• PAC NHS report: Targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on
• Lockdown files: Rees-Mogg got Covid test couriered to own home
• St. David’s Day – Welsh Liberal Democrats Call on Other Parties to Back Bill to Make St. David’s Day a public holiday
• Hancock messages “lay bare the chaos at the heart of the Govt”
• PMQs: Sunak refuses to cut energy bills
• Hancock messages: How many more ministers received priority tests?
• Williamson’s text solidifies his place as one of the worst Ministers to grace Government

PAC NHS report: Targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on

Responding to the embargoed Public Accounts Committee report which finds the first year of NHS England’s three-year recovery programme is already falling short of expectations, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

It‘s broken promise after broken promise when it comes to this government and the NHS.

The public has lost all faith in the Conservative government and can now see that its targets simply aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

Lockdown files: Rees-Mogg got Covid test couriered to own home

Responding to reports in the Telegraph that Jacob Rees-Mogg had a Covid test couriered to his home by health officials during a national shortage, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

This is yet more evidence that it’s one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.

The Covid inquiry must look into reports Conservative ministers were able to get priority access to tests at a time of national shortage. Rishi Sunak must also confirm what he knew about this scandal. The public deserves to know the truth.

St. David’s Day – Welsh Liberal Democrats Call on Other Parties to Back Bill to Make St. David’s Day a public holiday

This St David’s Day, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their calls for the day to become a public holiday in Wales urging other political parties to back a Bill they have put to parliament that would allow the Senedd to designate the day as such.

St David’s Day is currently only a patron saint day and does not have any legal standing. Meanwhile, in Scotland and Ireland St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day respectively are already public holidays.

The Bill introduced by former Welsh Assembly Member for North Wales, Baroness Christine Humphreys, would devolve the power to create Bank Holidays to the Senedd.

This is a power that is already held by Scotland allowing St Andrew’s Day. The UK Government has also already declared St Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland to be a designated bank holiday.

As well as the Liberal Democrats, Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru all support St David’s Day becoming a bank holiday, but the move has been continuously blocked by the UK Conservative Government.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on these parties to back their Bill when it comes to a vote.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

Making St David’s Day a bank holiday has widespread support amongst the Welsh public as repeated polls have shown.

Unfortunately the Conservatives in the UK Government have repeatedly denied making this a reality, despite Welsh Conservatives disagreeing with them on the issue.

So now we have started the process to give the Senedd the power to do it ourselves and I urge representatives from all other parties in Wales to back this Bill.

Adding her comments Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for Wales, Baroness Humphreys, said:

It is deeply unjust that the people of Wales cannot celebrate our nation’s culture, heritage and status as the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland can.

Liberal Democrats have taken the first step towards giving the Senedd the power to create bank holidays.

Everyone in Wales deserves the opportunity to celebrate who we are and our unique culture which unites us.

Hancock messages “lay bare the chaos at the heart of the Govt”

Responding to the Telegraph’s reports which suggests Matt Hancock was told in April 2020 there should be “testing of all going into care homes” was rejected, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

These messages lay bare the chaos at the heart of the government during the pandemic, and the mistakes that led to countless lives being needlessly lost.

Matt Hancock’s claims to have thrown a protective ring around our care homes could not be further from the truth.

It’s almost a year ago that a court ruled that the government unlawfully discharged people from hospitals into care homes without testing. But bereaved families are still no closer to having justice and the truth. They deserve answers through the official Covid inquiry, so we can learn lessons and save lives.

PMQs: Sunak refuses to cut energy bills

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine today asked Rishi Sunak if he would stop the planned April energy price rise, but he refused once again. Responding, Christine Jardine MP said:

By refusing to cut energy bills Rishi Sunak is leaving millions of families and pensioners on the brink.

This Conservative Government is happy to heartlessly stand by while millions see their energy bills continue to soar.

We need real action, and that means implementing the Liberal Democrat plans to cut energy bills with a huge windfall tax and tax oil and gas giants bonanza bonuses.

Hancock messages: How many more ministers received priority tests?

Telegraph reports on former Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s leaked WhatsApp messages show that Jacob Rees-Mogg had priority access to Covid tests when he was a serving Minister.

Today, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Daisy Cooper MP, questioned Helen Whately, Minister of State for DHSC on how many other Ministers had access to this priority testing.

Helen Whately refused to answer the question.

The Liberal Democrats have also written to the Prime Minister to find out what he knew and when about this priority testing as the serving Chancellor.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP said:

These reports are just more evidence that it’s one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.

The Government must urgently publish exactly how many Conservative Ministers, MPs and their families had access to priority testing when the public faced a national test shortage. The public deserves to know the truth.

Williamson’s text solidifies his place as one of the worst Ministers to grace Government

Responding to the Telegraph’s reports on Gavin Williamson’s text messages, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:

Gavin Williamson was a disgraceful Education Secretary and these comments solidify his place in history as one of the worst Ministers ever to grace Government.

At the very least Gavin Williamson should apologise for these comments.

The most shocking thing about Williamsons’ catalogue of failures is that Rishi Sunak believes this person was still fit to serve in Government.