16 January 2025 – today’s press releases

  • GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax
  • Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war
  • Badenoch speech: half-hearted apology does not absolve her from toxic legacy
  • Triple lock: “bungling Badenoch’s” first policy is to slash the state pension
  • Carmichael welcomes RFA vertical launch licence
  • McArthur calls for clarity over BP job losses

GDP Figures: Government must see sense and scrap jobs tax

Responding to GDP growing by 0.1% in November, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor has put the handbrake on the economy with her misguided jobs tax and the consequence is this pitiful rate of growth.

Every month this persists means less money in struggling families pockets and public services without the funding they need.

After years of the Conservatives’ economic vandalism, the public was crying out for change but this new government is falling well short of fixing this mess.

Rachel Reeves needs to see sense and scrap her foolish jobs tax and pursue a real strategy for growth like fixing our broken trade relationship with our European partners and replacing the broken business rates system.

Liberal Democrats table motion forcing Government to release analysis of potential Trump trade war

The Liberal Democrats are tabling a ‘Humble Address’ motion which would force the Government to release its analysis of the potential impact of Trump tariffs on the UK economy.

It follows reports that the Government has conducted internal assessments of how a potential trade war with the US may hit the UK economy, but is refusing to publish them.

The Liberal Democrat motion will call urgently for the publication of all impact assessments conducted by the Government regarding the impact of Trump’s tariffs ahead of his inauguration on 20 January.

Humble Address motions have been successfully used in the past, including in 2017 when the Government was forced to publish an impact assessment of Brexit on the economy.

The new US administration’s purported plans may involve tariffs of up to 20 percent on UK exports, which could hit the UK economy by £22bn according to the research conducted at the University of Sussex.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling on the Government to negotiate a new UK-EU Customs Union, to boost economic growth and strengthen the UK’s position with the new Trump administration.

Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

The Government must come clean about how Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit Britain’s economy, jobs and living standards.

Many families who are already struggling with the cost of living will be worried about what Trump’s Presidency and a potential trade war might mean for them.

The least the British public deserve is for the Government to be transparent about how Trump’s tariffs might hit their pockets. The Government must release this impact assessment now.

Ministers need to also urgently start talks on a new UK-EU Customs Union, to boost our economy and allow the UK to negotiate with Trump from a position of strength.

Badenoch speech: half-hearted apology does not absolve her from toxic legacy

Responding to Kemi Badenoch’s speech in which she acknowledged the Conservatives “made mistakes” when in government, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

It will take a lot more than this half-hearted apology for the people of this country to forgive or forget the toxic legacy of the Conservative government, in which Badenoch herself so prominently served.

Badenoch claimed that Boris Johnson’s partygate scandal was overblown, cheered on Liz Truss’s mini budget and oversaw botched trade deals that sold out British farmers.

As the Conservatives continue to rake over their sorry past, we Liberal Democrats will continue to put forward plans to drive Britain’s future.

Triple lock: “bungling Badenoch’s” first policy is to slash the state pension

Responding to Kemi Badenoch saying that she would consider means testing the triple lock, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

Bungling Badenoch has finally come up with her first new policy, slashing the state pension.

The Conservatives urgently need to clarify what she meant and how many pensioners would lose out.

The Liberal Democrats are proud we introduced the triple lock and will fight tooth and nail against Conservative attempts to weaken it.

Carmichael welcomes RFA vertical launch licence

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today welcomed news that Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has been licensed to carry out vertical launches from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, removing the last regulatory barrier to the first vertical space launch in the UK this year.

RFA have been awarded the first Launch Operator Licence allowing it to launch rockets from SaxaVord. The licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority gives permission for RFA to launch up to ten rockets a year into space (and no more than two per month) carrying small satellites and other payloads.

Mr Carmichael said:

The licence for RFA is hugely welcome news and brings us closer than ever to what will be a landmark moment for Shetland and for the whole United Kingdom. Credit goes to the RFA and SaxaVord teams for their determination in these critical months.

There should be no further regulatory barriers now to the first launch happening at SaxaVord. Even so there is still plenty to do and it will take hard work and the support of the local community, the council and others to ensure that we reach liftoff in the coming months.

This is an opportunity to ensure long-term, high-quality jobs for our community and across the UK. We are closer than ever now but the government needs to be ready to support this momentum and back the success of the space industry, with Shetland leading the way.

McArthur calls for clarity over BP job losses

Liam McArthur MSP has today called for clarity over the scale of job losses in Scotland after BP announced that it is to cut 4,700 jobs and 3,000 contractor roles from its global workforce.

BP has about 14,000 UK workers, with approximately 2,000 based in Scotland as of 2023.

Mr McArthur MSP said:

This will be very tough news for all of those jobs are under threat. We need urgent clarity about how many of the affected jobs will be in Scotland.

If jobs in Scotland are at risk then Scottish Government will need to work with BP, trade unions and workers to preserve expertise and skills and help people transition to new roles.

There are major questions over Scotland’s energy security. We must ensure that talented people are not thrown onto the scrap heap as a result of poorly thought-out government policies or changing market conditions.

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