Following the widespread flooding across parts of the UK as a result of Storm Dennis, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey called on the Prime Minister to convene a COBRA meeting in order to better coordinate the country's response.

With more warnings in place for later this week, Ed Davey has lambasted the "shocking" response from Boris Johnson.

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"My thoughts are with all of those affected by the floods. I would like to thank our emergency services and the environment agency for their efforts to keep people safe.

"However, Boris Johnson's response to these floods has been shocking. He seems determined to pretend they're not even happening.

"Boris Johnson must take this crisis far more seriously and hold a COBRA meeting to coordinate the country's response. These floods are not the first we've had, but yet again show how the funding in place to protect homes and small businesses is woefully inadequate.

"We are facing a climate emergency and regrettably severe weather episodes like this are likely to become more common. The Conservative government has got to raise its game."

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has warned the Prime Minister that "serious questions remain" over the recruitment of Andrew Sabisky by Dominic Cummings and called for the Prime Minister to "condemn the offensive comments" and "curb Dominic Cummings' power to appoint and sack at will."

The warning comes amidst Downing Street's continued refusal to say whether Boris Johnson agrees with Andrew Sabisky who suggested black people were mentally inferior and advocated compulsory contraception to prevent a "permanent underclass".

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"The Prime Minister should never have allowed Dominic Cummings to recruit someone with such extreme and offensive views. Serious questions remain as to why due diligence was not followed in the recruitment of someone clearly so unfit to be in such a position.

"The Prime Minister must now make crystal clear why he signed off on this appointment, condemn the offensive comments expressed by Mr Sabisky and curb Dominic Cummings' power to appoint and sack at will."

The Government has total failed to fix the social care system in England and to help make sure everyone receives the help they need when they need it - both now and in the future, Liberal Democrats spokesperson for South West Wiltshire and registered nurse Ellen Nicholson says.

"Everyone should be able to live a healthy life with the support they need in their local community. That means properly investing in the NHS and social care, doing more across government to promote wellbeing and to reduce inequality at every stage of life. It means making the shift from healthcare that kicks in only when people are ill to systems of wellbeing that help them to stay healthy and minimize levels of physical and mental ill-health.

Is a full programme of training, events, networking and parties not enough for you? At spring conference this year we have a huge package of policy motions, which all members have the chance to debate, amend and vote on. Here's a quick run-down for you! And if you haven't yet, book your place right here:

Responding to today's GDP figures showing no growth in the final quarter of 2019, Ed Davey, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"In his effort to unite the Brexit vote, Boris Johnson has let the economy stagnate and left production and investment to languish. This is the height of recklessness for jobs and prosperity across the UK.

"With EU trade negotiations just beginning and the prospect of a no-deal crash out still alive and threatening, this is a warning sign of things to come unless the Government changes course.

"British business doesn't just need certainty, it needs the closest alignment possible with Europe.

Bristol Airport's expansion plan, which it said would boost its passenger capacity by two million a year, has been rejected by councillors.

Ten million people a year can travel from the airport and bosses wanted to build a new car park and transport hub to boost that to 12 million.

Bristol Airport said the expansion would stop millions of people from the region driving to London airports.

Responding to the news that the Court of Appeal has halted the deportation of many who were set to be sent to Jamaica by the government tomorrow, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"What will it take for this Government to learn? Even after the appalling Windrush scandal, Conservative Ministers were brazenly defending their plans to deport people just hours before the court ruled it unlawful.

"These deportation flights must stop until the Government has published the Windrush Lessons Learned Review in full.

"No one can trust the Home Office to get these decisions right, and we owe it to the victims of the Windrush Scandal to prevent anything like it from happening again."

Liberal Democrat peer, Don Foster, working with the Sustainable Energy Association, yesterday introduced a Bill which will put the government's target for all homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035 into law.

If passed, this Bill will enshrine into law current government commitments on energy efficiency, ensuring that real action is taken on the climate crisis, rather than more years of delay and indecision.

Ahead of introducing the Bill, Don Foster said:

"This Conservative government must be held to account in meeting core climate objectives. This starts with ensuring that our homes are insulated, and that it's easy for people to make the changes they need to save money on heating bills, helping the planet at the same time.

"I urge the Tories to demonstrate firm commitment to tackling the climate emergency by backing this Bill. Failure to do so would demonstrate a complete lack of ambition on the part of government on this crucial issue.

"Liberal Democrats will continue to hold the government to account when it comes to tackling the climate emergency. We believe Britain should be leading global efforts to cut emissions and achieve net zero as quickly as possible."

Today, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has called on Boris Johnson to extend benefits for bereaved families to the children of a cohabiting couple when a parent dies, after the High Court ruled that the current law breaches those children's human rights.

Ed Davey congratulated campaigners on their victory, in which Mr Justice Holman ruled that it was a breach of the Human Rights Act that the higher rate of Bereavement Support Payment is paid to families with children when a spouse or civil partner dies, but not to the children of a surviving cohabiting parent.

It follows a similar ruling by the Supreme Court in 2018 which ruled that Widowed Parent's Allowance was in breach of the Human Rights Act for the same reason - a ruling the Government have to date failed to implement.

Ed Davey - a long time campaigner for bereaved families - called on the Government to make bereavement benefits available immediately to the bereaved children from a cohabiting relationship, and extend support for all bereaved families from 18 months to six years.

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"Children who have already suffered the tragedy of losing a parent should not suffer a second time just because their parents were not married.

"So I am delighted the courts have again ruled that the Government was wrong to refuse this support to these children. It is time that the Prime Minister abided by the rule of law, and ensured that these bereaved families are properly cared for.

"I want to congratulate all the campaigners who have worked so hard to get this ruling.

"Liberal Democrats will fight to change the law and defend the human rights of these children despite this Conservative Prime Minister's obvious disrespect for the rule of law, judicial review and human rights.

"Liberal Democrats will also fight to extend Bereavement Support Payment from the current miserly 18 months to six years, so that children and families get the support they need as they recover from the tragedy of losing a partner and a parent."