Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.

In a major step for the green transition, the Government has agreed to take forward Liberal Democrat plans to help people without driveways switch to electric vehicles and access affordable home-style charging.

About 40% of households lack their own off-street parking and rely on public chargers, which can cost up to ten times more than charging at home. Because people without driveways are disproportionately renters, lower-income households, and people in urban areas, it creates an unfair barrier to owning an electric vehicle.

Helen Maguire MPs' amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which were taken forward by Baroness Pidgeon in the Lords, would make it easier to install charging points on public pavements, giving more people access to affordable home-style charging.

The Government has now committed to taking the contents of these amendments forward, making home charging easier, fairer, and more affordable - and supporting the switch to cleaner transport.

⏲️ Starts at: 11:48:27 ⏐ Watch time: 3 mins

Liberal Democrats secured a major win in support of Ukraine this month, as the Government finally agreed to ban British shipping firms and insurers from helping export Russian liquified national gas (LNG) - a vital change we’ve pushed for since the summer.

As the war, and Putin’s appalling targeting of civilians, continues, it’s shameful that British companies have been helping fuel Russia’s war machine through its fossil fuel exports.

It’s been revealed that UK-owned or -insured carriers have facilitated the transport of £45 billion of Russian LNG from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion to the end of this March.

James MacCleary MP, our Defence Spokesperson, called for this ban last month and now the Government has finally listened.

But there remain many other steps to pile the pressure on Putin - James also urged the Government to seize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defence.

⏲️ Starts at: 13:52:38 ⏐ Watch time: 3 mins

Baroness Parminter has secured an important change to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to strengthen environmental safeguards. After her campaign in the House of Lords, the Government agreed to work with her and passed a joint amendment at Third Reading.

The amendment requires Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to follow the mitigation hierarchy - an established principle that says developers should avoid harming nature first, reduce damage where it can’t be avoided, and compensate only as a last resort.

EDPs will be an option for some developers with particular environmental impacts. Applying the mitigation hierarchy will better protect nature while giving developers clearer, fairer rules.

Baroness Parminter said this change will help deliver the new homes the country needs whilst building new homes for nature and our wildlife.

⏲️ Starts at: 15:47:58 ⏐ Watch time: 4 mins

This week, the Government announced reforms to fix the immigration system left broken by the Conservatives.

Max Wilkinson MP, our Home Affairs Spokesperson, said efforts to bring order to the system is right, but warned the plans lack ambition and contain serious missteps.

Max welcomed the commitment to create safe and legal routes to stop dangerous Channel crossings while providing safe refuge to those who need it.

But he criticised reported plans to confiscate asylum seekers’ jewellery and the Government’s failure to address the impact of Brexit.

Max also championed our policies, including lifting the ban on asylum seekers working and using “Nightingale-style” processing centres to clear the backlog within six months.

⏲️ Starts at: 18:08:27 ⏐ Watch time: 4 mins

We’re urging the Government to act with fairness, efficiency and compassion - for UK communities who want a functioning system, and for the asylum seekers who deserve one.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan has involved systematic murder, rape and torture, including the targeting of ethnic groups and widespread sexual violence against women and girls.

We have repeatedly raised the crisis in Sudan in a media and political landscape that has given it far too little attention, with our Autumn Conference motion setting out steps toward a peaceful resolution.

Responding to a statement from the Foreign Secretary, Calum Miller MP, our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, urged the Government to lead efforts at the UN to implement a country-wide arms embargo and support the UN inquiry so those responsible for atrocities are held to account.

In the week the UN Security Council backed the Gaza peace plan, Calum also welcomed progress on peace in the Middle East, but pressed the Foreign Secretary for details on its implementation and stressed the need for a long-term resolution, with a clear road map toward a two-state solution.

⏲️ Starts at: 14:13:59 ⏐ Watch time: 2 mins