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 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. | | | | The Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons is set for 24 January. We’ll keep you updated throughout. | |
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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. | | | | | Munira Wilson MP (Education Spokesperson) also raised the issues facing SEND families during a Finance Bill 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. | | | 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. |
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. | | | | | 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: |
| | | 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: | | |
Supporting House of Lords reform | | | |
| The Hereditary Peers Bill, 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: | | | |
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. | | | | In light of this, Danny Chambers MP called for tougher action on water companies and a compensation scheme for sewage victims. | | | | Last December, the Liberal Democrats tabled an amendment 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, 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. | | | | | 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. | | | | | 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. |
| 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: | |
| 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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 | 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! | | | You can find out more about the story behind ‘Love is Enough’ here: | | | |
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