Liberal Democrats in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Rossendale

The meeting of the full council. This is open to the public and members of the public can ask qurstions by submitting them in adavance to Democratic Services. You will need to check if this will be a virtual or a physical meeting.

Responding to the Chancellor's decision to cancel the Autumn Budget, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

If ever there was a time when we needed an Autumn budget to outline long term plans, this is it. Millions of people who are worried about their jobs, their future, and how we will transition into a green economy want to know if this Government has a plan, and what it is.

Today, the Conservatives blocked the Liberal Democrats' attempt to close the loophole in the Government's legislation to end the eviction ban, which has left an estimated 55,000 households at risk of being evicted since Monday.

The motion, put forward by the Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson in the House of Lords, Baroness Grender, would have effectively abolished the Government's Statutory Instrument, forcing Ministers to address the issue.

Responding to the news that the Covid19 threat level has gone from three to four, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

The Coronavirus crisis is taking an enormous toll on people. People are rightly concerned about their loved ones. Thousands of families are facing financial hardship. We all want life to get back to normal as soon as possible.

The collapse of the Test and Trace system is utterly inexcusable, and the first objective of the Government must be to fix it. Ministers should have done more to ensure resilience in the system given the inevitable increase in demand when people returned to schools, workplaces, universities and social settings.

As the situation changes there must be crystal clear guidance so that people know the best ways to protect themselves and their loved ones. Ministers must also ensure that our hospitals, care homes and schools have all the equipment and resources they need to reduce the risk of transmission going forward.

Lastly, Boris Johnson must take all steps to avoid a second national lockdown which will be incredibly damaging to jobs and livelihoods across our communities.

Ministers must put energy into fixing test and trace to "get a grip" on virus

Following today's briefing from Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, warning of "significant rates of transmission" of coronavirus in parts of the UK, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

Responding to the statement by the European Commission confirming that, if adopted as it stands, the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill would "put at risk the ongoing future relationship negotiations", Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"No one can really be surprised that the measures the UK Government have brought forward have put the likelihood of a trade deal in jeopardy.

Responding to the press conference by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"The Government is making the right decision to strengthen the coronavirus guidelines in England. Clearly rapid testing by spring would be a welcome advancement.

However, the Government must take immediate action to increase the level of testing available right now. It is simply not acceptable that people are being asked to travel for several hours for a test, or are unable to book a test at all.

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to extend the furlough scheme "for all those who need it" until the end of June 2021, to avoid mass unemployment and accelerate the UK's economic recovery.

Speaking in Parliament today, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP urged the Government to extend the furlough scheme until mid-2021 as the best way to protect people's livelihoods and to safeguard the UK's economic recovery.

The Liberal Democrats have demanded the Prime Minister explain his "brazen hypocrisy" given his Government's readiness to break international law with the Internal Market Bill, while expecting "everybody in this country to obey the law."

The accusation follows an exchange at Prime Minister's Questions today where Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson asked "If Ministers think it is acceptable for this Government to not obey the law, how on earth can the Prime Minister expect the public at home to do so?"

Responding to comments from the Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis that the proposed Northern Ireland customs rules legislation will "break international law", Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

"The UK Government should focus on making laws, not breaking laws. But the Northern Ireland Secretary's admission that the Conservative Government stands ready to break international law shows just how far we have fallen under Boris Johnson.