agonising wait for Daniel Morgan’s family and all those interested in uncovering the truth about his murder. “The Government must guarantee that in future any independent reports like this will be completely free of political interference and not suppressed or delayed by Government Ministers.”
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government treating social care as an afterthought

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to start cross-party talks on his social care reforms now, as a new report warns that local services are facing a ‘deluge’ of requests for care and support. The warning comes in a survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, published today [16 June]. Meanwhile, a separate report by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee concludes that social care is “not properly funded, lacks transparency and urgently needs reform”. Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care Spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP, said: “The Covid pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of social care. But it has also shown that it is too often an afterthought for this Conservative Government. “More than 1.5 million people are missing out on the…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Hungary: Anti-LGBT+ law is “disgusting” human rights violation

Hungary: Anti-LGBT+ law is “disgusting” human rights violation

Parliamentary news
Responding to the passing of legislation by the Hungarian Parliament that bans materials in schools deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: "Quite simply this is a disgusting piece of legislation which violates human rights and will lead to lasting harm to LGBT+ individuals. Homophobic persecution of this sort is something we are used to seeing in Vladmir Putin’s Russia, not in an EU member state. It is appalling. “But this is only the latest repressive step from Viktor Orban, whose record on antisemitism, Islamophobia, LGBT+ and women’s rights, and so much more besides is utterly abysmal. Despite this, Boris Johnson still thought Viktor Orban was worthy of rolling out the Downing Street red carpet last month. What signal does that…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM urged to back hospitality sector with COVID Recovery Visa

PM urged to back hospitality sector with COVID Recovery Visa

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran called on the Prime Minister to back the struggling hospitality sector at PMQs today by introducing a COVID Recovery Visa. The Oxford West and Abingdon MP raised the case of Kevin, a hotel manager in her constituency, who told her that even when the country fully opens up, his hotel “won’t be able to operate at full capacity due to chronic staff shortages.” Moran said the sector has been hit by a triple whammy of the pandemic, Brexit and the new immigration system: uncertainty in the sector due to the Government’s handling of the pandemic meaning workers are leaving for other jobs; Brexit means many EU citizens have left the UK; and the new immigration system means hospitality businesses can’t recruit enough people from abroad.…
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