Gedling Liberal Democrats

Lorely Burt said:

"The whole system of business rates is not working and is not fair. The government has tried tinkering but this is no longer enough. We need to look at land tax valuations.

"With an economic downturn as a result of Brexit and the threat of online competition, the outlook for retailers is not going to get better any time soon. In calling for a freeze on business rates, the British Retail Consortium is highlighting just what a crisis this has become. Unless ministers address this, they will have presided over the destruction of the high street as we know it."

Vince Cable said:

"One in six of the population could not cope with even a modest rise in mortgage payments. Consumer credit is running at 10% a year. With the Bank of England predicted to increase interest rates, a recession could lead to repossessions and people defaulting on their debts. The danger is that this becomes a negative spiral.

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael last week secured an emergency debate in the Commons over whether the government is abusing the parliamentary process by ignoring opposition day motions.

Alistair Carmichael MP commented:

"This is another outrageous attempt to subvert our democracy and undermine Parliament's ability to hold the government to account.

"The Conservatives should remember that contempt for Parliament is contempt for the people that elect it.

"To simply ignore today's debate would be an insult to the millions of voters deeply worried about the disastrous roll-out of Universal Credit.

"It is a sign of just how weak and divided this government has become that it is reduced to using every trick in the book to avoid scrutiny and debate."

The delays to this Bill make Southern Rail look punctual.

"It's crystal clear there is no majority in Parliament or the country for the extreme form of Brexit this government is pursuing.

"Amending this Bill gives us a chance to stop that extreme Brexit in its tracks and take back control from power-hungry ministers.

POLICY SELECTION FOR REGIONAL CONFERENCE

**** PLEASE NOTE YOU MAY NEED TO LOG IN TO THE EAST MIDLANDS LIB DEM WEBSITE TO ACCESS THESE DOCUMENTS****

The Policy Panel has selected the three policy motions that will be debated at our Regional Conference at Southwell Minster School on Saturday 21st October. They are:

Between June to August 2016 and June to August 2017, in real terms regular pay for employees in Great Britain fell by 0.4%.

Tom Brake MP, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson, commented:

"Wages have now been falling for over six months as a result of the Brexit squeeze.

"We can't go on like this. This must be a wake-up call to the government to abandon its plans for an extreme Brexit that would damage living standards further.

Stephen Lloyd said:

"This is a slow motion car crash. One and a half million people are in private rented accommodation and in receipt of housing benefit. Private landlords are not in a position, financially, to be as forgiving as councils and housing associations. With the delays in payment we have already seen, many vulnerable people will lose their homes. And many landlords will simply stop taking on Universal Credit tenants, so where are these hundreds of thousands of people supposed to live?

However, the Paris-based thinktank also said the economy would see a "significant boost" if there was another referendum leading to Brexit being reversed.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Jo Swinson commented:

"This is a significant intervention the government cannot afford to ignore.

"Brexit has already caused the UK to slip from top to bottom of the international growth league for major economies.

"This will only get worse if the government succeeds in dragging us out of the single market and customs union, or we end up crashing out of Europe without a deal.

"The case for protecting the economy by reversing Brexit is getting stronger by the day.

"Once the facts are clear at the end of this process, the British people must have the final say with a chance to exit from Brexit."

Southwell Branch Annual Lunch 2017
Sunday 29th October - 12noon onwards
Kelham House Country Manor Hotel, NG23 5QP (opposite Kelham Hall)

Join members of Southwell Branch for our Annual Lunch! Our keynote speaker is County Councillor and active campaigner, Michael Mullaney

Kelham House Country Manor Hotel is a lovely venue with an excellent menu. You can select from 2 courses for £21.50; 3 courses for £25.50 Menu choices (below) and payment are needed in advance. Non members welcome.

The increase is thought to reflect both a genuine rise in hate crime around the time of the EU referendum and ongoing improvements in crime recording by the police.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

"This disgraceful rise in hate crime demands a much stronger response from Government than we have seen.