14Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Reward our Covid-19 frontline workers properly

Borough news
Saddleworth West and Lees Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani backs a Liberal Democrat idea to support frontline Covid-19 workers in Oldham Borough.  At the next full meeting of Oldham Council (15 July), he will propose an amendment to a Labour motion on care workers.  The Liberal Democrats in Oldham believe the administration motion does not go far enough.  They want to reward frontline Covid-19 workers for their bravery and professionally.  Not just financially, but also with the award of a pandemic service medal from the Government. Councillor Al-Hamdani says: “These workers should receive an additional payment for every working day they have spent on the front-line of this crisis.  The Liberal Democrats would pay these workers an extra £29 per day.  It would be backdated to the start of the…
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13Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government’s destructive immigration plans will cause chaos and confusion

Parliamentary news
Responding the publication of further details about the Government's points-based immigration system, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “These Conservative immigration plans will be a disaster for the small businesses that power the UK economy, just as they are struggling to survive the coronavirus crisis. “Key sectors like construction and hospitality, already facing enormous challenges, will face staffing shortages. The existing social care crisis will get even worse as there is so little time to prepare for this new system. “Given the shortage of time and the mountain of red tape that everyone including the Home Office will face, far from restoring public confidence in the immigration system, this will just cause chaos and confusion. “Liberal Democrats will oppose Priti Patel’s destructive policies and continue our fight for…
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13Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

“Outrageous” social care exclusion from Govt’s new Health and Care Visa

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Government’s decision to exclude social care workers from the new Health and Care Visa and the entire “skilled worker” route under the new points-based system, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said:  “It is utterly outrageous that Boris Johnson's Government has pretended to prioritise social care during the COVID-19 crisis, only to announce that these vital key workers will be excluded from the so-called "Health and Care Visa". "Without our social care workers, the most vulnerable in our society would suffer immeasurably. And yet their work is not deemed of sufficient value to this callous Conservative Government. This is a deeply short-sighted move that risks stretching the sector to breaking point, with 120,000 vacancies to fill. "Priti Patel might consider social care workers to be unskilled, but…
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08Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government failing NHS staff and care workers

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that NHS trusts were not consulted over new face coverings rule, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This is yet another betrayal by the Government of the NHS and care staff who are putting their lives on the line every single day.  “Why is the Secretary of State prioritising press conference announcements over consultation with NHS staff? Now we face a situation where our stretched and under-resourced NHS is having to adapt to these new measures without appropriate warning and still without the full guidance being published. “When the nation pulls through from this crisis, Boris Johnson and his Government will have a number of questions to answer about why they have blindsided NHS staff and care workers. “A public inquiry cannot come soon…
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22May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Migrant NHS & social care workers must be given must be given right to remain

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Government has u-turned and will exempt NHS and care staff from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “This is a positive step from the Government but the PM must go further. All migrants working in the NHS & social care during this crisis should be given the right to stay in the UK, with no visa fees and no bureaucracy. “Thousands of NHS and care workers from around the world have made huge sacrifices and put themselves in danger for us. It should be unthinkable that the Home Office would ever force them to leave the country they have served so well.  “MPs from across Parliament who managed to pressure the Government into the exemption must now focus their attention on .giving these heroes the right…
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21May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

New stats show damaging impact of Priti Patel’s nasty immigration rhetoric

Parliamentary news
Responding to today’s migration figures from the Office of National Statistics, which show that the number of EU citizens coming to work in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since 2004, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Now more than ever, we should be celebrating the enormous contributions that workers from all over the world make to our NHS and social care. We should welcome those who want to come here and be part of rebuilding Britain. But the nasty rhetoric from Priti Patel and her Conservative colleagues has made too many EU citizens feel unwelcome in the UK. “That is both shameful and hugely damaging to our economy, our society and our public services. With the NHS facing a shortage of 40,000 nurses and social care also…
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19May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must get a grip on coronavirus crisis to prevent further deaths

Parliamentary news
Responding to the figures published by the ONS showing that there have been more than 44,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the UK, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson, Munira Wilson, said: “Hearing that the number or coronavirus-related deaths is now more than 44,000, including 9,980 deaths which took place in care homes in England and Wales, the British public will rightly be appalled.  “The Government has failed to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society from coronavirus. For Ministers to keep trying to claim they put a 'protective ring' around care homes is not only false, but will be regarded by many as only adding further insult to all those grieving the loss of a loved one. “Government Ministers must now be frank with the British…
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15May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must get a grip on care homes coronavirus crisis

Parliamentary news
Responding to the ONS figures released this morning showing over 12,500 care home residents have died from coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “The figures released today showing that more than 12,500 care home residents have died of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic are incredibly tragic and will horrify the British public. Even worse, the vast majority of these tragic deaths took place in a care home itself, not at a hospital where these people could have received critical care. “The virus has swept through care homes right across England and Wales, where our most vulnerable were being looked after. The Prime Minister must come forward and explain how this dreadful situation has been allowed to happen under his watch. “The Liberal Democrats and…
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11May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Tragic consequences of Govt’s failure to protect care workers are ‘indisputable’

Parliamentary news
Responding to the statistics published this morning by the ONS, showing that those working in social care 'had significantly raised rates of death involving COVID-19', Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “Throughout the coronavirus crisis, those working in social care have been continuing to work on the frontline, putting themselves in harm’s way to look after our loved ones. The figures released this morning showing a raised rate of death for care workers are heartbreaking and highlight what they are all risking as they continue to care for the most vulnerable during this pandemic. “The scarcity of protective equipment and testing means many care workers have been forced to compromise their safety whilst working. The fact that care workers are more likely to lose their lives than nurses or doctors shows…
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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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