02Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats seek further support for carers

Liberal Democrats seek further support for carers

Borough news
A recent survey by Carers UK found that four in five unpaid carers were providing more care for relatives during the Covid-19 pandemic and that two thirds were worried about how they might cope with these demands when faced with further lockdowns or local restrictions. Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Mayor of Greater Manchester and to the Leader of Oldham Council with two requests to improve the rights of carers in Greater Manchester and to make life for local working carers a little easier. Councillor Sykes has written to the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asking him to make the Greater Manchester Care Leavers’ Travel Offer open to young adult carers. Commenting he said: “I have asked Mayor Burnham to make this available…
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27Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Test, trace and isolate failure is cause for restrictions

Test, trace and isolate failure is cause for restrictions

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Government setting out England's new coronavirus tiers, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “The country is desperate to get life back to normal, particularly given how much has already been sacrificed, so people will understandably be angry today. “For months, Liberal Democrats have been urging the Government to get to grips with test, trace and isolate. Getting that right is the best hope we have until a vaccine is ready. Their failure to deliver is why we are where we are. "Given less than 50% of people understood the rules last time, it is clear the Government has created confusion with their botched communications. In addition to much needed mass testing, Ministers must listen to local authorities and finally start being clear and honest with the…
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10Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must produce clear roll-out strategy once vaccine approved

Government must produce clear roll-out strategy once vaccine approved

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's press conference, following the news about the progress towards the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “News about a vaccine is a real moment of hope for people in the UK and around the world, and has the potential to be life changing. It shows in technicolour what the international community can do when we work together for a common goal. "Should this vaccine be the game-changer we hope, we need a clear roll-out strategy from the Government, so that people know when they can be vaccinated and how the process will work. The Government must also show a clear plan to keep us safe until the vaccination is available for the majority of people living in the…
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05Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Fixing test and trace must be priority for Government during national lockdown

Fixing test and trace must be priority for Government during national lockdown

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on Ministers to use the lockdown period in England to "get a grip" on the test and trace system and ensure the right financial and practical support is in place for people isolating. The call follows a vote in the House of Commons today on the new lockdown measures in England, which were approved by 516 votes to 38. Speaking after the vote, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “It is deeply frustrating that we must now enter a national lockdown. If Boris Johnson had not dithered and delayed and had instead followed the scientists’ advice, this could have been shorter and less damaging. "Now it is essential that Ministers use this time to get a grip on our broken test, trace and…
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01Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM must properly plan ahead to protect jobs and lives, warns Davey

PM must properly plan ahead to protect jobs and lives, warns Davey

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement that England will go into a second national lockdown until 2 December, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Yet again, Boris Johnson dithered, delayed, and ignored expert advice. He was too slow in March and too slow again now, and his failure to lead has cost lives and jobs. "People across our country have sacrificed so much, waiting for Ministers to act and keep our families safe. Instead, the Government asks even more despite failing to deliver an effective test, trace and isolate system. "The priority must be keeping people safe and ensuring no one is left behind. We need a real plan in place to protect jobs, businesses and the self-employed, not least an immediate u-turn on ending furlough. Unlike before,…
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29Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM must implement an immediate national circuit breaker

PM must implement an immediate national circuit breaker

Parliamentary news
The Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has today called for an immediate national circuit breaker to "correct the failing test, trace and isolate system" and keep people safe. The call follows annoucements in both France and Germany of new nationwide lockdowns. The Liberal Democrats have also called for a united approach to keeping family gatherings safe during the festive season, now backed by Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The Government has been badly prepared and slow to act at every stage throughout this health and jobs crisis. That can’t happen again, especially in the run up to Christmas. “That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to start an immediate national circuit breaker across the UK. This…
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27Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Four nations summit needed to keep families safe at Christmas

Four nations summit needed to keep families safe at Christmas

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats in Scotland, Wales and England have joined with the Alliance Party in calling for a “four nations summit” to consider a united approach to keeping family gatherings safe during the festive season. In a joint letter to the four governments of the UK, the Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, Scottish Leader Willie Rennie, Welsh Leader Jane Dodds and Alliance Deputy Leader Stephen Farry MP warned the “interlinked nature of life in the United Kingdom means no one government can devise guidance for the festive season in isolation.” The letter follows uncertainty about students returning for Christmas and conflicting comments about family gatherings, with Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch branding multi-household gatherings “fiction” while the Prime Minister indicated rules could be relaxed. To enable travel to happen safely,…
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21Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must stop playing politics with lives and livelihoods

Government must stop playing politics with lives and livelihoods

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement that Manchester will face tier 3 restrictions from Friday, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The utter mess the Government has created today came as a result of a shameful plan to wipe millions of pounds of support away as a punishment. This Government is hurting some of the most vulnerable people in our society by playing politics with the lives and livelihoods of the people of Greater Manchester. “People across the country will be watching in alarm, under no illusion that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor will not be there for them to ensure they can financially survive the coming months. “Boris Johnson must swallow his pride and bring back furlough and give communities the funds they need to survive…
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18Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM must get a grip of coronavirus spread in the North

PM must get a grip of coronavirus spread in the North

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats from across the North of England, including four council leaders, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, and Liberal Democrat Leader in the Lords Dick Newby, have written to the Prime Minister stating that the North has been “overlooked by a London-centric government”.  The letter calls for a raft measures to be implemented urgently to help stop the spread of the virus across vast swathes of the country.Some of the measures include: Rapidly funding local authorities to enable a local scale-up of the failing test, trace and isolate systemIncreasing support for those who need to self-isolate and cannot work from homeExpanding furlough support until June 2021 Following the letter, Laura Gordon, Chair of the Northern Liberal Network, said: “The Government's strategy so far has failed. Restrictions in areas like Greater Manchester and the North East have been in…
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26Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Boris Johnson put saving his advisor above the national interest

Boris Johnson put saving his advisor above the national interest

Parliamentary news
New survey data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the Dominic Cummings scandal eroded people’s belief that the UK would emerge more united from the coronavirus crisis. The proportion of people believing that Britain would emerge from the pandemic “very or somewhat united” fell from 49% the week before the Cummings scandal broke, to 43% the week after, and has fallen further since to 28%. Meanwhile, the proportion saying we will be “very or somewhat divided” jumped from 31% to 38% when the scandal broke, and now stands at 55%. Responding to the figures, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Despite the enormous toll that the coronavirus crisis is taking, the British people have shown a powerful desire to pull together as a country. We…
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