03Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government urged to “lead by example” and restore hybrid Parliament

Government urged to “lead by example” and restore hybrid Parliament

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling for the Government to reflect on the increased risk from the rise of coronavirus cases and bring back a hybrid Parliament and remote voting as soon as possible. Speaking at Business Questions in the House of Commons today, Wera Hobhouse warned MPs should put "the safety of citizens first" and "demonstrate, through our own actions, that this lockdown is different" by adapting working practices. The call follows the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, warning that MPs could “easily become superspreaders." However, in response to Wera Hobhouse, the Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg refused the request. The fully virtual Parliament, which was in place during the last lockdown from March to May, allowed MPs to take part in debates, committee, questions, and voting whilst remaining in…
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08Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems to use emergency debate to warn Rees-Mogg is threatening public health

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats will today use an emergency debate in Parliament to warn Jacob Rees-Mogg that if an MP falls ill to COVID-19 or there is a spike in cases because of travel to and from London then he must take personal responsibility and resign. The debate, secured by Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael MP, was agreed following alarm at Business Secretary Alok Sharma becoming unwell with COVID-19 symptoms in Parliament last week. The Orkney and Shetland MP believes Mr Sharma’s condition “should be a wakeup call for the Government” and makes clear that forcing physical proceedings “exposes MPs, our families and our constituents to risk.” The Liberal Democrats are demanding the Government accept the public health risks of denying MPs who are shielding the right to represent their constituents and…
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08Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Covid-19 has exposed politics as not fit for purpose, Lib Dems warn

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats will today lead a debate in the House of Commons calling for a “radical overhaul” of Westminster politics, warning it is “not for purpose” to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The debate - the first in the House of Commons chamber on electoral reform since 2016 – will be led by Liberal Democrat Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain. The North East Fife MP is expected to declare that Westminster’s broken political system is shutting out people who “need their voices heard now more than ever” during the coronavirus pandemic. The Liberal Democrats will use the debate to call on other political parties to join them in getting behind change and reforming the way people elect MPs with a proportional voting system. Speaking ahead of the debate, Liberal Democrat MP Wendy…
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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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08Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dem Chief Whip calls for all-party meeting on parliamentary proposals

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrat Chief Whip has today called for an urgent all-party meeting to discuss remote working for Parliament, including a special committee of MPs, chaired by the Leader of the Opposition, to scrutinise the Government’s coronavirus response.  In a letter to the Chief Whips of all parties in the House of Commons, Alistair Carmichael MP warned the necessary constraints caused by the spread of coronavirus mean “we must consider alternative arrangements.” The letter follows confirmation from the Speaker of the House of Commons has backed calls for a "virtual" Parliament to allow MPs to keep on scrutinising the Government during the coronavirus outbreak. Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael said: “People deserve reassurance that their representatives can fulfil their duties wherever they are in the country, even in these exceptional circumstances.…
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