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Article: Jun 2, 2020
HQ press release
Responding to news that the Northern Ireland Assembly has passed a motion calling for an extension to the Brexit transition period given the COVID-19 crisis, Liberal Democrat Brexit and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:
"The Conservatives' proposed Brexit will have a profound impact on the people and businesses of Northern Ireland.
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Article: May 21, 2020
HQ press release
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has today called on the Government to extend the transition period and reverse damaging immigration polices because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis on business.
The call comes in response to figures released by the ONS today which reveal 61% of businesses reported a decrease in turnover outside of normal range in England, compared with 66% in Wales, 65% in Scotland and 63% in Northern Ireland between 20 April and 3 May 2020.
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Article: May 21, 2020
HQ press release, 21 May 2020
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to scrap the June 2021 deadline for EU citizens to apply for the right to stay in the UK, as new Home Office figures reveal a big drop in the number of Settled Status applications and grants last month.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine has called on the Government to take up her European Citizens' Rights Bill, which would give EU citizens in the UK before Brexit the automatic right to stay, with no deadline.
The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics, published this morning, show that just 41,600 people were granted Settled Status in April, down from 77,800 in March and 157,000 in January. The number of applications to the scheme has also fallen sharply, from 351,800 in January to 125,000 in March and 67,300 in April.
In total, only half of the estimated 3.6 million EU citizens in the UK before Brexit have been granted Settled Status, despite the Prime Minister's repeated promise that all of them would automatically be given the right to stay.
Today's figures show a backlog of 315,900 people still waiting for a decision on their application. A further 1.3 million people have been granted only the temporary Pre-Settled Status, meaning they will have to reapply within five years or lose the right to stay.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:
"The coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on the enormous contributions EU citizens make to our public services, our economy and our society. They must have the right to stay.
"No one ever seriously believed the Home Office would be able to ensure every EU citizen had Settled Status by June next year, but the coronavirus crisis makes it impossible.
"It's completely understandable that Settled Status applications and grants have dropped so dramatically as people focus on the devastating impact of this pandemic. Ministers must adapt to this new reality and scrap their arbitrary deadline.
"Liberal Democrats are fighting for the rights of EU citizens. I urge the Prime Minister to honour his promise to give them the automatic right to stay in the UK and take up my Bill which would do just that."
ENDS
Notes to editors
The EU Settlement Scheme statistics, April 2020, published today by the Home Office, are available here.
Christine Jardine tabled the European Citizens' Rights Bill on 26th February 2020. It is due to have its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 10th July. More details are available here. -
Article: May 15, 2020
Party HQ press release, 14 May 2020 2.02pm
Responding to reports of "very little progress" with the latest round of UK-EU trade talks, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:
"The Coronavirus crisis is leaving the most vulnerable at risk. Thousands of families will face financial hardship and people are rightly worried about their loved ones.
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Article: May 14, 2020
HQ press release
Responding to the Government's admission that there will be customs checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea after the Brexit transition period ends, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:
"Johnson's Government has failed to give businesses much needed clarity on this issue. It now seems Johnson was deeply dishonest with businesses when he previously asserted there would be no checks and businesses could put paperwork "in the bin".
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Article: May 4, 2020By David Chalmers
It is now over 12 weeks since the UK officially left the European Union and Boris Johnson has until 30 June to ask for the transition period we are now in to be extended by one or two years, otherwise we shall be crashing out with No Deal on 31 December.
It has long been argued that one year would not be long enough to negotiate a comprehensive deal governing the UK's future relationship with the EU, and indeed at the hustings during the December 2019 General Election when questioned by me, Geoffrey Cox - the then Attorney General - admitted as much.
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Article: May 3, 2020
Wall to wall coverage of Brexit has understandably given way to our urgent need to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. But as the 30 June deadline to extend the negotiations on our future EU relationship rapidly approaches, the fallout from Brexit is again rising up the political agenda.
The UK faces a likely double whammy, one a public health and economic crisis, and the other an entirely unnecessary government-made fiasco. Government machinery is now almost entirely consumed by the urgent effort to defeat COVID-19. We simply cannot afford to crash out of global arrangements, notably trade, without an EU agreement, whilst at the same time as trying to defeat the pandemic. As former Chancellor Alistair Darling stated "It's madness to contemplate shooting yourself in the foot on an entirely man-made political decision at a time when you don't need to do that". Sir Ed Davey and others have accordingly called for an extension to the negotiations.
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Article: Nov 5, 2019
In this edition, Judith recalls when apprentices from the South and East of England visited the European Parliament to get a sense of how it works and find out more about opportunities existing for apprentices in the EU.
The trip opened with a reception which became a brilliant evening when the 40 or so Apprentices arrived. Judith was joined by the Chair of the Liberal Democrats in Europe; George Cunningham, Luisa Nethsinga MEP and Ben Butters Deputy President of EUROCHAMBRES.
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Article: Oct 28, 2019
Irina von Wiese shines a light on voter suppression in the UK. The cost of British citizenship is too high & prevents people living in the UK from voting.
"People with "settled status" in the UK have all the rights of a British Citizen in terms of work and benefits but cannot vote in General Elections. Before they can vote they must pay £1330 per person to apply for Citizenship even though it only costs The Home Office £372 to process the application
To gain settled status people need to live in the UK for at least 5 years and demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the English language and British culture. After a year of settlement, they can then apply for Citizenship. These requirements are perfectly reasonable but the cost is not.
This fee does not reduce the number of immigrants or reduce the impact on social services. It simply suppresses millions of voters who pay tax. Why are we supporting a system of taxation without representation?"
To support her petition and those denied a vote click here, please.
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Article: Oct 24, 2019
In their latest instalment of the increasingly popular 'Our MEP life podcast series', Judith and Caroline discuss the votes that happened in Westminster this week and what could possibly happen next and the view from Europe.
Please find the link to the episode here.
Click here to access the previous episodes.
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