Liberal Democrats in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Rossendale

The Liberal Democrats have accused the Chancellor of "making up plans on the hoof" when it comes to financial support for businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19. Responding to the Chancellor's statement in the House of Commons today, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

Responding to figures released showing that the Test and Trace system has had its lowest weekly figure since the scheme began, with less than 60% of people in England reached in the week ending 14 October, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

We already knew that national contact tracing is an utter disaster - but it has now reached rock bottom. The figures released today show the test and trace system has had the lowest weekly figure of contacts traced since the scheme began back in March, not to mention the fact they're being forced to draft in untrained staff to cope with the level of rising cases.

Both of our local Conservative MP's voted against a move to allow for free school meals over the Christmas period. Both Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale & Darwen, and Sara Britcliffe MP for Hyndburn voted with the government against extending free school meals over the Christmas Holiday. This was in the face of over a quarter of a million people who had signed Marcus Rashford's petition asking that the government do what they did over the summer.

A pedestrian crossing on the busy A666 on Bolton Rd in the Whitehall Area of Darwen has been out of action for 9 months. Former Lib Dem Councillor, David Foster, has reported this to the Council and they intially promised it would be done by the end of August. It is still out of action.

David Foster said, "This crossing is used by pupils at our two local primary schools and is opposite the busy local post office. I cannot see why the Council has been unable to repair this for so long. Now schools are reopen it is even more critical that it's repaired urgently."

Responding to the vote on Lord Judge's motion to the Internal Market Bill in the House of Lords, with the Government being defeated by 395 votes to 169 votes, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords Dick Newby said:

For a long time now we have known that Boris Johnson and his Ministers have little regard for the rule of law, but this Bill goes far beyond what any Prime Minister should even contemplate - let alone pursue.

Today, Liberal Democrat Peer Paul Scriven has secured a commitment from Health Minister Lord Bethell to publish the agreement between the Government and police chiefs over the decision to share test and trace data.

This follows the Health Secretary's refusal to make the Memorandum of Understanding public when Liberal Democrat Health and Care Spokesperson Munira Wilson asked him to just yesterday.

A The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservatives are risking a new Windrush-style scandal, as the Government overturned the Party's amendments to end indefinite immigration detention and protect the rights of British nationals living in the EU and EU citizens in the UK.

This evening, Conservative MPs rejected all 10 cross-party amendments to the Government's Immigration Bill, passed by the House of Lords earlier this month, including three from the Liberal Democrats.

Responding to the Victims Commissioner's report on rape survivors and the criminal justice system, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said:

Survivors deserve justice. They must be properly supported to come forward and be listened to when they do.

However, as this report shows, far too many survivors are put off reporting the crime for fear of being disbelieved, and far too many who do come forward find the whole process traumatic. Government inaction is failing survivors of sexual violence and allowing too many criminals to walk free.

Today, Liberal Democrats from across the North of England, including four council leaders, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, and Liberal Democrat Leader in the Lords Dick Newby, have written to the Prime Minister stating that the North has been "overlooked by a London-centric government".

The letter calls for a raft measures to be implemented urgently to help stop the spread of the virus across vast swathes of the country.

Responding to the news the government has ended talks with the EU, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

Last December the Prime Minister told voters he had an oven ready deal with the EU. Just ten months later he tells us he has finished the talks without a deal.

We are now on the cusp of a bad trade deal or no trade deal - either of which will hit jobs and businesses hard, just when Britain is already suffering from the biggest economic crisis for three hundred years.