07Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Foreign aid cuts: Government actions ruining UK’s reputation

Foreign aid cuts: Government actions ruining UK’s reputation

Parliamentary news
Responding to the announcement that the amendment on aid cuts has not been selected for a vote in Parliament, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for International Development Layla Moran MP said: "Today’s decision is just the start of the battle to reinstate the 0.7% target. Boris Johnson might have had a lucky escape from a vote on the cut today, but he cannot run and hide from Parliamentary democracy forever. "In a week which sees the eyes of the world on the UK at the G7, the Conservatives’ actions – from making it harder to vote at home to abandoning our development commitments around the world – are ruining our country’s reputation. "The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for the 0.7% target, which we have supported for over fifty years…
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06Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Corporation tax: G7 actions long-overdue to tackle tax avoidance

Corporation tax: G7 actions long-overdue to tackle tax avoidance

Parliamentary news
Responding to the announcement that G7 finance ministers have endorsed a unified stance on corporation tax, Liberal Democrats Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "This is a long-overdue step towards tackling tax avoidance by some of the most profitable companies in the world. "It is crucial we push ahead with these steps in order to prevent tech giants exploiting loopholes in our tax system, and these changes must be embraced by the G20, OECD and the rest of the international community. "This Government did nothing to tax the excess profits made by large corporations that benefited from the pandemic. They must now use this opportunity to the fullest to ensure tech giants finally pay their fair share. "This is an opportunity to ensure that those giants who have made huge…
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04Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Education Secretary must go after Sir Kevan resignation

Education Secretary must go after Sir Kevan resignation

Parliamentary news
Responding to the resignation of the Education Recovery Commissioner Sir Kevan Collins, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education Daisy Cooper said: "Sir Kevan was a good appointment and many of us were cheering him on. The Government’s pitiful offer of a £1.4bn to support a generation of young people who have lost months of learning was an insult to him and to our young people.  "Our children deserve better than this useless Education Secretary. Time and time again he keeps getting it wrong. It really is the last straw - the Education Secretary has to go.”
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04Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Covid-19 cases rise: Government must remain vigilant and fix isolation support

Covid-19 cases rise: Government must remain vigilant and fix isolation support

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that cases of Covid are rising in the UK, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP said: “Lockdown combined with the vaccination programme has allowed us to get cases of COVID extremely low. We need to be wary about anything that could risk this progress. The Government must remain vigilant and follow the data ahead of the next step in the roadmap. “To stop individual cases becoming outbreaks and outbreaks becoming new waves, the Government must put in place long-term measures. That means finally fixing their support for those self-isolating. No one should be forced out of isolation due to a lack of money or support. “For months, the Liberal Democrats and experts have been calling for the Government to guarantee people's wages,…
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04Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Broken Tory promises on aid targets trashing Britain’s global reputation

Broken Tory promises on aid targets trashing Britain’s global reputation

Parliamentary news
Ahead of a potential vote on a tabled amendment to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill on Monday, aiming to hold the Government to the 0.7% of GNI aid pledge, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and International Development Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “The Conservative Government’s decision to cut development spending has done extraordinary damage to Britain’s reputation with our allies and partners from across the globe. In a week which will see the eyes of the world on the UK as we host the G7, now is the time for leadership - but instead, the Conservatives want Britain to hide from its responsibilities during a global pandemic. “Every Conservative MP stood on a manifesto commitment to the 0.7% target. If they vote to cut the development budget next week,…
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04Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Portugal amber listed: Government must give clarity on international travel

Portugal amber listed: Government must give clarity on international travel

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that Portugal has been moved from green to amber on the traffic light system for international travel, Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, commented: "This will come as a huge blow both to British citizens keen to get away on a foreign holiday after an incredibly difficult 15 months, and to the travel industry. However, given the immense sacrifices made by all during the pandemic, and with rising case numbers, we must maintain caution so as not to threaten the progress we have made with our domestic reopening. "In order to keep case numbers as low as possible and prevent the spread of new variants, the Government needs to keep robust measures in place at our borders, combined with a rigorous test and trace…
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03Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Twenty’s plenty on Den Lane

Twenty’s plenty on Den Lane

Borough news, road safety
Den Lane in Springhead has been made a 20mph zone, with local Lib Dem councillor Sam Al-Hamdani taking advantage of coronavirus legislation to get the speed limit on the road changed.  Hundreds of people had previously signed a petition to the Council asking for the reduction, but nothing had happened, despite the lack of a pavement and narrowness of the road making it an obvious danger for pedestrians.  Sam said: “I use the road all the time when I take my daughter to nursery, so I was well aware of the issues, but talking to people there, there was a real feeling that their concerns had been ignored.  “It was really helpful to be able to use the coronavirus legislation to get this change, but now that the Government has…
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01Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader calls for reinstatement of Dovestones volunteer rangers

Borough news, Saddleworth News
The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Chair and Chief Executive of the Peak District National Park Authority calling upon them to reinstate the volunteer ranger service at Dovestones Reservoir. Commenting councillor Sykes said:  “The volunteer rangers freely gave their time and commitment to looking after our countryside and wildlife, and keeping visitors safe.  At a time when we have seen more moorland fires and increasing visitor numbers at Dovestones, it must defy common sense to abolish a service, which must cost the Parks Authority very little financially, but which represents a lot of extra  ‘boots on the ground’ looking out for fires and for people.  I hope that my letter provokes a rethink and that we shall see…
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01Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Keep Whitehall mandarins out of Peak District Park, say Liberal Democrats

Keep Whitehall mandarins out of Peak District Park, say Liberal Democrats

Borough news, Saddleworth News
The Liberal Democrats have urged the government not to transfer the management of the country’s National Parks from local elected authorities to Whitehall mandarins. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the responsible government minister, Lord Benyon, with a plea to keep control in local hands after plans leaked that National Parks Authorities could be abolished and a new National Landscapes Service created instead. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “Part of Saddleworth falls within the Peak District National Park, and Oldham Council has a representative on the Authority through which local councillors, and their constituents, can raise issues. If the Authority is abolished and control reverts to Whitehall, we will no longer have any say in how the park is managed. “The Liberal Democrats believe that local public organisations, like our…
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31May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Irony of Labour call for “residents first” planning approach

Irony of Labour call for “residents first” planning approach

Borough news
The call for a “residents first” planning approach by new council leader Arooj Shah has been called “deeply ironic” by local Liberal Democrat councillor Sam Al-Hamdani. In recent years the Labour Council has changed the rules around being able to challenge planning applications, making it increasingly difficult for them to be heard in public. With just one resident allowed three minutes to speak, it has left residents feeling more and more excluded from the planning process, especially on contentious applications, such as the recent application from 256 houses at Knowls Lane in Lees and Springhead. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “I would love for there to be a ‘residents first’ planning approach in Oldham. That would mean changing the system to better engage with residents, and to make sure their voices are…
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