Liberal Democrats in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Rossendale

Many residents in the Whitehall area of Darwen have been angered by the fact that many of their grey recycling bins have been left unemptied. The new system means that residents have to separate their recycled items; paper and card in a blue bin and the rest of the recycled mate4ial in the grey one. Last week many grey bins were not emptied because they were "contaminated". Even when a resident removed a contaminated item the refuse collectors refused to empty it. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said, "While we see the need to improve recycling rates there needs to be some flexibility until the new system becomes more familiar to residents."

Ahead of the Government's motion on the Local Government Boundary Commission this week, Liberal Democrat Local Government spokesperson Tim Farron said:

"The Chair of the Local Government Boundary Commissions looks like they're going to have a lot on their plate. Just last week the Tories proposed abolishing nearly every council and replacing them with larger, less accountable, 'super-councils.'

Responding to a National Audit Office report on the Government handling of Brexit, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"With the combination of coronavirus creating uncertainty for people's lives coupled with this Brexit shambles, we cannot afford for the Prime Minister to continue playing politics.

The Liberal Democrats introduced a Bill on Tuesday 1 September calling on the Government to offer indefinite leave to remain to foreign nationals currently working in the health and social care sectors.

Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine, who is moving the Ten Minute Rule Bill, has warned it is unacceptable that people who put their lives on the line during Covid-19 should not be welcome to stay.

Responding to reports that the Chancellor is set to scrap Foreign Aid, Liberal Democrat International Development spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain said:

For too many vulnerable people in need around the world, UK foreign aid has made the difference between life and death.Despite previous assurances, the mask has now slipped and we can see the callous Tories for who they really are.

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.

Ed Davey MP was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats. The result of the election in which all members had a vote was announced at 11:30 today. In his acceptance speach he praised Layla Morgan's passionate campaign and he sain, "Her energy has inspired many people and I look forward to her playing a big role in my team."

Responding to reports that the eviction ban in England will be extended until 20 September, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:

No-one should face losing their homes while this deadly virus still hasn't been properly brought under control.

Extending the eviction ban by just a mere month is nothing more than kicking the can down the road. It is a dereliction of duty.

Responding to ONS figures that show retail sales rose above pre-pandemic levels in July, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

This will be welcome news for so many people working on our high streets who would have spent several months worried about their job.

However, we are not out of the woods yet. The Government is yet to bring forward a proper plan for high streets in locally locked down areas, so people are likely to go through more tough times.