07Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must protect businesses and jobs

Government must protect businesses and jobs

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for the government to suspend business rates through next year, extend furlough and support the self-employed as the UK enters its third lockdown. Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the Chancellor to take real action to save people's jobs as businesses face months of hardship. Ed Davey said: “This lockdown should have come sooner, Boris Johnson has once again ducked making a difficult decision and as a result we are now in a critical situation. "But we must all support it now and do all we can to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. "We also need real action now to save people's jobs, their businesses and their livelihoods. "Small businesses have shown incredible resilience but now they worry…
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26Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Chancellor has made some unforgivable political choices

Chancellor has made some unforgivable political choices

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's Spending Review, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “With the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the Chancellor needed to ensure today that no one is left behind. That was the litmus test, and he has failed. "Far from a radically new approach to the recovery that tackles deep-seated inequality and builds a new green economy, we have a Government that is failing to support carers, children living in poverty and everyone in need of mental health services.” “The Chancellor has also made some unforgivable political choices today. He has chosen to continue to ignore people excluded from support and chosen to reject calls to properly extend furlough, leaving too many people facing unemployment. People deserve better.”
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25Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Chancellor needs to be much more ambitious in Spending Review

Chancellor needs to be much more ambitious in Spending Review

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's announcement ahead of the Spending Review, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "For people worried about work now or facing continued exclusion from government support, investment in job centres is no replacement for a serious economic strategy to protect and create jobs. "The country needs a radically new approach to the recovery that tackles deep-seated inequality, prioritises unparalleled infrastructure investment into the green economy of the future and ensures no one is left behind. "Before the Chancellor stands up in Parliament, he still has time to think again and listen to Liberal Democrat calls to support carers with an extra £4bn to local authorities, extending access to free school meals and providing mental health services can support everyone."
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24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Government cannot allow repeat tragedy in care homes

Davey: Government cannot allow repeat tragedy in care homes

Parliamentary news
Following the Prime Minister's press conference , Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Mass testing and vaccines are hugely welcome and bring hope for a return to normal life at long last. And I’m pleased governments across the four nations listened to the Liberal Democrat call for a UK wide approach to the festive period. "But it’s so wrong that the Prime Minister still refuses to help the millions of self-employed people excluded from any support for the entirety of this crisis. "Equally, to avoid a wide scale repeat of the earlier tragedy in our care homes, Ministers must guarantee that no care homes are being forced to admit people who are COVID positive.”
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22Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Spending review an opportunity for Sunak to plug gaping holes in Government support

Spending review an opportunity for Sunak to plug gaping holes in Government support

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's comments this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “From the very beginning of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak has been slow to act and allowed millions of people to fall through the cracks. With tougher tiered restrictions on the cards as lockdown ends in December, many will now be worried that once again they will be left behind by this Government. "Ultimately it is the Government's failure to get a grip on the pandemic which has led to the lockdown measures, and the consequences of these failures will continue to devastate people's finances well into the new year. The spending review next week gives the Chancellor the opportunity to fix the gaping holes in the Government’s support and he must take it. “The Liberal Democrats…
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29Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government gaps in support for freelancers leaving employers to pick up the tab

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have today urged the Chancellor to step in and support freelancers excluded from existing government support schemes. This comes after the announcement that the BBC will offer financial support to around 600 freelancers who they regularly employ.    Liberal Demcorat MP and Chair of the Excluded UK APPG Jamie Stone demanded Rishi Sunak step in after the BBC confirmed it will pay average earnings for March, April and May capped at £2,500 to around 600 freelancers who have not been eligible for any of the UK Government’s support schemes. Liberal Democrat MP and Chair of the Excluded UK APPG, Jamie Stone commented: “This is a responsible and compassionate move by the BBC. Although it has come late on in the arc of lockdown, it is welcome nonetheless. Freelancers are of immeasurable valuable to our arts and…
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07Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Chancellor must act to help those excluded from Government support

Parliamentary news
After the initial meeting of the APPG for ExcludedUK today, Liberal Democrat MP and Chair of the APPG Jamie Stone has joined with the other co-chairs in calling on the Chancellor to help those who have so far been left out of the financial support measures introduced by the Government. The APPG has been set up with the help of ExcludedUK to represent the 3 million individuals who have not been entitled to the Government support in response to the coronavirus crisis. The first meeting this morning was the largest of any inaugural APPG meeting, seeing over 150 MPs join online. In a joint letter to the Chancellor ahead of his speech tomorrow, Jamie Stone and the co-chairs of the APPG (William Wragg MP, Tracy Brabin MP, Alison Thewliss MP,…
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