14May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Councils need more support from Government or families will break apart and more people will die

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Opposition Leader on Oldham Council, says the Government must stick to its promises – to help families and Councils.  Many people are living below the bread line, many are dependent on food banks.  Some families will become vulnerable to loan sharks or turn to crime in order to ‘put bread on the table’ for their family.  Councillor Sykes thinks it is imperative that the Government funds Councils properly so they can prevent problems like this arising. Councils are being hit the hardest through loss of income much more than extra spending demands. In Oldham’s case loss of income are projected at £27M for 12 months compared to just over £19M on increased expenditure.  To date we have received £14.2M. Oldham Borough…
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13May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Moran: Govt must publish scientific advice for reopening schools

Parliamentary news
Following securing an Urgent Question in the House of Commons today, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Layla Moran has called on the Government to release the scientific advice for reopening schools without delay. Layla Moran also called on the Secretary of State for Education to clarify "what he thinks ‘safe’ actually means?" in regard to the safety of children returning to school, as well as condemning the Government for failing to consult with teachers and unions. Following the Urgent Question, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, Layla Moran, said: “Every day that schools remain shut, the disadvantage gap widens and vulnerable children risk falling through the cracks. But that doesn’t mean we should open schools before it’s actually safe. “The Government has failed to consult with school leaders, teachers and unions on the details of its…
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13May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call for Safe Trace App Law to ensure coronavirus app is safe and effective

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to bring forward a new “Safe Trace App Law”, to ensure the Government’s coronavirus tracing app is safe and effective. The calls comes as it is reported the NHS tracing app is set to be rolled out nationwide by end of next week, despite concerns. The party says this new primary legislation would force the Government to justify its decision to reject plans for a decentralised app (as recommended by the Information Commissioner) and pursue a centralised app instead, despite experts warning that: It may not work on phones that are locked or when it’s running in the background.It will drain a phone’s battery, so won’t work for long.It will be incompatible with other countries’ apps, including Ireland’s.It puts people’s privacy at…
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12May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government extend furlough scheme – now they must support self-employed

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the Government has extended the furlough scheme after weeks of Lib Dem campaigning, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The Furlough scheme has helped protect jobs and it is something the Liberal Democrats have campaigned to protect. So I am delighted the Government has done just that and adopted many of our ideas. “However there are still millions of people that need significant help through this challenging period. Some who moved jobs but were not on their new employer’s payroll by mid-March have fallen into a crack in the system and need much more help. “The lockdown has also been extremely difficult for many self employed people. Taxi drivers, hairdressers, cleaners, childcare providers and millions of other self-employed people are still not…
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12May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey raises concerns PM misled Parliament over change in slogan

Parliamentary news
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has raised concerns that the Prime Minister has misled Parliament regarding his response to his question yesterday on the changing of the Government's slogan, calling on Boris Johnson to correct the record urgently. Yesterday, Ed Davey asked the Prime Minister to confirm reports that neither the chief medical officer nor the chief scientific adviser signed off yesterday’s shift in the public health message from “Stay at home” to “Stay alert”?" - which the Prime Minister denied. However, at the press conference yesterday evening both Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, refused to confirm they directly signed off the new slogan. Following this, Ed Davey has today written a letter to the Prime Minister stating that "if you have misled Parliament, inadvertently or otherwise, that this is…
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12May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must not end virtual parliament

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that Parliament will no longer remain virtual after recess at the end of May, Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain said: “Suggestions that MPs will not be able to do their job virtually from the beginning of June are deeply concerning. We are living through a national emergency. We have worked incredibly hard to get Parliament up and running in virtual form for exactly that reason.  The current advice is that people should work at home if the can - we have proven that MPs can.  “As yet, the Government has published no guidance as to how MPs and staff are meant to keep a two metres distance from each other whilst working in Parliament. Perhaps most worryingly of all, MPs and staff would be further filling up public transport networks…
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11May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Tragic consequences of Govt’s failure to protect care workers are ‘indisputable’

Parliamentary news
Responding to the statistics published this morning by the ONS, showing that those working in social care 'had significantly raised rates of death involving COVID-19', Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “Throughout the coronavirus crisis, those working in social care have been continuing to work on the frontline, putting themselves in harm’s way to look after our loved ones. The figures released this morning showing a raised rate of death for care workers are heartbreaking and highlight what they are all risking as they continue to care for the most vulnerable during this pandemic. “The scarcity of protective equipment and testing means many care workers have been forced to compromise their safety whilst working. The fact that care workers are more likely to lose their lives than nurses or doctors shows…
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11May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

GMTC deliberately blocking scrutiny over Coronavirus transport crisis

Borough news
The Liberal Democrats have accused the Chair of Greater Manchester Transport Committee (GMTC) of deliberately blocking scrutiny and avoiding input from across the region. The Chair of GMTC, Councillor Mark Aldred, has ignored multiple requests from Liberal Democrat members of the committee to constructively scrutinise how the region's transport will begin to recover from the Coronavirus crisis once lockdown beings to ease. Lib Dem representatives on GMTC, John Leech and Howard Sykes, accused Councillor Aldred of deliberately avoiding scrutiny and input from across the region and political divide. The Liberal Democrats set out five points that GMTC must urgently answer in order to address concerns about how the region's transport will begin to recover from the Coronavirus crisis: How will social distancing be maintained at the same time as getting people back on public transportAddress the budget implications…
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11May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government’s mixed messaging risks creating more confusion than clarity

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's COVID-19 update, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “People across the UK have made enormous personal sacrifices to slow the spread of COVID-19, protect others and protect our NHS and care services. Millions of people have put their lives on hold, are in isolation and face losing their livelihoods. “So I don't understand why the Government has changed its messaging at this critical stage. It risks what people have fought so hard for. The Prime Minister has not provided the country with any evidence or justification for this change. Instead, he risks creating more confusion than clarity by badly communicating his Government's plans. “We must put people's health first. It is crystal clear that the only way to begin to ease out of the current…
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08May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must act to stop mass redundancies in critical moment for our economy

Parliamentary news
Responding to Bank of England forecasts which show the UK economy could shrink by 14% this year, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This is a critical time for our economy. The number one economic priority is avoiding mass redundancies by extending the furlough scheme. Businesses must have the time and space to recover. Jobs and business support schemes cannot be removed too early or completely. “Without Government action, jobs could be lost on a massive scale and the economy could spiral. “The Government must also take immediate steps to extend the Brexit transition period. Uncertainty over our relationship with our closest trading partner will hurt the economy even more. Risking the UK leaving transition with no deal is unbelievably irresponsible. “We must above all keep people…
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