23Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Short-term plans no replacement for full Budget

Short-term plans no replacement for full Budget

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Chancellor's decision to cancel the Autumn Budget, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “If ever there was a time when we needed an Autumn budget to outline long term plans, this is it. Millions of people who are worried about their jobs, their future, and how we will transition into a green economy want to know if this Government has a plan, and what it is. "The Treasury's short term plans are one thing, but people rightly want to know where they are heading. The Chancellor must give a clear answer to questions about where the furlough bridge is leading. At the moment, thousands of people and businesses are looking at a financial cliff edge. They need reassurance. "The Chancellor must give people certainty about the…
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16Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Staggering job losses show need to extend furlough

Staggering job losses show need to extend furlough

Parliamentary news
Responding to ONS figures showing that the economy shed 695,000 jobs between March and August this year, Liberal Democrat Economy Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “These staggering job losses are yet more evidence of why the Chancellor should be extending the furlough scheme, which has so far protected 10 million jobs, until the middle of next year. “People have a right to expect that their Government will stand by them in exactly the way that Rishi Sunak promised when he said he would “do whatever it takes. “The Liberal Democrats’ are clear that the Government must extend the furlough scheme until the jobs market is ready to bounce back."
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10Sep 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems call on Government to extend furlough to boost economic recovery

Lib Dems call on Government to extend furlough to boost economic recovery

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to extend the furlough scheme “for all those who need it” until the end of June 2021, to avoid mass unemployment and accelerate the UK’s economic recovery. Speaking in Parliament, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP urged the Government to extend the furlough scheme until mid-2021 as the best way to protect people’s livelihoods and to safeguard the UK’s economic recovery.  Liberal Democrats have warned that the furlough bridge currently doesn’t lead anywhere, with thousands already facing redundancy. As well as extending the furlough scheme, the Party is calling on the Government to invest in a Green Recovery Plan to create new jobs for the future. Speaking after the debate in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine…
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21Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government continue to threaten economic recovery

Government continue to threaten economic recovery

Parliamentary news
Responding to ONS figures that show retail sales rose above pre-pandemic levels in July, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This will be welcome news for so many people working on our high streets who would have spent several months worried about their job. "However, we are not out of the woods yet. The Government is yet to bring forward a proper plan for high streets in locally locked down areas, so people are likely to go through more tough times. “The Government also continues to threaten our economic recovery with its damaging Brexit policy. The fact that we could still leave negotiations with the EU with a bad or no deal means that many high street businesses will still be very concerned about what the future…
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21Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Brexit reality falls short of rhetoric again as “no deal” threat looms

Brexit reality falls short of rhetoric again as “no deal” threat looms

Parliamentary news
Responding to news that the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU "seems unlikely", Liberal Democrat Brexit and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “We were told that this would be the easiest negotiation ever but, yet again, the Brexit reality is very different from the rhetoric. "Millions of people are looking to the future with dread. With no end in sight to the COVID crisis and the worst economic forecasts for a century or more, the disruption of a no deal Brexit threatens to push the UK into total meltdown. "This is not about party politics. It's about making sure families can put food on the table and access life saving medicines. "The Prime Minister's childish refusal to extend…
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12Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

GDP figures show need for more radical action from Government

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the economy is facing the worst recession in UK history, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Minister must take immediate action to save jobs and livelihoods as the true economic impact of Covid-19 comes to light. “The Treasury must explain how it is going to stop mass redundancies when the furlough scheme wraps up. It simply cannot be the case that jobs saved in Spring disappear in the autumn. The Chancellor must also be bold about creating new jobs by undertaking a proper ambitious green recovery. “The Prime Minister must immediately work with EU allies to remove the January Brexit cliff edge. A bad deal or no deal at all with our closest trading partners whilst we are in a deep recession…
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07Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Ending furlough risks “pulling the rug” from countless households

Parliamentary news
Responding to the latest economic forecasts from the Bank of England, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:  “The UK is facing the greatest economic crisis in a century. Its grave impact on peoples’ livelihoods can’t be underestimated, nor can Government afford to show any degree of complacency. “Despite warnings of mass unemployment, the Chancellor is pressing ahead to end the furlough scheme, pulling the rug out from under countless households. He must change course before it’s too late, and ensure that support continues for the worst-hit sectors and areas still in lockdown. “Liberal Democrats have been clear from the start that only a serious job-creation drive will end this crisis. That’s why we are calling for a Green Recovery Plan that will create millions of jobs whilst…
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30Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must step in with green incentives to save the car industry

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the UK car industry is likely to have its worst year since 1954, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This pandemic has left the car industry on its knees. The Government must step in to stem the tide of job losses. But the recovery must also be an opportunity: the car industry must change to produce low emission, green vehicles. "The Tories have slashed support for electric vehicles and have failed to invest properly in new infrastructure such as charging points, promising only a green number plate as consolation. Unsurprisingly, sales for electric vehicles remain low. "Liberal Democrats are calling for a green recovery for the car industry. The government should ensure that 100% of all new cars sales are electric by 2030 and they should consider slashing…
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29Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must do more to get young people into work

Parliamentary news
Responding to a Sutton Trust report finding that 61% of employers offering work experience placements have had to cancel and that 39% of graduate employers say they expect to hire fewer graduates or none in the next 12 months, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Young people are rightly worried about their job prospects in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis. Politicians and employers must do all they can to safeguard their future. “Despite recent announcements, Government seems unprepared for the scale of the challenge ahead. The Chancellor’s new traineeships plan seems a drop in the ocean, and schemes keeping businesses alive are due to end in just a few months, pulling the rug out from under employers.  “To protect the next generation we need far more decisive…
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21Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must be clear higher debt won’t mean cuts to vital public services

Parliamentary news
Responding to ONS statistics showing that Government borrowing for June was £35.5 billion – around five times more than the same month last year – Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “In an unprecedented economic challenge like the coronavirus pandemic people must come before the numbers. Any Chancellor should go beyond normal borrowing to help protect peoples’ health and livelihoods. “What the Government must now make clear is that, after Covid, higher debt will not and must not mean cuts to vital public services or less investment for our crumbling infrastructure – especially in the parts of the UK that need it most. “Liberal Democrats stand firm that we must grow our way out of this crisis with a Green Recovery Plan that will invest billions to…
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