05May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems commit to £2bn for hydrogen bus fleet revolution

Lib Dems commit to £2bn for hydrogen bus fleet revolution

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have announced that they would create a £2 billion fund to oversee the conversion of every bus fleet in England to hydrogen or electric powered vehicles. Liberal Democrats have proposed a £20 billion “Clean Air Fund”, which not only includes money to convert buses, but also to fund more bus routes and invest in walking and cycling. The policy comes as the party has promised to ‘decarbonise england, creating greener, cleaner communities’ ahead of the May local elections. They are also calling for the conversion of the rail network to ultra-low-emission technology by 2035 as part of a significant investment in public transport. Much of England’s buses are diesel powered, which is responsible for the high levels of particulate matter found in air pollution. The funding would…
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04May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
India: UK must begin parallel vaccine rollout without delay

India: UK must begin parallel vaccine rollout without delay

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have written to the Prime Minister calling for the UK to begin donating vaccines through the COVAX programme immediately. The letter, co-signed by all MPs and spearheaded by Layla Moran, echoes calls the party made to join COVAX as part of a 'parallel rollout' back in February. With the situation in India now worsening, the urgency of the call has intensified. It also highlighted how aid cuts are making the global situation worse and called for a number of other proactive measures such as safely accelerating approval processes in regulatory bodies. In the letter, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development, Layla Moran MP said : "The UK must do its part and provide as many vaccines as possible to countries that do not have…
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04May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Public call on Conservatives to withdraw offensive leaflet

Borough news
The crass arrogance and ignorance of local Conservative candidates has caused further anger amongst the public across Oldham Borough. Local Conservatives were told in no uncertain terms that using an outdated photo of Oldham councillors - three of whom had sadly died - on leaflets distributed in early April around Crompton and High Crompton was disgusting and likely to cause distress to family members and friends of the deceased. Now, weeks later, the same image is appearing in leaflets being pushed through letterboxes by the three Conservative candidates in Saddleworth, the home of one of the deceased Councillors, popular former Mayor Derek Heffernan, who died in 2019. Mick Scholes, Liberal Democrat agent in Saddleworth South Ward is demanding that the Conservative Party immediately cease the distribution of the offensive leaflet.…
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03May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Put cabbies in driving seat to net zero future with £1bn fund

Put cabbies in driving seat to net zero future with £1bn fund

Parliamentary news
Ahead of the local elections, the Liberal Democrats have set out their vision to clean up Britain’s air by calling for a £1 billion fund for taxi drivers to switch to electric vehicles, as part of their proposals for Clean Air Zones across Britain. The Liberal Democrats propose ten new Clean Air Zones across the country by the end of 2022. The Clean Air Zones would combat deadly air pollution which causes 40,000 early deaths each year, with transport being the biggest emitter of harmful gases. The Conservatives pledged in their 2019 manifesto to set “strict new laws on air quality”, but this has yet to happen. Outside of London only one other council has established a Clean Air Zone, Liberal Democrat controlled Bath. Under Liberal Democrat plans, taxi drivers…
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03May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must verify Iran reports and set our citizens free

Government must verify Iran reports and set our citizens free

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports from Iran on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Layla Moran MP said: “Reports from Iran, that the UK Government must verify, spell out what we already suspected – that the cruel and heartless regime has been using Nazanin as a bargaining chip over unpaid debts. Just this morning Dominic Raab suggested the situation was more complicated than this. It isn’t. “The UK has already accepted it owes the debt to the Iranian government, so if they haven’t already done so I urge them to pay and set our citizens free. And if they have now repaid the debt, they should confirm that and they must do everything in their power to return Nazanin to the UK immediately and redouble their efforts to secure the…
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03May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Shaw Liberal Democrats launch petition to restore Milnrow Road bus services

Shaw Liberal Democrats launch petition to restore Milnrow Road bus services

Borough news
Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors have written to the residents of Dunwood Park Courts and along Milnrow Road asking them to sign a petition in support of restoring a bus service along the whole of Milnrow Road. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who also serves as Oldham’s representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, is co-ordinating the effort to get as many residents as possible to support the campaign. Councillor Sykes said: “From January, the 181/2 bus services coming from Manchester terminated at Wrens Nest and the 408 now turns onto and off Buckstones Road so no bus travels along the whole of Milnrow Road to Wrens Nest. “Shaw Councillors have received many complaints from residents who rely on public transport who are now finding it more difficult to connect with…
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03May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Sykes calls for on-site COVID-19 testing at more local pharmacies

Sykes calls for on-site COVID-19 testing at more local pharmacies

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has written to Oldham’s Director of Public Health requesting more work be done on signing up pharmacies in Shaw, Crompton, Saddleworth and East Oldham to carry out on-site testing for COVID-19. Although the government is responsible for commissioning the tests, Councillor Sykes hopes that Director Katrina Stephens can help apply pressure in the right places to roll out the provision in areas of the borough that are not currently served. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Although it is possible to pick up a home testing kit at four pharmacies and from the Crompton Library in my own Shaw Ward, many of my constituents have told me that they would prefer to be able to…
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01May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Global health cuts sowing seeds of next pandemic

Global health cuts sowing seeds of next pandemic

Parliamentary news
Responding to the closure of FCDO funded UK Partnerships for Health Systems programme, due to aid cuts, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and International Development Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: “I’m appalled that the Government has cancelled the UK Partnerships for Health Systems programme. I cannot believe that during a global pandemic the Conservatives are taking money away from the very programmes that are designed to build resilient health systems in developing countries. “This is both unforgivable and incredibly short-sighted. The Government are sowing the seeds of the next pandemic with these cuts. Nobody is safe until everyone is safe. Britain is seemingly not only abandoning the world’s poorest but also any hope of ending this pandemic worldwide. “The Liberal Democrats will stand up against these cuts and for the 0.7%…
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30Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
New Police Chief appointment no excuse to delay publication of report

New Police Chief appointment no excuse to delay publication of report

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrats are dismayed that the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Police and Crime Commissioner is not immediately publishing a damning report into Police management and performance. Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has previously raised his concerns in letters and meetings with Mayor Andy Burnham. Commenting councillor Sykes said: “Regrettably Mayor Burnham’s tenure as Police and Crime Commissioner has not been a happy one. Greater Manchester Police has under his woeful watch allowed over 80,000 crimes to go unrecorded in a single year, seen the departure of a Chief Constable under a cloud, and spent a fortune on a new iOPs Police computer system which still doesn’t work properly and at one point was functioning so poorly that officers had to go back to using…
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30Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tim Farron slams Tories for failing to create environmental regulator

Tim Farron slams Tories for failing to create environmental regulator

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron put forward a Ten Minute Rule Bill that would have created an independent regulator to hold the Government and public authorities to account on their environmental targets. This regulator would have had new powers and resources to ensure compliance with the targets. However, yesterday the Bill has fallen with MPs not having the opportunity to debate it. The Conservatives had promised to create a new environmental regulator, replacing the role the European Commission played before Brexit. However the proposed “Office of Environmental Protection” has been criticised for lacking meaningful enforcement powers. Furthermore, the Environment Bill that will create the OEP has been delayed several times since it was first introduced in 2018, and is now not expected to return to Parliament until after the Queen’s…
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