Liberal Democrats What the Lib Dems have been up to in Parliament



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Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.



Dear John,

There’s been plenty of action in the Houses of Parliament in the weeks
leading up to the Christmas recess. From protecting SEND support to addressing
the sewage crisis, our MPs and Peers have been working hard for local
communities.

Here are some recent contributions and achievements from Lib Dems in
Parliament. 🔽





Closing domestic abuse loopholes




This week, Lib Dem Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde MP introduced a bill
<[link removed]> to create specific domestic abuse
aggravated offences, which would close loopholes that allow some abusers to be
released early under general charges like common assault.

Currently, there is no specific offence for domestic abuse in England and
Wales - Josh’s bill would create a new, specific set of domestic abuse offences
to prevent early release.


Read more ➜
<[link removed]>

⏲️ Est. reading time: 4 mins


The Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons is set for 24 January. We’ll
keep you updated throughout.








Supporting children with special educational needs (SEND)




Pippa Heylings MP held a debate on SEND Provision for children with Autism and
ADHD. She raised concerns that the wait to get assessments for education,
health and care plans can be months, if not years, leaving thousands of
children without the support they need during their education.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 16:18:57 ⏐ Watch time: 17 mins


Munira Wilson MP (Education Spokesperson) also raised the issues facing SEND
families during aFinance Bill <[link removed]> debate.
Munira highlighted how the government’s plans would harm the 100 thousand
children with SEND who attend independent schools, but do not have Education,
Health and Care Plans.

She called for an impact assessment on how the government's proposals affect
those children.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 15:30:14 ⏐ Watch time: 13 mins


In the House of Lords, Lord Addington urged the Government to ensure teachers
receive adequate training to identify and refer pupils with SEND for early
diagnosis.



Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 15:13:52 ⏐ Watch time: 1 min







Winning a vote on Proportional Representation




Sarah Olney MP won a historic vote in Parliament, when her bill to introduce
proportional representation (PR) for Westminster parliamentary elections and
local government elections in England passed in the House of Commons - the
first time a vote on PR has ever done so.


Read more ➜
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⏲️ Est. reading time: 2 mins


Sadly, Keir Starmer failed to back the Bill when prompted by Ed Davey MP at
Prime Minister’s Questions, saying he would not allow us parliamentary time to
take it further:




Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 12:13:26 ⏐ Watch time: 1 min


But our campaign for fair votes continues. We’ve put PR back on the political
agenda, showing what we can achieve as the third largest party.

You can help by backing our campaign here:


Back our Fair Votes Now campaign ➜ <[link removed]>






Supporting House of Lords reform




The Hereditary Peers Bill <[link removed]>, which
seeks to remove the remaining hereditary peers, has entered its final stages in
Parliament.

While the Liberal Democrats advocate broader reforms, including a fully
elected chamber, we welcome this important step toward democratisation.

Lib Dem Leader in the House of Lords, Lord Newby, outlined our support for
the Bill in his speech:


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 11:33:15 ⏐ Watch time: 10 mins






Tackling the sewage dumping crisis


Stopping the sewage dumping crisis is a top priority for the Liberal Democrats
after years of Conservative neglect that led water companies to pollute our
waters, destroying biodiversity and making swimmers sick.

Shockingly, it was revealed this week that Thames Water’s sewage spills have
risen by 40% while customer bills increase.


Read more ➜
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⏲️ Est. reading time: 3 mins


In light of this, Danny Chambers MP called for tougher action on water
companies and a compensation scheme for sewage victims.


Watch ➜ <[link removed]>


⏲️ Watch time: 1 min


Last December, the Liberal Democrats tabled an amendment
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to the Victims and Prisoners Bill to allow those sickened by illegal sewage
dumping to claim compensation from water companies. Although the Conservatives
voted it down, we’re now pressing the Labour Government to act.






Delivering improvements for rail passengers




During a debate on the Passenger Railway Services Bill
<[link removed]>, Lib Dem Peers urged the Government to
put the needs of passengers first.

Baroness Randerson stressed that the Liberal Democrats do not judge the
railways by their ownership - unlike the Conservatives and Labour - but instead
by their efficiency; how good a service they are for passengers.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 16:16:28 ⏐ Watch time: 5 mins


We were delighted that the Government subsequently committed to ensuring the
Bill defines both the functions and purpose of Great British Railways, with
improving passenger experience at its heart.

This marks the Government's second railway concession, following last month's
amendment, secured by Baroness Brinton, requiring publicly owned rail services
to comply with the public sector equality duty. This will help improve
disability access across the railways.








Responding to the collapse of Assad’s regime in Syria




The fall of Assad marks a pivotal moment for millions of Syrians who suffered
under his brutal rule. In response, our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum
Miller MP urged the Government to act swiftly to ensure Assad faces justice for
his crimes.

Calum also called for an inclusive national process in Syria which would
culminate in free and fair elections.


Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 17:04:08 ⏐ Watch time: 3 mins


At Prime Minister's Questions, Ed Davey MP pressed the Prime Minister to work
with our allies to address the situation in Syria, following Donald Trump’s
comments that the US should have nothing to do with it.




Watch ➜
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⏲️ Starts at: 12:14:38 ⏐ Watch time: 1 min




On Broadcast


Here are a few highlights from our media rounds from the past month:

Josh Babarinde MP - on Good Morning Britain
<[link removed]> talking about his domestic abuse
bill.

Jess Brown-Fuller MP - on the ambulance and NHS crisis
<[link removed]>.

Anna Sabine MP - on Channel 4's The Political Slot
<[link removed]>
talking about our vision to save rural bus services.

Christine Jardine MP - on BBC Question Time
<[link removed]>.




We aren’t able to share everything that happens in Parliament so make sure to
check out the social media accounts and websites of our MPs and Peers to find
out more about them and their work:



Our MPs ➜ <[link removed]>


Our Peers ➜ <[link removed]>



Why not forward this email to your friends and family, so they too can see the
important work we are doing to fight for a fair deal?



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We hope you’ve been inspired by learning about our work in Parliament. If you
want to help us transform the country, why not join us today?


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Best wishes,




Liberal Democrats


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Help Ed get to Christmas No.1!


Get into the Christmas spirit while raising money for young carers by
downloading Ed Davey and Bath Philharmonia’s Young Carers’ Choir’s new,
original single - Love Is Enough!

All the money raised goes to Carers Trust and Bath Philharmonia. Download now!


Download ‘Love Is Enough’ here ➜ <[link removed]>

You can find out more about the story behind ‘Love is Enough’ here:


Find out more ➜ <[link removed]>



Keep up to date


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