27Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems lead cross-party call for clarity on coronavirus loan scheme

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are leading a cross-party call for the Business Secretary to provide clearer guidance to lenders regarding Business Interruption Loans, following reports that lenders have been slow to approve loans to struggling businesses due to extensive due diligence processes. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has been joined by over 20 MPs from across the political spectrum in writing to the Business Secretary to call for the additional guidance. The letter asks that the Government sets out the "minimum level of due diligence required" to underwrite loans, criteria which would enable lenders to process applications at a faster pace. This would help to ensure business owners benefit from the scheme as soon as possible. Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said: “Business Interruption Loans offer a much-needed lifeline…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must scale up testing and tracing

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Health Secretary’s press conference where he announced a move towards tests for all essential workers, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “NHS and social care workers are protecting us and putting themselves on the line every single day. They need us to protect them.  “The move towards tests for all essential workers is a welcome step, but the Government should have already started tracing weeks ago. Ministers must also face up to why the UK is still using less than half its coronavirus testing capacity. “Our priority must be protecting the most vulnerable in our society. We can only do that with even larger numbers of people working on tracing, including using local tracing experts, and setting out plans to support people as they isolate."
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems lead cross-party call for Covid-19 grants to help students in difficulty

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are leading a cross-party call urging the Government to set up emergency Coronavirus Maintenance Grants for students from low-income backgrounds who are struggling as a result of the pandemic. Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson, who is leading the campaign, warned students from low-income backgrounds are not able to claim Universal credit but are among the most “economically vulnerable in society during this crisis, and they do not have their parents to fall back on.” MPs representing university towns from across the political spectrum have signed a letter to the Chancellor which also highlights that businesses relying on temporary student labour will find it far easier to hire a new cohort of students to fill vacancies when the shops, pubs and restaurants reopen, rather than furlough students…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Concerns over impact of school closures for most disadvantaged pupils

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat and Opposition Leader Oldham Council, is concerned over the worrying slump in school performance in Oldham Borough.  Earlier this year before the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Department for Education has published school performance tables based on last summer's GCSEs results (2019).  The tables show that nine out of 16 Oldham schools were ‘below average’.  A further two schools were noted as being simply ‘average’ in their performance.  Councillor Sykes wants additional funding and says the way to get that help is not to mask the problems.  Pupils will now find it even harder to achieve academically and vocationally because of the outbreak of Covid-19 and the closure of schools. “Many teachers and other staff in schools are going more than the extra mile…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call to safely reopen Oldham’s waste site

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat and Opposition Leader Oldham Council, has written to Oldham Council Bosses to reopen local waste sites in Oldham Borough. “Other authorities across the UK are still providing these services.  Wigan Borough Council has now reopened its refuse facilities why can the rest of Greater Manchester (GM) Councils do the same,” asks Councillor Sykes. He wants Oldham Council to follow suit in a safe and orderly manner.  These calls have come following a month of lockdown closures from the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  There has also been a severe spike in fly tipping across the region. “If it is good enough for Wigan then it is good enough for Oldham, stated Councillor Sykes.  “I really do hope these pleas are listened to and actioned…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems condemn Government for coronavirus crisis in prisons

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Peer and former Deputy First Minister for Wales, Lord German, will be leading a debate in the Houses of Parliament to question the Government over their inaction in stopping the spread of coronavirus across prisons in England and Wales.Mike German, who is the Party’s Spokesperson for Prison Reform in the House of Lords, is set to raise the issue of overcrowding in prisons and overstretched prisons staff across England and Wales, making them “a perfect crucible” for coronavirus to spread. Speaking ahead of his debate, Mike German said: “Throughout the coronavirus crisis, the Liberal Democrats have repeatedly warned the Government about the dangers posed by our already overstretched prisons and prisons staff.  The fact that conditions in our prisons were so already poor has made them a perfect crucible for the disease.…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Home Secretary urged to tackle hate crime towards Chinese community

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Home Secretary to set out what additional steps the Government is taking to prevent coronavirus-related hate crimes towards the Chinese community. The call comes amid concerns about incidents of racially-motivated hate crimes against people in the Chinese community during the coronavirus pandemic, including a shocking 900% increase in content of that nature on Twitter. In a letter to the Home Secretary from Christine Jardine MP, Daisy Cooper MP and Isabelle Parasram, Vice President of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Democrats have urged the Home Secretary to use her public platforms to “condemn this pernicious new form of racism.” Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:  “Everyone should be free to live their lives without fear of discrimination, abuse or violence. Reports of…
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23Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must grant visa extension to allied health professionals

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are supporting the call by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in asking the Government to honour the contribution of all foreign born allied health professionals during the Covid-19 crisis by ensuring they are included in the Government’s auto-visa extension scheme. The majority of the 150,000 Allied Health Professions, such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and speech & language therapists, are currently excluded from the government’s auto-visa extension scheme. This scheme was meant to recognise the pressures on frontline staff from overseas, who are fighting to keep people safe from COVID-19. The Liberal Democrats are already leading a campaign to say “loudly and unequivocally, that those who have put their lives at risk for our country are welcome to live in it”. The party has secured cross-party…
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22Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government unwillingness to work with EU through crisis unforgivable

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Health Secretary's refutation of the suggestion that the Government's decision not to be involved in an EU ventilator scheme was a "political decision", Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This Government's evident unwillingness to work with the European Union through the current crisis is unforgivable.  “Time and again, the Government seem to have missed opportunities to join the EU's procurement efforts. Continued shortages of PPE over the last few days coupled with the Government's failure to scale up testing for NHS and social care workers demonstrate that the current approach hasn't delivered. Lives are at risk as a result.  “To maintain any credibility, the Government must be completely frank about what opportunities were missed or deliberately passed up. Ministers must be absolutely clear that they will participate…
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22Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey calls for independent inquiry into handling of coronavirus crisis

Parliamentary news
Ed Davey, Acting Leader of the the Liberal Democrats, has reiterated the need for the Government to continue to put all its energy into stopping the spread of coronavirus. He has further called for an independent inquiry to review the Government’s response to the pandemic "so we can learn the lessons" once the immediate crisis has passed.  Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said: “Millions of people are working day and night to tackle the coronavirus crisis in this country. The Government must put all its energy into supporting them and stopping the spread of coronavirus. Liberal Democrats will continue to back measures to tackle this cruel disease whilst holding the Government to account where they are failing to deliver for those who need it most. “Once we are through this crisis, there will…
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