Category Archives: News

Phil Bennion

2022 Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy

By Phil Bennion | Tue 5th April 2022 - 5:29 pm

EDITOR NOTE: some of this report contains references to torture and abuse.

I arrived in Geneva last night for the first time in two years for the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, an annual event raising the plight of political prisoners worldwide and drawing attention to human rights abuses by state actors. It is always a privilege to be in the company of the speakers, who are variously former political prisoners, family members and representatives of prisoners and front line human rights defenders.

The event at the UN was opened by the Canadian permanent mission to the UN who asked for full support for the suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council this week.

The first speaker was Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian human rights defender who focusses on the denial of due process in Iranian courts and torture of defendants. She pointed out that 72 deaths have occurred in custody in a decade.

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Mark Valladares

4 April 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 4th April 2022 - 10:30 pm
  • Conservative MPs must rediscover their moral compass and get rid of the PM
  • Conversion Therapy: Chaotic u-turns shredding UK’s reputation
  • Channel 4 privatisation is “trashing a uniquely British legacy”

Conservative MPs must rediscover their moral compass and get rid of the PM

Responding to government minister Simon Hart’s comments this morning that “the world has moved on” from partygate, Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine MP said:

These comments are an insult to every family that suffered in lockdown while Downing Street partied.

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have got something else coming if they think the public has moved on from this shameful scandal.

Boris Johnson broke the rules he asked us all to obey then repeatedly lied about it. Conservative MPs must rediscover their moral compass and get rid of him.

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Michal Siewniak

How to persuade a Brexit voter to support you in the Local Elections?

By Michal Siewniak | Mon 4th April 2022 - 9:02 am

As I am writing this article, there are thirty-two days until the next local elections. As someone who is standing, we are entering the last stages of the campaign. The finish line is quite close!

This year, in order to know how much time, effort and energy I invested in campaigning, I decided to create a simple timesheet. It is nice to see that since October 2021, I have spent twenty-five hours door knocking, more than twenty-five hours delivering our leaflets and another ten meeting our delivery network. I hope that the outcome will be positive for me and our local Welwyn Hatfield Liberal Democrat team.

I’ve said it a few times but I really enjoy door knocking. I like meeting people, discussing current local and at times, national and global matters. I am learning to become a better listener. Without being judgmental, it is good to find out why people vote in a certain way or why they support a particular policy.

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The Liberator Collective

Issue 412 of Liberator out – Ukraine, Erlend, Extinction Rebellion

By The Liberator Collective | Sun 3rd April 2022 - 8:25 am

Liberator 412 can be downloaded here . This is the April 2022 online-only edition of Liberator and we hope you enjoy reading it.

What’s inside this issue?

Alongside Radical Bulletin, Commentary and Letters, Liberator 412 includes:

UKRAINE’S COMEDIAN PRESIDENT IS NO COMIC.

Kiron Reid saw great hope on democracy’s eastern border in Ukraine when this article was published in Liberator 398 in November 2019 after the election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as president. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we reprint it here, followed by some necessarily anonymous reflections on Ukraine now and the path to war from an observer

…

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The Voice

Government U-turns on gay conversion therapy, but still allows it for trans people

By The Voice | Fri 1st April 2022 - 3:57 pm

Yesterday we acknowledged the Transgender Day of Visibility with a post that highlighted comments from a number of Liberal Democrats.

In that post we mentioned that the Government had decided not to ban conversion therapy, to much consternation.

Amazingly, overnight the Government has U-turned again and is now planning to bring forward legislation to ban conversion therapy in the next Queen’s speech. But – and a very big but – the ban will not cover trans people.

On the one hand it is pleasing that gay conversion therapy will at last be outlawed. But it is deeply disappointing that trans conversion therapy will still be allowed.

Now we should start by saying that counselling and psychotherapy should, of course, be made available to all people who are considering transitioning. It is a complex and difficult journey to take, and many will be helped to understand themselves better through professional help. But the key here is “professional” – someone who is fully trained and recognised by their professional bodies. Such people do not approach sessions with any preconceived notions about what the outcome should be for their client, except that they should emerge with a clearer understanding of themselves.

Conversion therapy is different. Last year many professional bodies, including the NHS, signed the updated Memorandum of understanding on conversion therapy in the UK. It states:

Conversion therapy is the term for therapy that assumes certain sexual orientations or gender identities are inferior to others, and seeks to change or suppress them on that basis.

The 2017 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) makes it clear that conversion therapy in relation to gender identity and sexual orientation (including asexuality) is unethical, potentially harmful and is not supported by evidence. It updates the 2015 version released at the Department of Health, which focused exclusively on sexual orientation.

It is truly shameful that the Government now wants to allow the practice to continue for trans people.

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Mary Reid

Today’s stories

By Mary Reid | Fri 1st April 2022 - 1:24 pm

We hope you enjoyed this morning’s post.

This time last year we were musing on whether the party should take over a cruise ship for our Autumn Conference. It seems The Guardian has had a similar brainwave in relation to the superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs.

Meanwhile, Tim Farron had a splendid idea.

He also seems to be involved in this tweet with some dodgy Dad dancing.

And again.

Now Nick gets in on the act.

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The Voice

Lib Dems take action to clean up language

By The Voice | Fri 1st April 2022 - 7:55 am

Tucked away at the end of the Agenda for Spring Conference we find this constitutional amendment:

In Article 20.1, delete ‘not less than’ and insert ‘not fewer than’ on both occasions.

What is not immediately apparent is that such grammatical errors could result in disciplinary action in future.

In an attempt to smarten up communications the party can now apply sanctions to anyone who violates good grammar in public-facing documents such as Focus leaflets and press releases. Any party member responsible for such errors will have to attend training. If they refuse, they face expulsion.

Here are some examples of the kinds of errors they have in mind.

  • Confusing ‘less’ and ‘fewer’. Hint: ‘less’ goes with a singular noun, while ‘fewer’ goes with a plural.
  • Using ‘different to’ instead of ‘different from’.
  • Misplaced or omitted apostrophes. Hint: an apostrophe usually indicates that a letter has been left out (but not always …) or the word is in the possessive form (but not always …)
  • Semi-colons at the end of bullet points; Or full stops. Or commas,
  • Two or more spaces between sentences.    This is on the insistence of the Party President.
  • Treating data or media as singular nouns.
  • Starting a sentence with ‘But’ or ‘Or’.  Or ‘And’.
  • The Heidelberg colon. This should not be used under any circumstances.
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The Voice

Liberal Democrats mark Transgender Day of Visibility

By The Voice | Thu 31st March 2022 - 9:40 pm

Today is the Transgender Day of Visibility, our chance to celebrate transgender and non binary people and raise awareness of the issues affecting them.  Liberal Democrats have a proud history of supporting rights for transgender and non binary people.

Here’s how some in the party have marked the day:

 

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NewsHound

Christine Jardine calls for planning changes to protect women

By NewsHound | Thu 31st March 2022 - 1:02 pm

Christine Jardine is to bring forward a bill in the Commons which would make it a legal requirement for women’s safety to be published as a condition of planning approval for major developments.

An assessment of the impact on women’s safety would need to be published as a condition of planning approval for major developments.

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Mary Reid

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees left in limbo

By Mary Reid | Wed 30th March 2022 - 5:52 pm

We have all been shocked (though perhaps not surprised) to learn of the bureaucratic processes that have faced Ukrainian refugees who want to come to the UK.

New statistics on the Homes for Ukraine scheme reveal that fewer that 10% of applicants have been granted a visa. That actual figures are 2,700 visa issued against 28,300 applications under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

Alistair Carmichael, our Home Affairs spokesperson said:

More than 150,000 families are offering to welcome refugees into their homes, but the Conservatives are offering only red tape and delays. Their response has been appallingly slow and chaotic, leaving thousands of Ukrainians in limbo trying to get a visa.

Ministers need to work harder and faster to match the compassion shown by the British public.

Ukrainian refugees should be allowed to come to the UK now, without first having to apply for a visa. And the Government should set up a fast, ambitious resettlement scheme, working with refugee agencies to bring Ukrainians directly to the UK.

The media are united in their outrage.

The Guardian: ‘False hope’: refugee charity attacks UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme

The Independent: ‘Woeful’ 2,700 visas granted under new Ukrainian refugee sponsorship scheme

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The Voice

Ed Davey: Boris Johnson must resign over “Partygate” fines

By The Voice | Tue 29th March 2022 - 12:30 pm

Ed Davey’s response to the news that the Metroplitan Police have issued an initial 20 fixed penalty notices over the Downing Street Parties held during Covid restrictions was short and sharp. (Plain text below.)

If Boris Johnson thinks he can get away with partygate by paying expensive lawyers and throwing junior staff to the wolves, he is wrong.

We all know who is responsible. The Prime Minister must resign, or Conservative MPs must sack him.

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The Voice

Wera Hobhouse calls for misogyny to be made a hate crime after research reveals women killed by men in 28% of murders

By The Voice | Tue 29th March 2022 - 11:30 am

House of Commons Library Research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has today revealed that 28% of all murder cases since 2016 are women murdered by men.

Since the brutal murder of Sarah Everard last year in March, the data shows that 109 women have been murdered where men were the main suspect, representing more than 2 women per week. This is out of 414 murder victims overall, equalling 26% of all murder cases.

Our Women and Equalities Spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP has slammed the Government for turning a blind eye to anti-women hatred and refusing to take violence against women and girls seriously.

Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of ‘turning a blind-eye’ to violence against women and girls, choosing to bury their head in the sand.

Wera said:

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Mark Valladares

Welcome (belatedly) to my day: 28 March 2022 – Let the People Sing?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 28th March 2022 - 7:50 pm

I’m on my way back from an event at the University of Bradford, which might explain today’s very slow start today. And, for those of you who know Bradford, you’ll have recognised the picture. For those of you who don’t, the statue of J B Priestly stands in front of the National Science and Media Museum.

Universities have suffered rather badly under recent Conservative administrations. Brexit has impacted on students coming here via the Erasmus programme, and research has been impacted by arguments over our participation in the Horizon 2020 programme. Throw in the impact of culture warriors with blue rosettes, and it’s been difficult to balance budgets and attract talent from beyond our shores.

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Mark Valladares

Use bumper energy profits to scrap ‘grossly unfair’ energy bill postcode lottery

By Mark Valladares | Mon 28th March 2022 - 2:52 pm

The Liberal Democrats have called for the scrapping of the regional differences in electricity and gas bills, which is seeing some households paying £124 more for their gas and electricity just because of where they live.

The UK is broken up into fourteen different pricing regions where it costs different amounts to get electricity and gas to people’s homes. This leads to people in the North of Scotland, Wales and South West England paying more for their gas and electricity bills than other parts of the country.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows that households in North Wales and Merseyside pay …

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Mary Reid

Ofcom appointment: process rigged from the start

By Mary Reid | Fri 25th March 2022 - 10:57 am

Jamie Stone has been making his feelings known on the appointment of Michael Grade as Chair of Ofcom. Jamie is our spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

He says:

This process has been rigged from the start. Michael Grade’s obvious dislike of his former workplaces BBC and Channel 4 should have ruled him out from the get go.

In the midst of the Ukraine crisis and the past years of pandemic, the chair of Ofcom should be a strong independent voice defending the integrity of our iconic public broadcasters – not a card carrying Conservative critic hurling abuse from the sidelines.

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NewsHound

Hobhouse on sibling sexual abuse

By NewsHound | Wed 23rd March 2022 - 5:03 pm

Speaking yesterday in Westminster Hall, Wera Hobhouse tackled the “hugely difficult and harrowing” subject of sibling sexual abuse which, she said, can have “devastating, lifelong consequences”. The child who has harmed often has to deal with the dichotomy of their actions as a child and who they are now as an adult. Parents are often faced with the “double dilemma” of trying to support both of the children involved, dealing with school, social services, children’s services and police investigations, as well as unaffected siblings, friends and extended family. Criminal justice is not the answer to tackling sibling sexual abuse; we need health and education to work together and take a trauma-informed approach.

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NewsHound

Lib Dem reaction to the Spring Statement

By NewsHound | Wed 23rd March 2022 - 4:02 pm

In his budget today, Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty by 5p a litre, raised the threshold at which workers start paying national insurance by £3,000 a year and announced a future 1% reduction in income tax.

But the OBR said almost 3 million more people will be brought into paying income because the income tax threshold has been frozen. Ed Davey said:

This tax bombshell will send a shiver down the spine of families who are drowning in spiralling bills.

Rishi Sunak is trying to swindle the British public by burying the true cost of his disgraceful tax hikes. He has insulted millions of squeezed families across the country by thinking he can hide this in the small print. Rishi Sunak is following Boris Johnson’s lead by not being up front and honest with the country.

Tim Farron was scathing about the fuel duty cut:

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NewsHound

Farron: Nationality and Borders Bill worst legislation I’ve seen in 17 years

By NewsHound | Wed 23rd March 2022 - 8:30 am

In a passionate speech in the House of Commons yesterday, Tim Farron condemned the Nationality and Borders Bill saying it is based on a bogus premise, that we are swamped by asylum seekers. He slammed the “utterly bogus, completely contrived and arbitrary notion” that asylum seekers should be treated if they got here by illegal routes.

Farron asked why are we not granting asylum seekers the right to work? He said if MPs vote for this Bill, “they are voting for deaths in the channel”. People come here not because of the pull factor, but because of the push factor and …

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Mark Valladares

22 March 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 22nd March 2022 - 10:40 pm
  • HMICFRS report: Met police needs new leadership not stitch up by Johnson and Patel
  • Oligarch ditches UK mansions after government sanctions delay
  • Nationality and Borders Bill: A traffickers’ charter that will cause deaths in the Channel
  • Patel must stop her assault on British rights and freedoms

HMICFRS report: Met police needs new leadership not stitch up by Johnson and Patel

Responding to the report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into corruption in the Met Police and the case of Daniel Morgan, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

This shocking report lays bare the ingrained culture of corruption and cover-up at the top of the Met. Police officers put themselves at risk every day to keep us safe, but they are being let down by poor leadership.

The Met urgently needs strong new leadership. Choosing the new Commissioner is too important to be a stitch up between Priti Patel and Boris Johnson – especially when Johnson is under criminal investigation by the Met himself.

The next Commissioner must be someone who will shake things up and stand up to government ministers – and that’s someone Johnson and Patel will never choose.

That’s why Liberal Democrats are calling for a cross-party confirmation vote by both Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee and London’s Police and Crime Committee, to stop the Government stitching up this crucial appointment.

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NewsHound

Vince Cable on tomorrow’s Spring Statement

By NewsHound | Tue 22nd March 2022 - 5:20 pm

Writing in the Independent today, Vince Cable said:

The geopolitical earthquake in Ukraine will generate an economic tsunami, sweeping away comforts and orthodoxies with which we have become familiar in recent decades. We don’t yet know the height of the waves, but we know they are on their way.

The era of low interest rates is first to go. Central banks, including our own Bank of England, are becoming alarmed about inflation and are moving to higher rates, which further depresses consumer demand and investment. Despite rate rises, some forecasters believe the UK could hit 10 per cent inflation by the end of the year and be in recession.

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What would be your dream budget?

By Andy Boddington | Tue 22nd March 2022 - 4:13 pm

Formally, it is the Spring Statement. But to many facing soaring energy, fuel and food prices – not to mention the National Insurance hike and suspension of the triple lock – it is a budget that could make the difference between being warm or being hungry. Being able to afford a few luxuries or having to skimp on essentials. For some it will mean trips to the food bank.

Much has been written on the spiralling cost of living. Just today, I received a polite note from my home energy provider saying announcing a 42% increase from 1 April. Many people …

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The Voice

Sunak shows he is “out of touch” on fuel poverty figures

By The Voice | Mon 21st March 2022 - 10:40 am

Responding to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s failure to answer how many people are being pushed into fuel poverty on the BBC’s Sunday Morning show, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

Rishi Sunak doesn’t even care enough to find out how many people he is condemning to fuel poverty. It shows he is completely out of touch with families worried sick about how to cope with soaring energy bills.

People are desperate for help but the Conservatives’ response is to clobber them with an unfair tax rise.

The Chancellor should use this week’s Spring Statement to put money back into people’s pockets,

…

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 21 March 2022 – knee deep in broken crockery…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 21st March 2022 - 7:23 am

It is sometimes hard to appreciate just how broken our politics is. With a Government determined to remove or destroy all of the guard rails that protect us – independent supervision of our elections, an unbiased state broadcaster, limits on campaign spending that prevent the wealthy from buying their way to power – and seemingly able to lie without restraint or conscience about anything and everything, it is perhaps unsurprising that they seem capable of defying what we traditionally thought of as political gravity.

It is as though Wilkins Micawber was not only justified in his belief that “something would come along” but that it always did.

And now, a war somewhere far enough away to not risk our direct involvement but close enough to justify an effort to look relevant has come along just when the Conservative Party was breaking into mutually hostile factions over the lies and evasions of the Prime Minister over events at 10 Downing Street. It is an excuse to persuade us that a man who has had more chances than an English slip cordon puts down in an average year should be given another.

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Sheila Ritchie

John Stewart: 1972-2022

By Sheila Ritchie | Sun 20th March 2022 - 1:12 pm

This is not an obituary; I just want you to understand what a special person John Stewart was. John has died, aged 49, of lung cancer. John was a good man, and a lovely one.

His (much older) husband, Neil Fletcher, has been my friend since he, Neil, was at Aberdeen Uni in the 80s.. And we had some gey times back then. I knew his life, his friends and his boyfriends……and then John arrived on the scene to study Divinity. Neil was maybe not at his sylph-like best at the time (I know, I know), and the two of them were quickly christened “Fats and the child”. John was soooo young. Bear in mind that, back then, in the early 90s, their relationship was illegal. But we were Liberals and no-one cared about such a silly law.

John was, in those days, a quiet soul. And, if you know Neil, you will realise that meant John was a bit in the shadows. But he always knew who he was. He took an Honours degree, after a subject switch, in Church History, and, no surprise, Politics. John was active in his local church, Langstane, in Aberdeen, and, always happy to serve, became the Presbytery’s youngest elder.

Given the company he kept he became, quickly, an active Party member. Having graduated in 1996, he spotted that Sir Robert Smith’s campaign was in a bit of trouble and turned up at Bob’s house, to help. He then persuaded the Feds to pay him, and donated his salary to the campaign fund! He didn’t leave for 10 years.

He resigned as an elder over the Church of Scotland’s stance on homosexuality. Although he was blessed in a long and loving (if sometimes stormy) relationship, he had to deal with homophobia, and, when it hit, he met it head on. That quiet soul never put up with it.

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NewsHound

Ukraine: Johnson is not Churchill, he is Basil Fawlty

By NewsHound | Sun 20th March 2022 - 7:41 am

Those that had the strength of will to listen to Boris Johnson’s speech to the Conservative Party spring conference yesterday were left gasping and outraged. One of the least statesmanlike prime ministers in British history had the gall to compare the decisions facing the people of Ukraine with those people in Britain made over Brexit:

“I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples. When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners. It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”

Lib Dem MPs and many others were quick to attack Johnson for his crassness and insensitivity.

 

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Mary Reid

Outrageous behaviour by P&O

By Mary Reid | Fri 18th March 2022 - 10:17 am

Embed from Getty Images

We were all shocked by the summary dismissal yesterday of 800 P&O employees. My immediate reaction – as a former trades union branch officer – was “Surely that is illegal?”. The unions are, of course, taking legal advice.

And the Government itself, in the person of the Maritime minister Robert Courts, has criticised strongly P&O, describing the action as “wholly unacceptable”.

Sarah Olney, our Transport spokesperson, has commented on this:

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Mark Valladares

17 March 2022 – today’s (other) press release

By Mark Valladares | Thu 17th March 2022 - 11:15 pm

P&O Ferries: Govt must step in

Responding to the announcement of P&O Ferries laying off 800 workers with immediate effect, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said:

Today’s underhanded action by P&O is an attack on workers. It is an absolute outrage.

This is simply not an acceptable way to treat employees and the government must step in urgently to help reduce tensions and bring people back to the table.

If the current owners cannot manage this company properly then the government needs to consider how a more responsible owner can be brought in.

Clearly the Conservatives also need to tighten up

…

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NewsHound

Davey to Truss: Emergency airlifts for refugees on Polish border needed

By NewsHound | Thu 17th March 2022 - 3:36 pm

Ed Davey has called for an emergency airlift for Ukrainian refugees on the Polish border who want to reach the UK. In a letter today to the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary, Ed Davey has suggested the UK Government must now provide free flights to the UK, with coaches to the nearest Polish airports from key border crossing points and welcoming reception centres for the refugees on arrival at the UK.

The call comes following the Liberal Democrat Leader’s visit to the Polish border this week to meet with Ukrainian refugees and the charities supporting them. In contrast to the swift action of the British public to offer shelter and countless volunteers from the UK to help with the humanitarian crisis, Ed Davey was appalled by the absence of any UK Government personnel to provide swift and safe passage to those fleeing to the UK.

Boris Johnson’s reckless dismissal of security warnings about one wealthy Russian contrasts with his heartlessly inadequate response to countless Ukrainian women and children fleeing Putin’s bombs. This shames him and his Government.

Emergency airlifts are now the best guarantee for these refugees to get to the UK safely and swiftly, to the kindness and compassion of the British public waiting for them.

It was shocking to see so many other nations united and already helping refugees at a humanitarian aid centre near the Ukrainian-Polish border, whilst the UK Government had no-one.

The queues of refugees are exhausted and traumatised. Surely these families have been through enough. It’s urgent that people are now airlifted to safety and help so they can start rebuilding their lives.

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NewsHound

Dodds: Aberpergwm Coal Mine Expansion Must be Stopped

By NewsHound | Thu 17th March 2022 - 9:27 am

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.

A protest yesterday in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple Welsh climate groups attend.

The expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine has been at the centre of a row between the UK and Welsh Governments, with the Welsh Government claiming it does not have the legal authority to block the mine’s expansion, while the UK Coal Authority has insisted that the Welsh Government could in fact stop the development.

The new license, which was approved by the Coal Authority in January will allow Aberpergwm Mine to extract another forty million tonnes of coal. The development could release up to 1.17 million tonnes of very strong greenhouse gases, including methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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Mark Valladares

16 March 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 16th March 2022 - 10:50 pm
  • Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from Iran: At a dark time, this is joyful news
  • Jane Dodds: Aberpergwm Coal Mine Expansion Must be Stopped

Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from Iran: At a dark time, this is joyful news

Responding to the news that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman detained in Iran has now been released and is on her way back to the UK, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

At a dark time, this is joyful news for us all to celebrate. Members of the public, NGOs, Parliamentarians and, of course, Nazanin and Anoosheh’s families have campaigned tirelessly for their release – it now looks like they are finally coming home.

But it should not have taken years to reach this day – nearly six years in the case of Nazanin. We should never have been in the situation where UK nationals are being used as political bargaining chips. The UK Government has questions to answer for whether their actions, including those of the current Prime Minister, have prolonged this ordeal. I hope the Foreign Secretary will commit to an independent inquiry.

I’m sure many tears are set to be cried in the next twenty-four hours. But for once I hope they are tears of joy.

Jane Dodds: Aberpergwm Coal Mine Expansion Must be Stopped

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.

The protest in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple Welsh climate groups attend.

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