• Govt must review exports of security equipment to US
• Lib Dems: PHE report fails to properly address inequalities in our society
• Govt must extend transition given NI Assembly vote

Govt must review exports of security equipment to US

Responding to news that President Donald Trump has threatened to use military force to quell protests in the United States following the murder of George Floyd, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

Today the US President threatened to use force against his own citizens. As things stand, our Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have stood silent. Their silence is shameful.

The Prime Minister must make clear that the “special relationship” with the US will not survive flagrant abuses of human rights.

The Liberal Democrats are supporting calls from Amnesty International to review the export of security equipment including rubber bullets and tear gas to the United States, given the evidence that they are being used to target unarmed civilians.

Lib Dems: PHE report fails to properly address inequalities in our society

Responding to the ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’ report published by Public Health England, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

The findings from the report showing that BAME people are being disproportionately affected by the coronavirus crisis are incredibly worrying and confirm what was tragically already obvious. Many of the consequences of the pandemic are exacerbated by the existing inequalities in our society, yet this report does little to address those issues.

People from BAME communities, due to socio-economic inequalities and health inequalities, face an increased risk of contracting the virus. However, this report has failed to analyse those important issues and fails to provide proper recommendations. We need urgent action from the Government to stem the tide of the disproportionate number of BAME people losing their lives to coronavirus.

The Government must come forward and explain what it will do to try and tackle the factors contributing to this inequality. We know that people from BAME groups make up a significant percentage of those working on the frontline and in other key worker roles, yet this Government has utterly failed to properly protect them from the virus. Ensuring they have proper protective equipment and access to testing would be a good place to start.

Govt must extend transition given NI Assembly vote

Responding to news that the Northern Ireland Assembly has passed a motion calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period given the COVID-19 crisis, Liberal Democrat Brexit and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

The Conservatives’ proposed Brexit will have a profound impact on the people and businesses of Northern Ireland.

At a time when the economy and society is already under huge amounts of pressure, it would be reckless for the government to pursue a situation where the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.

The NI Assembly’s vote is a clear indication that Boris Johnson must rethink and do the right thing for those across the UK.

Not enough progress has been made on negotiations and we are now dangerously close to the extension deadline. Liberal Democrats will continue to call on the government to secure an extension of the transition period as a priority.