No music today, I’m afraid, for we have another clutch of press releases, including one which some of our readers might vaguely recognise as an overdue recycling of an old theme…

• PM must come clean on immigration plans
• Lib Dems: Only alternative to Brexit is a ‘People’s Vote’
• FOBT change finally ending cruel grip of industry on vulnerable people
• It’s time Fox was given his P45
• Tories can no longer bury Brexit truth

PM must come clean on immigration plans

Responding to Theresa May’s speech to the CBI conference this morning, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said:

Theresa May is desperately trying to win over the Brexit hardliners on the Tory benches by promising tough new immigration controls. But she still refuses to publish any details of her plans, more than a year after the white paper was originally due.

The PM is trying to hide the truth: that her plans would either fail to end free movement as she claims, or place a huge new bureaucratic burden on employers while damaging our economy and undermining public services. Either way, that’s hardly ‘taking back control’.

The Liberal Democrats demand better. Theresa May must finally come clean and publish her immigration white paper now, so MPs can scrutinise the proposals before voting on her Brexit deal.

Lib Dems: Only alternative to Brexit is a ‘People’s Vote’

Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake has today warned the “only alternative to Brexit is a People’s Vote” ahead of Jeremy Corbyn’s speech to the CBI on his alternative Brexit plan.

Mr Brake said:

Any Brexit will hit the pockets of hard-working people right across the UK. The public deserve better, and the Liberal Democrats demand better.

It is beyond time Jeremy Corbyn got his head out of the clouds. If he truly stood up for the many, he would listen to people’s worries and stand against this Brexit mess.

The only alternative to Brexit is a People’s Vote, with the option to remain in the EU. Labour should join the Liberal Democrats in that campaign. It’s what their members voted for, so what’s stopping them?

FOBT change finally ending cruel grip of industry on vulnerable people

Ahead of this afternoon’s amendment to the Finance Bill which will see the Government accept that the £2 maximum stake for Fixed-Odds-Betting-Terminals must be introduced within six months, rather than the year initially planned, Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesperson in the Commons Christine Jardine said:

This day should have come far earlier, but it is better late than never. I am glad that the Government have curbed to pressure to reduce the stakes on FOBT’s to £2.

People across the country, from all walks of life, have found themselves in the cruel grip of an industry relentlessly extorting money from vulnerable individuals.

This change in law should have taken place many years ago, and the Liberal Democrats pushed for it whilst in Government, but it took one of their own to walk out of DCMS, for the Tories to sit up and listen.

It’s time Fox was given his P45

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake has tabled a Presentation Bill in the House of Commons to disband the Department for International Trade with immediate effect.

The Prime Minister has negotiated a deal with the EU that leaves the department with no powers to create its own trade agreements.

Axing the DIT would provide the Government with an estimated saving of £258.6m and relieve the ineffective Secretary of State Liam Fox, of his ‘responsibilities’.

Commenting ahead of the Bill’s reading, Tom Brake said:

The only good thing to come out of the PM’s Brexit deal is the constructive dismissal of Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

That is why I am calling for the department to be disbanded – and the Civil Servants re-deployed to departments where their work might actually be implemented.

The DIT have not produced any new trade deals since their inception and May’s deal means they won’t in future – it’s time Fox was given his P45.

Tories can no longer bury Brexit truth

Speaking after the House of Commons tonight forced the Government to accept an amendment to the Finance Bill which means Ministers must publish assessments comparing the UK’s economic prospects between Theresa May’s deal and remaining in the EU, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake said:

The public deserve no less than the full facts and figures on the cost of Brexit. The Tories have been all too keen to bury the truth, but thankfully Parliament has now forced their hand.

The Conservatives can now no longer hide from the mess they have made of Brexit. The simple reality is that no form of Brexit is better than what we have in the EU.

When published, MPs from across the chamber must look at these economic assessments and ask themselves if their constituents deserve better. There is still time to escape this mess and back the Liberal Democrat campaign for a People’s Vote, including the option to remain in the EU.