- Moran: Let’s hope more Universities follow Oxford’s diversity drive
- Hobhouse: End short prison sentences to cut crime
- Cable: Stop Brexit altogether to end turmoil for British business
- Chancellor’s warning must trigger No Deal U-turn
- Cable: Lib Dems “now indisputably the strongest remain party”
- Lamb: Govt must end abuse of our most vulnerable
- With no guarantee of a People’s Vote the PM will get no support from the Lib Dems
- Jenny Randerson: Brexit endangers devolution settlement
Moran: Let’s hope more Universities follow Oxford’s diversity drive
Responding to the news that Oxford University is set to overhaul its recruitment processes, and will commit that at least 25% of students will be from disadvantaged backgrounds by 2023, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson and MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran said:
This is welcome news from Oxford as setting clear ambitious targets will drive innovative solutions. But it begs the question, what about other top universities?
I’d like to see the Office for Students do more to promote a drive to the top where Universities compete to ramp up diversity. Only then will we start to see real society wide social mobility.
Hobhouse: End short prison sentences to cut crime
Responding to the HM Inspectorate of Probation report, published today, which reveals “an expensive merry-go-round” of people on short prison sentences, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said:
The criminal justice system is failing to prevent crime by rehabilitating offenders. Tory Ministers are continuing to waste money on pointless short prison sentences while refusing to properly fund the services people need to build a life free from crime.
Far too many people are still being sent to prison for a few weeks or months, even though the Ministry of Justice’s own analysis shows that community sentences are more effective at preventing re-offending. And far too many people leave prison without a place to sleep or a chance of getting a job. It’s little surprise so many of them end up back in prison within months.
The Liberal Democrats demand better. The Government must urgently bring forward legislation to end short prison sentences and invest properly in rehabilitative services. Only then will we cut re-offending so that there are fewer victims of crime and fewer people in prison.
Cable: Stop Brexit altogether to end turmoil for British business
Commenting on the widespread reports that British Steel is on the brink of administration, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
The firm is absolutely clear that is has been brought to the brink of closure by Brexit and the loss of European customers who are uncertain about future trading relations after Brexit.
This does not just affect the 4000 workers at Scunthorpe, there is a support staff of 20,000 in the whole supply chain. These workers around Scunthorpe now face real risk, and these are the jobs and livelihoods that Brexiteers have always dismissed too easily as ‘a price worth paying’.
Many other firms face the same danger. The government needs to do more to help businesses. The long term solution to the turmoil Brexit is causing for British business is to stop Brexit altogether.
Chancellor’s warning must trigger No Deal U-turn
Responding to reports that Chancellor Philip Hammond will describe No Deal Brexit as a “hijack” of the referendum, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake MP said:
It is about time someone in this Conservative Government saw sense. No one voted for the UK to crash out of the EU. It simply isn’t acceptable.
Ministers must now listen to the Chancellor and take a disastrous No Deal off the table.
The best way to now proceed is to put the deal back to the people, in a people’s vote, with the option to stay in the EU. Anything else will be disastrous for our economy.
Cable: Lib Dems “now indisputably the strongest remain party”
Vince Cable will tonight lead his party’s final big election rally ahead of the European elections in which he will say a vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit.
Vince Cable is expected to say:
We are now indisputably the strongest remain party, with our support growing as Remainers move from both Labour and Conservatives to back us.
Tomorrow I will be taking on Nigel Farage in a debate. I’ll be unapologetic in saying that the United Kingdom is stronger in Europe.
We are determined to give a voice to the millions of people who reject Farage’s vision of Britain. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for an internationalist, outward-looking Britain. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit.
Lamb: Govt must end abuse of our most vulnerable
Former Health Minister Norman Lamb has called on the Government toAa end long-term segregation for those with learning disabilities.
Commenting on the announcement of a review into this area, Norman said:
The Government urgently needs to take action to end the abuse of our most vulnerable people. Their human rights are being breached on a daily basis.
It’s very disappointing that the Government have not offered an opportunity for members of the House to question the Secretary of State on the dreadful findings of this review.
I’m calling on the Secretary of State to make a personal commitment to end what Dr Sara Ryan, mother of Connor Sparrowhawk, called “people… being tortured in places that are funded by the state.
With no guarantee of a People’s Vote the PM will get no support from the Lib Dems
Responding to the PM’s Brexit statement, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said:
The Prime Minister’s last ditch attempt to get her withdrawal agreement through the Commons without a confirmatory referendum attached is doomed to failure. Her authority is draining away.
Unless and until the Government concedes that a People’s Vote must be in the legislation, she will not win our support.
In the elections on Thursday, people have a clear opportunity to signal that they want to Stop Brexit in its tracks by backing the Liberal Democrats.
Jenny Randerson: Brexit endangers devolution settlement
Welsh Liberal Democrat, former Welsh Government Minister and Wales Office Minister, Baroness Jenny Randerson, will open a debate on the Devolution Settlement for the Liberal Democrats tomorrow and will warn that Brexit risks progress made on Devolution over the last 20 years.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Baroness Randerson said:
I am the only person who has been a Minister in both the Welsh and UK Governments. I have seen first-hand how it works at either end of the M4. The EU has long acted as an arbiter, taking a lot of the politics out of the creation of rules and regulations. With Brexit this role will be handed to Westminster, clearing the way for a lot more party-political turmoil.
The Westminster Government will take over setting rules for funding for agriculture and on development for less prosperous areas. With no high-level rules, UK Government Ministers will be both applicants on behalf of England, and arbiters on behalf of the whole of the UK.
A People’s vote with an exit from Brexit is the best way to safeguard the future of the devolution settlement. The alternative is a proper, balanced federal system or endless power struggles and constitutional wrangling as we have seen in Scotland.
One Comment
With the publicity on Brexit in the media it has slipped thru without notice that VAT on Solar Panels has gone from 5 to 20% whilst gas and coal remain at 5 It would make it harder to pay for installing them. It is not good when the Govnt talks the talk but bows to fossil fuel hawks.
I trust as politics change Oxford and others do not change the plans .After all 2022 a new Govnt might deter the Uni’s what doing what they know they should.
The probation service should be organised from sentencing to housing, job placement etc to put peoples lives back on track to prevent further crime.