23Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Small businesses need urgent support in spite of record borrowing

Small businesses need urgent support in spite of record borrowing

Parliamentary news
New economic data from the Office for National Statistics show the Government borrowed £303.1bn in the year to March, the highest level since the end of World War Two. The figures show that, compared to the previous 12 months, borrowing is nearly £250bn higher in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to the statistics released this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "These record figures are a reflection of the momentous challenge posed by Covid-19 in the past year. As significant as they are, they can't distract from the fact that people and businesses throughout the UK are still in need of support. “Countless small businesses won't be able to reopen for months to come, and millions of people are still worried about their jobs.…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Unemployment stats: Government must support young people

Unemployment stats: Government must support young people

Parliamentary news
Responding to the latest unemployment statistics, which show that 80% of those losing their jobs in the year to March were under 35, Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury, commented: “People all across the UK – especially young people – are worried about their future. Millions still rely on job support and thousands are still out of work. We can’t leave any of them behind as we get out of lockdown. “This Government has overseen the worst economic downturn in 300 years, yet they have completely failed to come up with a strategy to create new jobs and invest in peoples’ skills, to avert a jobs crisis. “Ministers need to take seriously the risk to people’s jobs and keep furlough support in place at least until the…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Fire Safety Bill: Calls for inquiry into impact on leaseholders

Fire Safety Bill: Calls for inquiry into impact on leaseholders

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats have called for an inquiry into the impact that the cost of the building safety crisis is having on leaseholders and tenants faced with huge bills for fire safety works. As the Fire Safety Bill returns to the Lords, Liberal Democrat Peers tabled an amendment that would stop the cost of remediation work being passed on to leaseholders and tenants, and would also require an inquiry into the cost of the work and whether the Government should have taken action earlier to prevent huge bills landing at the feet of those affected. Ahead of the debate on the bill, Baroness Kath Pinnock, who tabled the amendment, commented: “Our top priority is to stop these huge bills being passed on to leaseholders and tenants. But the Government also must…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must set a roadmap to net zero with new Minister

Government must set a roadmap to net zero with new Minister

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats are calling for a new local and national government strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the UK. In a debate in the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Teverson called on the Government to set a proper roadmap for local authorities as well as the government in Westminster to meet targets, and demand the creation of a new Minister for the Climate Emergency to oversee targets being met. There has been no government department explicitly dedicated to tackling the climate emergency since Theresa May scrapped the Department for Energy and Climate Change in 2016. Lord Teverson, who is leading a debate in the House of Lords Grand Committee, has argued that the Government needs more bravery when it comes to climate change, particularly in light…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Overseas Operations Bill needed improvements, say Lib Dems

Overseas Operations Bill needed improvements, say Lib Dems

Parliamentary news
Speaking after three Lords amendments to the Overseas Operations Bill were voted down , Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for Defence Jamie Stone MP said: "It is deeply regrettable that the Government have voted down three important improvements to the Overseas Operations Bill. In doing this, they have chosen to directly weaken proper support for our Armed Forces and veterans. "The Government has argued the Bill stops repeated investigations of service personnel, but the legislation doesn’t put these words into action. Contrastingly, my Lib Dem colleague Lord Thomas's amendment would have ensured investigation processes are timely and comprehensive. "It is right that a proper duty of care be established for those service personnel subject to investigation and prosecution, and that service personnel remain able to bring complaints forward against the powers that…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Foreign aid cuts utterly unacceptable

Foreign aid cuts utterly unacceptable

Parliamentary news
Commenting on the news that the Government have made their plan to cut foreign aid offical Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Layla Moran MP said: “Announcing these deep, potentially unlawful aid cuts through a written statement is utterly unacceptable – the Government is hiding from MPs’ scrutiny because they know how damaging this is to the UK’s reputation on the world stage. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic – global problems need global solutions. Instead, the Conservatives are shirking their moral and legal responsibilities. “The Conservative Government's claims that these cuts are necessary are all lies; ODA already fluctuates based on GNI. The truth is that these cuts will make us all less safe, and they are not in our national interest. Money for conflict resolution has…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government defeated as Peers vote to protect migrant survivors

Government defeated as Peers vote to protect migrant survivors

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat peers have helped to defeat the Government a further two times, voting to include crucial protections for migrant survivors of domestic abuse. The House of Lords passed two cross-party amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill that would end the sharing of survivors’ personal data with the Home Office for immigration control purposes. The amendments would also give survivors access to public funds. The Liberal Democrats voted for both amendments, while the Government voted against. The Bill will now return to the Commons for ping-pong on Monday 26th April. Following the votes, Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson on Home Affairs, said: “All survivors of domestic abuse should have the same support and protections, regardless of their immigration status. No one should be trapped in a violent or abusive…
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22Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Green Homes Grants: Government failed to take cutting emissions seriously

Green Homes Grants: Government failed to take cutting emissions seriously

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Green Homes Grant statistics, which show there were just 113,700 applications for the grant, only 10,300 measures were installed and just 6,700 homes actually received the money from the scheme, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Climate Emergency Wera Hobhouse MP said: “The Green Homes Grant has been a complete failure, as predicted right from the beginning. The Conservatives have simply failed to take the issue of upgrading our poor quality homes seriously. “From the very beginning the Green Homes Grant was short-termist, poorly thought out and suffered chronic mismanagement. Rather than taking the issue of cutting emissions seriously, the Tories engaged in the worst kind of tokenistic politics. “Liberal Democrats are calling for a ten year plan to upgrade our homes, backed up with significant government funds.…
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21Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
New climate change targets are Tory lip service

New climate change targets are Tory lip service

Parliamentary news
In reaction to the Government's announcement this afternoon on new climate change targets, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Climate Emergency, Wera Hobhouse MP, said: "The Conservative Government are already miles off track to achieve their pitiful net zero by 2050 targets and we are yet to see anything but bombast and bluster from Boris when it comes to actually taking the action necessary. "These new targets are just another in a long line of announcements where the Tories are simply paying lip service to tackling the climate crisis. "In the last few months they’ve scrapped the Green Homes Grant, that helped people cut emissions from their homes, and have cut incentives for buying new electric vehicles. "Liberal Democrats believe the time for climate action is now. The Tories should be…
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21Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

European Super League is kick in the teeth to lower league football

Borough news, Campaigns
UPDATE: with the withdrawal of the majority of clubs from the European Super League, the threat to the game's finances in the immediate term has been withdrawn. However, until fundamental change to address the systemic failures to the games finances and its fundamental values – particularly the visible levels of racism – this threat will not go away. SA 21/04/21 The announcement of the proposed European Super League (ESL), with 12 of the world’s richest clubs forming a midweek league from which they cannot be relegated, is a kick in the teeth for lower league clubs who have been struggling without crowds during the lockdown. The 12 clubs are proposing to share €3.5billion to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with at least €10billion in ‘solidarity’ payments expected during…
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