• A real-terms pay cut is an insult to NHS workers
• Patel must drop proposals to restrict right to protest
• Liberal Democrats call for Autism support

A real-terms pay cut is an insult to NHS workers

Liberal Democrats have pressed the Government to give NHS workers a proper pay rise during an emergency motion passed at the party’s Spring Conference.

Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing, welcomed the motion being passed:

A real-terms pay cut is an insult to all the NHS workers who have gone above and beyond during this time of national crisis.

This Government seems obsessed with wasting millions of pounds on vanity projects yet can’t find a penny more to give nurses a proper pay rise. What kind of Prime Minister prioritises a new multi-million pound press conference room and expensive flat renovation at the expense of giving nurses a pay rise?

The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for nurses and frontline workers who have sacrificed so much during this pandemic.

Many of us and our loved ones have seen first-hand the hard work and sacrifice that NHS staff have made – not only nurses, but everyone who has kept our hospitals and clinics running.

The Government has consistently failed the NHS workers who have worked to keep us all safe, from dodgy PPE to the ludicrous bill for the Test and Trace system, now running to a staggering £37bn. It is scandalous that while some consultants earn more in one week than nurses earn in a whole year, the Government believes it is fair to cut NHS workers’ salaries.

Patel must drop proposals to restrict right to protest

Liberal Democrats have called on the Home Secretary to drop proposals to restrict the right to protest during an emergency motion passed at the party’s Spring Conference.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP commented:

The Conservative Government’s attempts to crack down on peaceful protests are dangers and draconian.

The right to protest is a fundamental human right. From the slave trade to women’s suffrage, workers’ rights to the Iraq war, protesting has always been a crucial part of our democratic society.

Liberal Democrats fiercely oppose the Government’s anti-democratic attempts to silence any opposition to its policies by restricting the right to protest, and we urge the Home Secretary to drop these proposals.

Liberal Democrats call for Autism support

The Liberal Democrats have passed a motion at their Spring party conference that would see changes made to the Equalities Act and Autism Act to allow those with autism to achieve their full potential. The Motion also calls on the Government to support individuals who are diagnosed with autism.

The motion calls on the Government to provide support to those who are diagnosed with autism with sweeping reform including:

• Education about neurodivergence to be included on the curriculum in the same way mental health is currently. With increased teacher training.
• Reduced wait lists for diagnosis by increasing funding and making diagnosis more accessible, by stopping gatekeeping and reducing steps required for diagnosis to be official in NHS terms.
• A change to ensure Autism is not represented as decreasing quality of life, and equal access to support and diagnosis for autistic women, girls, non-binary individuals and ethnic minorities.
• Guidance on employment to be updated to ensure the Equality Act 2010 is fulfilled and employers can support autistic individuals in their employment. Further improvements to the Autism Act 2009, to create obligations on employers and local authorities to support autistic people with their care assessments.
• Autistic offenders to be met with support and not punishment when the crime is non-violent. The creation of sensory spaces to be provided for autistic individuals engaging with the justice system.

Commenting on the motion passing Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat Health & Social Care Spokesperson said:

Liberal Democrats believe every individual should be able to achieve their potential and that means doing everything we can to support the millions of autistic people living in the UK.

This motion calls on the Government to make substantial changes to the law and official guidance to better support autistic people. By including lessons on neurodivergence in schools curriculums, putting in place funding to speed up the diagnosis process and ensuring that autistic people can be supported by their employers, we can begin to create a society that works for people with autism.