Lib Dems attempt to put Parliament “in the driving seat” on future relationship

 

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a series of amendments to the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill that demand the Government protect British businesses, the rights of UK nationals and ensure Parliament has proper scrutiny over the future relationship agreement.   Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey, who has said his Party will vote against the deal, warned the Government has committed an “affront to our democracy” by allowing Parliament just a few hours to debate the trade deal.   The amendments to give Parliament additional scrutiny over the trade deal, which are to be considered by the Speaker, include:   A clause to give Parliament the power to appoint and vote on the UK’s representatives to the committees responsible for overseeing the Agreement. Clauses to require the Government to publish regular independent reports on the impact of the future relationship agreement and prevent Ministers from using secondary legislation to amend primary legislation in order to implement the future relationship agreement.   The Liberal Democrats have also requested the Government agree to preserve the right of UK nationals living in the EEA and Switzerland who return to live in the UK in future to be joined by non-British family members on the same terms as they do at present.   Other amendments lodged by the Liberal Democrats also included demands on Ministers to  fund a package to mitigate the impact of the deal on UK businesses and introduce an adjustment period of three months.    Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:   “It is clear that this is a bad deal that will make people’s lives poorer, so the Liberal Democrats will vote against it.   “For the Government to limit scrutiny and debate on this trade deal to just a few hours is an affront to our democracy. Given the risk to business and rights of UK nationals, Parliament must be in the driving seat.    “The only way forward is to agree an adjustment period to ease the pain for businesses and quickly get to repairing the UK’s damaged relationships with our most important international partners.”

“Threadbare" deal risks livelihoods, Davey warns

The Liberal Democrats have declared that the Conservatives’ deal is "threadbare" and "bad for jobs, business, security, and our environment” and warned it is the only ‘free’ trade deal in history to "put up barriers to trade".   The Party has also said people are "desperate to move forward" and to see the country "united again" but Boris Johnson’s deal makes that more difficult with potential trade disputes for decades to come.   Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:   “Boris Johnson promised to make people better off, but his deal will make us all poorer.   “This deal is threadbare, bad for jobs, business, security, and our environment. It is the only ‘free’ trade deal in history to put up barriers to trade and leaves the services sector in limbo.   “This botched deal confirms that the UK’s trade with Europe will now be wrapped in red tape – bringing long delays and higher costs. With so many businesses teetering on the brink of closing due to Covid, Johnson’s deal will push many over the edge.   “We all are desperate to move forward, to see our country united again, to restore our economy and our communities after a terrible year, but Boris Johnson’s deal just makes that more difficult.”

Record borrowing must not be excuse for cutting public services

 

The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Chancellor must not use the excuse of higher debt to start cutting public services and called for a Green Recovery Plan. The intervention comes as ONS (Office for National Statistics) statistics published yesterday reveal Government borrowing has hit a record high. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “In the face of a pandemic, it is no wonder that borrowing is so high. It is yet another reminder to Ministers that they must do all they can to limit the chaos of Brexit or risk peoples' livelihoods. “The Chancellor must now make clear that he will not use the excuse of higher debt to start cutting public services or reducing 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 transform our economy, fight climate change and create millions of good-quality jobs.”

Covid surge in prisons highlights Govt failure

 

The Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to “take real action now” to prevent the spread of coronavirus in prisons, as new figures show that the number of Covid cases has surged more than five-fold in the last two months. The figures, released today by the Ministry of Justice, show that, as of the end of November, 3,429 prisoners have now tested positive for Covid-19 – up 1,807 (111%) from 1,622 at the end of October and more than five times the 636 cases at the end of September. There were 15 Covid-related deaths in prisons in November, the largest one-month total since April. Figures released in September showed that a total of just 316 people were released under the Government's Covid early release schemes since the start of the pandemic – far short of the “up to 4,000" announced by Government in April. Responding to the figures, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: “With more than 3,000 prisoners testing positive for coronavirus, but only 316 being released early, it is clear the Conservative Government hasn't done nearly enough to protect prison staff, prisoners and our communities from the spread of the virus. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Liberal Democrats have been calling on the Government to release all low-risk prisoners serving short sentences and suspend any new short sentences to alleviate the severe overcrowding, so that prisoners and staff can practice proper social distancing. “The Government must finally listen to prison governors, public health experts and the Liberal Democrats, and take real action now to end overcrowding in prisons and combat the spread of this cruel virus.”

Court of Appeal ruling exposes Johnson's broken promise to EU citizens

Responding to the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Government has unlawfully discriminated against EU citizens with Pre-Settled Status by excluding them from Universal Credit, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Denying people the financial support they desperately need during this pandemic is an appalling way to treat the EU citizens who are our families and friends, our colleagues and carers. “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives promised to guarantee EU citizens living in the UK the automatic right to stay, but they have broken that promise. Not only that, but they have unlawfully discriminated against them as well. “The Government’s ‘Settled Status’ scheme is anything but automatic. 1.8 million people have been given only temporary ‘Pre-Settled Status’, and until now they have been excluded from access to benefits. “Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for all EU citizens to be given the automatic right to stay in the UK, as they were promised.” -

 

Cummings pay rise shows yet again that it's one rule for Tories in government

 

Responding to the publication of the Annual Report on Special Advisers 2020, which shows that prior to his departure from Number 10 Dominic Cummings’ salary was £140,000-£144,999 – up from £95,000-£99,999 the year before – Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper said:   "Families across the country who are facing extraordinary financial hardship right now will be appalled that their taxes were being wasted to pay Dominic Cummings more than five times as much as a nurse.   "Not only did Boris Johnson undermine public trust by refusing to sack Cummings when he flagrantly broke lockdown with his trips to Durham and Barnard Castle, now we learn he gave him a huge pay rise.   "This is yet another outrage from a Conservative Government that thinks there’s one rule for them and another rule for everyone else."

Government must act urgently to address courts backlog

 

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to take urgent action to tackle the growing backlog of court cases, as new official statistics reveal the scale of the problem. The figures, published yesterday by the Ministry of Justice, show that the number of outstanding criminal cases in the Crown Court has risen from 33,248 at the end of 2018 to 50,918 at the end of September – a 53% increase in less than two years. Separate Ministry of Justice statistics, also published yesterday, show that the average length of care proceedings in the Family courts has risen to over 40 weeks for the first time since 2013. In July to September this year, just 29% of these cases were disposed of within the 26-limit set by the Children and Families Act 2014 – down from 62% in 2016 and 49% in 2018. Responding to the figures, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: “Justice delayed is justice denied. Too many victims of crime and their families are being left far too long without justice. And too many parents and children are left in limbo for months as cases drag on through the family courts “Some of this is an inevitable consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t explain the huge backlogs that had already built up last year, before Covid hit. “The Conservatives have underfunded the whole of our justice system for much too long, and have been far too slow to introduce Nightingale Courts to increase capacity during this pandemic. Ministers must not use Covid as an excuse for this backlog, or to undermine the fundamental right to trial by jury. “The Government must take urgent action to tackle the backlog of court cases. More Nightingale Courts are welcome, but ultimately these delays can only be prevented with proper funding for our whole justice system – from Legal Aid right through to judges’ time.”

Welsh Liberal Democrats lead on candidate conduct compliance

Welsh Liberal Democrats is the first federal party to impose high qualification standards for inclusion on their list of approved candidates for the 2021 Welsh general election.

Members must sign up to the following code of conduct. Failing to follow this code of conduct will constitute prima facie grounds for removal from the list of approved candidates. In addition, if elected, failing to follow this code of conduct may result in the Whip being withdrawn.

1. You must treat others with respect, and must not bully or intimidate 

any Party member, member of Party staff, member of Parliamentary staff, 

Party volunteer or member of the public.

2. You must act in such a way as to promote the values of the Liberal 

Democrats and must not act in a way that is contrary to the interests or 

values of the Party. This includes your use of language, whether spoken 

or written, and content on digital or so-cial media platforms.

3. You must complete any declarations of private interest that the Party 

requires, and, if elected, must complete the Official Register of 

Interests or equivalent as supplied to Members and any declaration 

required by the Electoral Commission.

4. You must at all times comply with the current versions of the Political 

Parties, Elec-tions and Referendums Act 2000 and the Representation of the 

People Act 1983 and any other relevant legislation and must provide 

information regarding expenses or donations as required by the Party.

5. You must at all times comply with the Party’s data protection and data 

security policies when dealing with any data to which you may be given 

access by the Party.

6. You must give consent to and provide the details necessary for the 

Party to undertake (or to authorise an approved third party to undertake) 

an audit of your social media profile when requested.

7. You must abide by the Party’s internal selection and election rules, 

and by any other Code of Conduct that has been signed up to by the Party.

8. If asked by your state party, you must complete a post-election review 

after each general election, whether or not you stood as a candidate.

9. You must appoint an election agent who has been trained and certified 

by the Party, provided that a suitable person is available and willing to 

undertake the role.

10. If asked by your state party, you must agree a Candidate Compact with 

the local party (or parties) within three months of being selected as the 

prospective parliamentary candidate for a seat.

11. If elected, and if asked by your state party, you must make a 

reasonable contribution towards ongoing party activity, which will include 

a financial element, the exact level to be determined following the 

election by agreement with the relevant regional party and by reference 

to any relevant guidance then in force.

12. You must signify your agreement to this Code of Conduct to the 

Returning Officer at the start of any selection process in which you 

participate.

13. You must not bring, or risk bringing, the Party into disrepute.

It is expected that this or a similar Code of Conduct will be instituted for the party as a whole for Westminster elections.

Poor GDP figures show PM must negotiate adjustment period for businesses

Responding to the GDP figures released this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The lack of recovery we're seeing in the GDP figures today is yet another a reminder that the economic effects of the pandemic are far from over, and people right across the UK continue to face immense hardship.   "Ministers must not be complacent now we have a vaccine. Instead, they must step up to provide the support that's so desperately needed, particularly by the three million who are still excluded from any financial support from the Government.   "The Government must also avoid risking more damage being done at the end of the transition period. The Prime Minister should negotiate a six-month Adjustment Period urgently to give struggling businesses much needed breathing space, rather than the cliff-edge they're currently facing."

Government wasted more than £370 million on “pointless” mandatory prison sentences for knife possession

Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse has called on the Government to “do what works” to prevent knife crime and repeal mandatory prison sentences for knife possession, as the party reveals that the Government has wasted more than £370 million on the policy while knife crime has soared. New figures from the Ministry of Justice show that nearly 14,000 people have now been sentenced to prison under a law passed in 2015 requiring mandatory prison sentences for those convicted of a second offence of carrying a knife. Both the Conservative and Labour parties backed the law, while the Liberal Democrats opposed it. The Ministry of Justice’s own analysis shows that sentences of less than a year lead to higher rates of reoffending than community sentences, and the President of the Prison Governors Association has described them as “pointless”. The average length of sentence is 7.6 months. Using government figures for the cost per prisoner, the Liberal Democrats have calculated that these mandatory sentences have cost the taxpayer £375 million since they come into effect in 2016. Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: “Even before the Covid pandemic, the UK was in the grip of an epidemic of youth violence. The Government must invest in what works to prevent knife crime, not waste money on pointless short-term sentences. “This law clearly hasn’t worked. The Conservatives said we needed to ‘send a message’ to stop people carrying knives, but five years on knife crime has soared. “Young people are far more scared of being caught without a knife by a gang than being caught with a knife by the police. The threat of prison simply doesn’t work as a deterrent in this case. “Even worse, the Conservatives have wasted more than £370 million on this policy, which should instead have gone to community policing and youth services – the things that actually prevent people carrying knives.”

Changes to the Immigration Rules another breach of international law

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael has slammed the Government’s latest changes to the Immigration Rules (available here) as “against everything the UK stands for” and “yet another breach of international law”. The changes, published today, which will allow the Home Office to reject asylum applications if the person has passed through another “safe” country on their way to the UK. Alistair Carmichael said: “The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but now the Conservative Government is turning its back on refugees. “This latest nasty policy from Priti Patel goes against our commitments under the Refugee Convention and against everything the UK stands for. It’s yet another breach of international law by this irresponsible Tory Government. “Everyone wants to stop people making dangerous attempts to cross the Channel, but the best way to do that is with safe and legal routes to sanctuary in the UK. Sadly, Priti Patel has closed down those routes. “We must do all we can to protect people forced to flee their homes to escape war and persecution. The UK should welcome them with compassion and treat them with dignity.”

Boris Johnson’s promises to EU citizens are in tatters

 

Responding to the Commons vote yesterday evening on EU citizens rights, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael said: “Boris Johnson’s promises to guarantee EU citizens’ rights automatically lie in tatters tonight. “The Home Office’s Settled Status scheme is anything but automatic. Thousands of people will be left effectively undocumented and subject to the Tories’ Hostile Environment. “Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for EU citizens to be given the automatic right to stay in the UK. “Europeans who’ve made their lives here contribute enormously to our economy, our public services and our society. They must not become the victims of a new Windrush-style scandal.”

Davey: Child Trust Fund reforms do not go far enough

Responding to the Government's announcement that Child Trust Fund court fees will be waived for parents, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Thousands of young disabled people are finding themselves locked out of their own Child Trust Funds when they turn 18. It’s good that the Government has finally recognised this problem, but waiving the court fee falls far, far short of an acceptable solution.

 

“It will do nothing to alleviate the stress, hassle and bureaucracy involved in the current process. Ministers are displaying an appalling lack of understanding or empathy for the enormous challenges the carers face every day.

 

“The Government must urgently implement a proper solution to this problem, that allows carers to access Child Trust Funds on behalf of disabled young people who lack the mental capacity to manage their own money, without having to go to court.”

 

Debenhams collapse means more jobs wiped away on Rishi's watch

 

Responding to the news that Debenhams stores are set to close affecting up to 12,000 jobs, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The news that Debenhams will be closing its stores is yet another blow to the UK economy. With the Arcadia Group entering administration last night, thousands more jobs have been potentially wiped away on Rishi Sunak's watch.   "During the pandemic when so many are already struggling to get by, unemployment will have a devastating impact. This Government's failure to get a grip on the virus has seen tens of thousands of livelihoods lost, and these extra job losses means thousands more families across the UK wondering how they're going to get by.   “Our high streets now need urgent government action to safeguard their future. A first step must be for Ministers to overhaul the business rates system, otherwise we will see yet more livelihoods lost in our retail sector."