• Tariff proposals show Johnson’s willing to break his word on Brexit yet again
• Govt must be clear on process for regional COVID-19 lockdowns
• Lib Dems push to strengthen support for survivors in Domestic Abuse Bill
• Davey: Coronavirus death toll a national tragedy

Tariff proposals show Johnson’s willing to break his word on Brexit yet again

Responding to reports that the UK Government is considering accepting tariffs as part of any UK-EU transition deal, Liberal Democrat Brexit and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

This proposal is the latest chapter in a long story of the Brexit reality failing to meet Boris Johnson’s rhetoric.

Johnson told British businesses, including farmers, they’d have tariff free access to the EU market.

But just as he promised Northern Irish businesses that there would be no checks in the Irish Sea, and consumers that we wouldn’t have chlorinated chickens on our shelves, it seems that this too is an issue he is willing to break his word on.

The Government risks selling out UK farmers and industry all for their ideological Brexit.

Govt must be clear on process for regional COVID-19 lockdowns

A Cambridge University and PHE England study has suggested the decline in the COVID-19 death rate in England may arrest by mid-June. Responding to this, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care Munira Wilson said:

Scientists and public health officials sounded the alarm when the Government eased lockdown this week, given the COVID-19 risk level is still “high”. These findings show that they were right to advise caution.

An effective test, trace and isolate system is the only way to keep people safe. But Ministers relaxed lockdown measures before establishing a fully functioning test and trace service, or even getting the NHSX App up and running.

The UK coronavirus death toll has now, tragically, surpassed 40,000 – the highest in Europe. Given the scale of the crisis in the UK, Ministers must be frank about whether measures to ease lockdown were premature. Ministers must now urgently explain whether regional lockdowns will come into force and – if so – how they will be implemented, and who is legally responsible for this process.

Lib Dems push to strengthen support for survivors in Domestic Abuse Bill

The Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill to “strengthen protection and support” for survivors of abuse.

Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, has tabled a series of amendments at Committee Stage to ensure the “strongest possible” support for survivors. The measures include:

• Create Local Welfare Provision schemes to provide a “financial lifeline” to anyone trapped in a violent home because they cannot afford to leave;
• Provide guidance to prevent economic abuse through withholding of child maintenance funds or similar actions;
• Ensure the option of special measures – such as appearance via video-link – for people giving evidence about domestic abuse in family courts, not just criminal courts;
• Provide guidance on safeguarding young people from abuse in the context of teenage relationships.

The Liberal Democrats will also be supporting amendments on a range of other issues, including ensuring that survivors receive support, regardless of their immigration status.

Liberal Democrat Homes Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine, who is on the Committee scrutinising the Bill, said:

Too often survivors of abuse are failed by our justice system and our social services. This situation is intolerable. The Domestic Abuse Bill is our opportunity to change this, by strengthening protection and support for survivors.

That is why the Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to improve key aspects of this Bill, from providing a financial lifeline to anyone trapped in an abusive home to guaranteeing the option of special measures for survivors having to give evidence in family courts.

Survivors have already had to wait too long for this Bill. Now that we have the opportunity to get it in place, we need to make sure it offers the strongest possible protections and holds perpetrators of any form of abuse to account.

Davey: Coronavirus death toll a national tragedy

Responding to the UK’s coronavirus death toll passing more than 40,000, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

This is a national tragedy. With the UK seeing so many more covid deaths than almost every other country, it is surely time for the Prime Minister to admit his mistakes over PPE, testing and support for care homes.

So many heroes working and caring in the NHS and care homes up and down the country have been catastrophically failed by the Government through their failures to provide adequate PPE, to provide testing and to give timely public health advice.

The independent public inquiry I have called for can’t come soon enough. We really must examine what went so badly wrong here in the UK and understand how other countries have avoided the number of tragic deaths that have occurred here.