• Car firm job losses show Johnson’s disregard for British business
• Welsh Lib Dems: Poll shows we are now third party for Westminster
• Lib Dems call for urgent action to tackle rising hate crimes
• Lib Dems table People’s Vote amendment to Queen’s speech

Car firm job losses show Johnson’s disregard for British business

Responding to the reports that one in three car firms are cutting jobs, Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said:

It is time Boris Johnson woke up to the fact that the manufacturing sector, and the automotive industries in particular, are suffering badly from Brexit-related uncertainty. Jobs are being lost, investment is down sharply, and confidence is low.

Brexit will be disastrous for British business, but the Conservative Government know this. They simply don’t care. We know Boris Johnson’s disregard for business, but we must be clear that this will mean people right across the country losing their livelihoods. Liberal Democrats demand better.

The only route out of this mess is to stop Brexit. The best deal possible is the one we already have as members of the European Union and the one Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for.

Welsh Lib Dems: Poll shows we are now third party for Westminster

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have responded to October’s Welsh Political Barometer Poll, claiming it shows that the Welsh Liberal Democrats are now Wales’ third party for Westminster.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Baroness Christine Humphreys commented:

This poll shows that the Welsh Liberal Democrats are now clearly Wales’ third party for the coming Westminster elections.

We are the strongest remain party and offer a clear alternative to both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn for voters here in Wales.

More and more people are choosing to support the Welsh Liberal Democrats because they back our campaign to stop Brexit and share our desire for a fair, free and liberal Wales.

The poll also shows that we are on course to return a strong, committed and effective Welsh Liberal Democrat Group to our National Assembly for Wales.

Lib Dems call for urgent action to tackle rising hate crimes

The government has today released figures which reveal that the number of hate crimes that took place last year was a ten per cent increase on the previous year.

There were 103,379 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2018/19.

Responding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said:

There can be no doubt that divisive, inflammatory rhetoric from right-wing, pro-Brexit politicians – including Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage – has contributed to this shocking rise in hate crime.

All of us with a public platform must stand up to those whose language spreads hate – whether on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or anything else.

Liberal Democrats will tackle the appalling rise in hate crimes by making them all ‘aggravated offences’, so that hate crimes against women, LGBT+ people or people with disabilities are treated as severely as those motivated by racial or religious hatred.

We will give the police the resources and training they need to identify and prevent hate crimes, and condemn politicians who use inflammatory language.

Lib Dems table People’s Vote amendment to Queen’s speech

Today, the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech to put any deal that comes back from Brussels to a People’s Vote.

If selected, this amendment would be voted on early next week.

Following tabling the amendment, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said:

The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain and have been the leading voice in the People’s Vote campaign.

Boris Johnson is determined to have a general election, but the best way to resolve the Brexit chaos is to have a People’s Vote and give the British people the final say about their future.

The best deal we have is as members of the European Union and we want to give the people the chance to choose to stop Brexit.