11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Queen’s Speech: Carers forgotten and ignored yet again

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats Leader Ed Davey has vowed to put carers on the parliamentary agenda, as the Conservative Government once again left them out in today’s Queen’s Speech. Six other key Government publications from the past year – including the Budget, the Spending Review and the Health and Care white paper – also didn’t contain a single mention of unpaid carers. The Liberal Democrats are pushing for carers to be explicitly included in the Health and Care Bill, which was announced in the Queen’s Speech today. Ed Davey is also proposing legislation that would give carers a new right to reasonable adjustments, to allow them to juggle work with caring responsibilities. Liberal Democrats Leader Ed Davey commented: “This pandemic has shown that we are a nation of carers, but it’s also…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Queen’s Speech: Government “failing the homeless” by not including Vagrancy Act repeal

Queen’s Speech: Government “failing the homeless” by not including Vagrancy Act repeal

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has said the Government is “failing the homeless” and “putting their crackdown on protests and draconian voter ID law over repeal of the Vagrancy Act”. The Government failed to include repeal of the Dickensian law that criminalises rough sleeping in the Queen’s Speech. It comes after Layla Moran led a major cross-party intervention last week, in a letter signed by over 60 parliamentarians including the Bishop of Manchester, MPs and Peers from five parties and crossbenchers, urging Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to include repealing the law, saying: “A failure to ensure the scrapping of the Act in the next session would deal a blow to cross-party efforts to address the homelessness crisis”. In February, Jenrick told the Commons he thought the Act, which criminalises rough…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Queen’s Speech: Government’s crushingly disappointing plans fail on every account

Queen’s Speech: Government’s crushingly disappointing plans fail on every account

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Queen's Speech, Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats commented: "We must rebuild as a fairer, greener and more caring country in the aftermath of Covid. So it is crushingly disappointing that the Government’s plans will fail on every account – still failing small businesses and the self-employed, still not rising properly to the climate challenge and still ignoring millions of people caring for loved ones at home. "Their planning reforms will rip powers away from local people and communities in favour of wealthy property developers, threatening our environment and treasured green spaces. Their cruel asylum plans will stop people fleeing violence and persecution, from seeking sanctuary in the UK. And long delayed reforms to social care have been pushed back into the long grass once…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Foreign travel: Government must bolster border protections

Foreign travel: Government must bolster border protections

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Government's announcement about the traffic light system for international travel, Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, commented:“Everyone has made huge sacrifices throughout this crisis to keep each other safe. Lockdown, combined with the success of the vaccination programme, has allowed us to get cases of COVID extremely low. We cannot risk this progress. “We must do everything we can to keep cases of COVID low and prevent the spread of new variants. Preventing the importation of new variants and cases as a result of increased travel is paramount. “The Government must now take any further relaxation of restrictions on international travel extremely seriously, prioritising the safe reopening of businesses up and down the country and the ability to meet and hold our loved ones. “The…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Queen’s Speech: Government urged to repeal “heartless” Vagrancy Act

Queen’s Speech: Government urged to repeal “heartless” Vagrancy Act

Parliamentary news
Over 60 MPs and Peers from five parties, as well as crossbenchers and the Bishop of Manchester, have written to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick urging him to include the repeal of the Vagrancy Act in today’s Queen’s Speech, in a letter led by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran. Signatories include the Bishop of Manchester and Lord Morse, the ex-Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office, as well as parliamentarians from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour, Greens and Plaid Cymru. In the letter, they urge the Housing Secretary to act following his comments in the House of Commons in late February, saying: “A failure to ensure the scrapping of the Act in the next session would deal a blow to cross-party efforts to address the homelessness crisis with a…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
One bedroom ‘tomb’ slammed by local councillor

One bedroom ‘tomb’ slammed by local councillor

Borough news
A tiny “home” being advertised in Oldham for rental has been condemned by a local councillor as the worst example they have seen of substandard housing. The “home” is a tiny garden shed with just enough room for a foldaway bed and a chemical toilet. Lib Dem Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “This is shocking. We have seen more and more examples of standards falling, with regulations being weakened to ‘increase development’ – unfortunately at any cost.” Cllr Al-Hamdani overlooking the development site at Dovestone reservoir The Housing and Homelessness Shadow Cabinet Member continued: “We recently introduced a motion to Oldham Council about housing standards that breach human rights. It seems unthinkable that we should have to do so. “I cannot believe that people think that they can get away with…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat team pledged to be Real Opposition to Labour

Liberal Democrat team pledged to be Real Opposition to Labour

Borough news
At a Group meeting held on 8 May, the Oldham Borough Liberal Democrat Group appointed, unanimously and un-opposed, councillor Howard Sykes MBE as their Leader and councillor Chris Gloster as their Deputy Leader. Councillor Howard Sykes said: “I am grateful once more to my colleagues for their unanimous support for my work as Group Leader and delighted that Chris will continue to serve as my Deputy. It was great to welcome newly elected councillor Mark Kenyon from Saddleworth West and Lees to the team, and to welcome Diane Williamson back for Crompton. I was also more than a little pleased to be re-elected myself. It was a shame that Garth Harkness will not be with us. After last Friday’s results, the Liberal Democrats retain eight councillors and I know that…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Jerusalem: UK Government must intervene to de-escalate situation

Jerusalem: UK Government must intervene to de-escalate situation

Parliamentary news
Responding to the rising tension in Jerusalem, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Layla Moran MP said: “I am alarmed by the growing unrest and violence in Israel and Palestine. “First and foremost, we need to recognise that Israel has broken international law with its evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and ignited a tinderbox. “The Israeli Government’s decision to use airstrikes in Gaza will only make this conflict worse. Children have died. "Violence only begets violence. Hamas also needs to stop its attacks. "It has to stop. Enough is enough. “I call on the British Government to intervene in the strongest possible terms. We need an urgent de-escalation of this situation, now. I urge the Foreign Secretary to work with our international partners to help facilitate that. “My thoughts are with…
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05May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
High Court judgement banning virtual meetings ‘out of step’ with COVID-19

High Court judgement banning virtual meetings ‘out of step’ with COVID-19

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has expressed his disappointment at the ruling by the High Court last week that councils will have to end virtual meetings after the May 6 local elections. “It seems crazy to expect councillors, staff and the public to sit down together for meetings of up to four hours duration, when Members of Parliament can still virtually attend sessions and when we are still unable to sit indoors for one minute in a restaurant or pub,” stated councillor Sykes. Councillor Sykes is one amongst many councillors of all parties who are concerned that restarting physical meetings so soon whilst there are still restrictions on indoor meetings because of the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘out-of-step’ with the current reality and needlessly endangers public health. After…
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05May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Cuts to aid for landmine charity will cost lives

Cuts to aid for landmine charity will cost lives

Parliamentary news
Following the Government cutting vital aid to a charity which finds and destroys landmines in places affected by conflict (MAG), Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “Every day we hear new details of aid cuts that will affect the lives of millions of people worldwide – this is no exception. More lives will be lost, and many more will be ruined, by the decision to cut MAG’s funding. “If we can’t even help protect people from landmines and unexploded bombs, what does that say about the UK? This is unforgiveable and betrays the best of British values. Whilst Dominic Raab is busy meeting foreign ministers, around the world our reputation is being ruined. That will have consequences for years to come. “The Liberal Democrats will stand up…
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