24Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
£2.5M cut from elderly and vulnerable yet only six paper responses to the proposals received

£2.5M cut from elderly and vulnerable yet only six paper responses to the proposals received

Borough news
With £2.5M in cuts that will hit the elderly and vulnerable in the next few months, Oldham’s Labour Council has failed to ask for the opinions and feedback from the very people who will be most affected by these cuts that will start to bite from April. Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Mark Kenyon said: “Despite the Conservatives promising to help with Covid financing, Oldham’s Labour Council is proposing nearly £2.5 million of cuts to services for those in sheltered housing, adult social care and supported living. Many users of these services don’t use the internet.” Mark Kenyon continued: “Despite receiving assurances that those without the internet would be consulted, only six paper responses were received. More than 9,400 homes in Oldham do not have access to the internet. Digging deeper,…
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24Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, “let’s get it done”, say Liberal Democrats

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, “let’s get it done”, say Liberal Democrats

Borough news
The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to see the Conservative Government honour the promise it made after the British people voted to Brexit to replace the funding received from the European Union with a new UK Shared Prosperity Fund. In the last round of European funding (2014–2020), the ten authorities of Greater Manchester received £322.75m, from the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) (£176.78m) and the European Social Funding (ESF) (£145.97m). Over each of the six years this represented £53.8m per year. In the Conservative Party Manifesto for the 2017 General Election campaign, the party pledged to create this new fund to ‘reduce inequalities between communities across our four nations’. To help shape the fund the incoming Conservative government committed to ‘consult widely on the design of the fund, including with the…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
£2.5M cut from elderly and vulnerable yet only six paper responses to the proposals received

£2.5M cut from elderly and vulnerable yet only six paper responses to the proposals received

Borough news
With £2.5M in cuts that will hit the elderly and vulnerable in the next few months, Oldham’s Labour Council has failed to ask for the opinions and feedback from the very people who will be most affected by these cuts that will start to bite from April. Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Mark Kenyon said: “Despite the Conservatives promising to help with Covid financing, Oldham’s Labour Council is proposing nearly £2.5 million of cuts to services for those in sheltered housing, adult social care and supported living. Many users of these services don’t use the internet.” He continued: “Despite receiving assurances that those without the internet would be consulted, only six paper responses were received. More than 9,400 homes in Oldham do not have access to the internet. Digging deeper, it…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Fire Safety Bill: Govt turning its back on leaseholders and tenants

Fire Safety Bill: Govt turning its back on leaseholders and tenants

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper has criticised the Government for turning its back on "blameless leaseholders and tenants" after amendments intended to stop building owners passing on the costs of fixing defects were defeated in the House of Commons last night. Daisy Cooper MP, who introduced the principle that leaseholders should be protected from the extortionate costs of fire safety remediation at Committee Stage of the Fire Safety Bill, commented: “The Government has once again turned its back on blameless leaseholders and tenants whose homes are not fire safe. This is utterly crushing for thousands of people left with sky-high bills and unsafe, unsellable properties. "The Government has taken almost four years to bring forward a two page bill and has spent nine months finding fault in ideas that would…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Sykes takes fight for pubs and hospitality industry to party conference

Sykes takes fight for pubs and hospitality industry to party conference

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats endorsed Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes’s plea for more government and council support for the hard-pressed pub and hospitality trade at a special online fringe meeting hosted by Councillor Sykes at the party’s spring conference (Saturday 20 March). In addition to being Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE also serves as Leader of the Local Government Association’s Liberal Democrat Group, which has 2,400 elected members in England and Wales. Attendees from councils across the UK were able to listen to speakers who included campaigner Ellie Hudspeth from Britain’s biggest consumer organisation, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA); Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat MP, spokesperson for Justice, and for Digital Culture Media and Sports; and councillor Chris White, Leader of St…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Pay your way – Liberal Democrats seek tax on excess online profits

Pay your way – Liberal Democrats seek tax on excess online profits

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors are proposing a motion to the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 24 March) calling on the Government to introduce a new tax on the excess profits generated by online traders during the COVID-19 Lockdown. The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is proposing the motion, backed by his colleague, Councillor Diane Williamson. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “It seems singularly unfair that whilst high street businesses have spent the last year suffering under Lockdown, either being entirely closed or under significant restrictions, larger national and international businesses who have benefited from online shopping and home deliveries, and made bumper profits, are not paying their way in terms of taxation. “The Liberal Democrats believe that the government should introduce…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Unemployment: Vital furlough scheme must be extended

Unemployment: Vital furlough scheme must be extended

Parliamentary news
Responding to new ONS labour market figures showing that the UK's unemployment rate is 5%, Liberal Democrats Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "This is a another set of challenging figures to mark the first anniversary of lockdown. "In a year when so many have already lost so much, it is clear that Covid-19 still poses a threat to our health and economy, with millions unable to return to work and countless small businesses unable to operate. "Today's figures emphasise just how important it is to maintain the furlough scheme as the economy reopens. Five million jobs currently supported could have been lost if the Chancellor hadn't been persuaded to extend it. "Now he has to show he's learnt that lesson and immediately extend furlough at least until the end…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must commit to 10k refugees a year, Lib Dems say

Government must commit to 10k refugees a year, Lib Dems say

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats marked the conclusion of their 2021 Spring Conference by calling on the Government to make a fully-funded commitment to resettle 10,000 refugees a year, in addition to 10,000 child refugees over the next ten years. It comes after weeks of intense scrutiny for the Home Office. An outbreak of COVID-19 at the Napier Barracks accommodation that was deemed ‘unfit for habitation’ by inspectors was shortly followed by the closure of similar accommodation at Penally Barracks. Plans then emerged that asylum seekers may be sent to a third country whilst processing their claim. Immigration Statistics for 2020 show that 823 refugees resettled in the UK last year - representing a fall from 5,612 in 2019. A further 7,546 people were granted asylum in 2020, which is a decline from…
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22Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call for greater measures to increase accessibility in education

Lib Dems call for greater measures to increase accessibility in education

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have passed a motion at their Spring Conference which calls for greater measures to be taken to increase access in education. This includes: Ensuring every disadvantaged family and students have access to broadband that would be sufficient enough for home learning.The use of 4G/5G routers as a temporary fix for places without a proper broadband infrastructure, in order to improve internet access in parts of the country where internet speeds are slow.Greater communication between Universities and Government to allow them to deliver bursaries. Following the passing of the motion, Education Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "Lockdown has demonstrated the stark digital divide that exists within and between communities. Students have suffered massive disruption to their education throughout the pandemic, and online learning has been insufficient for many.…
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22Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Late China sanctions show UK failing to lead

Late China sanctions show UK failing to lead

Parliamentary news
Responding to the addition of four Chinese officials and the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau to the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Layla Moran MP said: “These Magnitsky sanctions are welcome and better late than never – the Liberal Democrats have been calling for them in response to the mass atrocities in Xinjiang for some time. “The Government’s dither and delay has only ended thanks to the US’ leadership and fear of rebellion in the Commons. They are failing to lead on the world stage. We need consistent and firm action whenever and wherever human rights are being violated. That must include Hong Kong, where the UK has a legal obligation to act. “Dominic Raab is still refusing to call what is happening to the…
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