• Liberal Democrats: Govt must stop posturing and secure a good deal
• Liberal Democrats attempt to block renter evictions
• Any review of our democracy must be truly independent, Liberal Democrats warn

Liberal Democrats: Govt must stop posturing and secure a good deal

Responding to Barnier’s comments that there has been no progress on key Brexit issues including fisheries and state aid, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

With just weeks to go and our country already facing the biggest economic crisis in generations, it is unthinkable that the UK would crash out of the transition period without a deal in place or with a bad deal.

Boris Johnson must start putting the nation first, rather than sacrificing everything and anything in his ideological pursuit of Brexit. Our NHS, jobs, and the economy are already suffering as a result of coronavirus. The Government must ensure that they are not brought to their knees as a result of the double whammy of a bad Brexit deal and the pandemic.

The Government must redouble their efforts to reach a deal with the EU. The time for posturing is long over.

Liberal Democrats attempt to block renter evictions

The Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords have tabled a motion in an attempt to block new Government orders which will allow evictions of private renters in England to resume from 23rd August.

Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson in the Lords Olly Grender has tabled a ‘pray to annul’ motion to the Government’s statutory instrument which was laid before Parliament last Friday (17th July 2020).

The Statutory Instrument requires landlords who are seeking possession of their property to submit a ‘reactivation notice’, but concerns were raised when it became clear that judges will have no legal means to prevent a ‘no-fault’ eviction, even when faced with evidence that the tenant has been impacted by the pandemic.

The motion put forward by Baroness Grender is the strongest form of objection a motion in the House of Lords can take. If this motion wins, the Government’s statutory instrument would be overturned.

Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson in the Lords, Olly Grender, said:

Ministers have signed off for their summer holidays without so much as a backward glance at all the renters they have left in the lurch this summer. What the Government should have done is fulfilled their election promise and scrapped no fault evictions altogether, but instead they have just gone back to business as usual allowing evictions of tenants with no explanation.

The fact they snuck these rules out without guidance and without Parliamentary scrutiny demonstrates once again that for this Government renters will always be left behind. The promise in March that “no renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their homes” was nothing more than hollow words.

This is the strongest opposition Parliament can take to the Civil Procedure Rules change – and we hope everyone will rally behind this. The Liberal Democrats will continue to hold this Government to account and stand up for renters’ rights.

Any review of our democracy must be truly independent, Liberal Democrats warn

Responding to reports that the Government have dropped plans for a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Political Reform, Wendy Chamberlain, said:

Given the widespread fears that this Commission was going to be used as a vehicle for Boris Johnson to attack the judiciary and slash checks and balances on his own powers, the fact it has been dropped is extremely welcome.

If this Government is serious about reviewing the workings of our democracy, then they should be committing to a fully transparent and independent process.

Ministers must be prepared to put the real issues on the table. Issues like whether the First Past the Post voting system is fit for purpose, and why we continue to unfairly disenfranchise 1.5million 16 and 17 year olds.