• Lib Dems support amendments to put humanity at heart of Domestic Abuse Bill
• Lib Dems slam Govt’s £900k makeover of RAF Voyager as “absurd waste”

Lib Dems support amendments to put humanity at heart of Domestic Abuse Bill

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine has today spoken in favour of amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill to put “humanity at the heart” of the Bill. If passed, the amendments would ensure an abuse survivor’s immigration status does not affect the support they receive.

The Bill currently fails to make provisions to support “one of the most vulnerable groups” affected by domestic abuse: migrant women. This is a direct result of the Conservative Government’s Hostile Environment policies, which prevent immigrants accessing public funds and key support services.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, Christine Jardine, who is on the Bill Committee, spoke in favour of amendments to:

• Change the rules to grant indefinite leave to remain to migrant survivors of domestic abuse.
• Allow migrants who are survivors of domestic abuse to access public funds, certain types of support and the right to rent.
• Protect the personal data of migrant survivors of domestic abuse by making sure their data is never passed to the Home Office for immigration control purposes.

Following today’s Committee Stage debate, the amendments will be reintroduced at the Report Stage of the Bill in the House of Commons.

Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson said:

No survivor of domestic abuse should be left behind by this bill to cope on their own regardless of gender, race, sexuality, age religion – or their immigration status.

No survivor of domestic abuse should face the additional trauma of the threat of deportation, which stops many survivors seeking the help they so desperately need.

Humanity should be at the heart of this and ensure we scrap the ‘no recourse to public funds’ rule which leaves vulnerable survivors of domestic abuse with nowhere to turn.

That would be a betrayal of one of the most vulnerable groups of domestic abuse survivors – migrant women.

That is why it is so important that colleagues from all parties back these changes when this Bill returns to the Commons.

Lib Dems slam Govt’s £900k makeover of RAF Voyager as “absurd waste”

Responding to reports that the Government is set to spend £900k to repaint RAF Voyager in the colours of the Union Jack flag, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson, Jamie Stone MP said:

This absurd waste of nearly £1 million at a time when so many families are struggling to put food on the table and so many are worried about their job security is insulting.

The country is facing the biggest crisis in generations but Boris Johnson is concerned with the colours of his plane.

This government continue to astound with their posturing. It is disgraceful. They should halt these plans and use the money to help those who need it most right now instead.