• Fracking: Rural areas treated like guinea pigs
• Interest rates: Homeowners being punished by Government failure to control inflation
• Recession: Blame lies with Conservative MPs
• NHS announcement an ‘A, B, C of failure’
• Lib Dems table motion to cancel Parliament recess and scrutinise mini Budget
• Kwarteng growth plan: Shocking admission of Conservative failure

Fracking: Rural areas treated like guinea pigs

Responding to the British Geological Survey’s Report on fracking, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said:

The government’s own experts have refused to say fracking is safe. That they choose to plough on regardless shows a callous disregard for our communities and countryside. From Surrey to Somerset, the government are treating people in rural areas like guinea pigs.

The Conservatives obsession with fracking lays bare that they don’t actually think that Climate change is happening and are not willing to take the urgent action needed. They are delaying climate action at every corner. The mask has finally slipped and is revealing Liz Truss and Jacob Reece Mogg as climate change deniers. It is bizarre that this has become their priority, rather than renewables: the cheapest and most popular form of energy.

If people suffer polluted water and dangerous earthquakes, this decision will prove unforgivable.

Interest rates: Homeowners being punished by Government failure to control inflation

Responding to the Bank of England raising interest rates by 0.5%, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

This a hammer blow to struggling homeowners who are being punished by the Government’s failure to control inflation. This monster rate rise could have been avoided if Conservative Ministers bothered to take action sooner on energy bills and the rising cost of living. Instead, the Bank of England is left with no choice but to hike mortgage costs for millions.

It is first time buyers I fear for the most, who have scrimped and saved for their first house. Tomorrow Liz Truss has to clean up the mess made by this Conservative Government and bailout families and pensioners who will suffer as a result of this mortgage hike. This should start with re-installing an Emergency Mortgage Support Fund which was cruelly scrapped by Conservative Ministers.

Recession: Blame lies with Conservative MPs

Responding to the announcement that Britain is in recession, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

The blame for this recession lies squarely with Conservative MPs who have dithered for months and let the British people down. This government has no plan for our economy and has done nothing as our country has slid into a recession which will hurt struggling families, pensioners and businesses.

If urgent action had been taken months ago on energy bills and the cost of living crisis, then the UK economy wouldn’t be in this mess.

Instead, mortgage rates are spiralling, food prices are soaring and our country faces a grim winter recession with no real plan to get us out of it.

NHS announcement an ‘A, B, C of failure’

Responding to the Secretary of State’s NHS announcement, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP, said:

This isn’t a plan, it’s an A, B, C of failure. We were promised an extra 6,000 GPs by 2024, instead we’ve lost almost 2,000.

People are now struggling to get appointments because there simply aren’t enough GPs to go around, a new phone system cannot fix this.

Even when patients do manage to get an appointment, one in five are being rushed through in less than five minutes. It’s all they have to give, but it’s nowhere near enough time to explain complex symptoms, get a confident diagnosis or to talk through treatment options.

Patients are being forced to pay a dangerous price for years of chronic underfunding and broken Conservative promises.

Lib Dems table motion to cancel Parliament recess and scrutinise mini Budget

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion to cancel the upcoming parliamentary recess, to allow proper scrutiny of the government’s mini Budget being proposed today (Friday 23 September).

The party is also calling for urgent measures to be brought in to help support families and small businesses through the winter, including an expanded windfall tax on oil and gas companies to fund a proper freeze on energy bills.

Parliament had a recess of 45 days over the summer, and since then has only sat for seven full working days. MPs are now due to go on another 17 day recess for party conferences, straight after the government announces its plans to address the cost of living crisis.

Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP commented:

The Conservative Party spent weeks over the summer talking amongst themselves while the country was in crisis. Now they’re proposing another unnecessary break instead of allowing Parliament to properly scrutinise their Budget plans which risk saddling the country with unsustainable debt.

Conservative ministers are yet again showing contempt for the British people by hiding away from proper scrutiny.

Liz Truss should show leadership and cancel Parliament’s recess to pass the extra measures needed to support families and businesses this winter. That should include a much tougher windfall tax on oil and gas companies to fund a real freeze on energy bills.

Kwarteng growth plan: Shocking admission of Conservative failure

Responding to Kwasi Kwarteng’s announcement of a new “Growth Plan” in which he criticises the government’s own economic record, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

Kwasi Kwarteng was minister for growth for three years, and now says he presided over a vicious cycle of stagnation. It is a shocking admission of the damage done to our economy through years of incompetence and chaos under this Conservative government.

It’s clear that Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss are totally out-of-touch with the British people and taking them for granted.

Our country is facing an economic crisis and the Conservatives have only made it worse. We need a proper plan for long-term growth, not ideological gimmicks.