Todays Headlines

Govt woefully underprepared to ensure every young person can return to school

Yesterday the Secretary of State for Education outlined the Government's plans for schools reopening in September 2020.

• Yesterday's statement showed just how woefully underprepared the Government are to ensure every young person can return to school in September.
• Despite the very real risk of further local outbreaks of Covid 19, the Education Secretary refused to give any commitment that children will get the equipment they need to learn from home. Without them, too many will have no chance of catching up on their education and will continue to fall behind.
• Every day disadvantaged children go without the laptops they need is another day the digital divide gets worse. This is a complete dereliction of duty by the Education Secretary and he must take immediate steps to address it.

Govt making "dog's dinner" of Brexit negotiations

The UK Chief Negotiator David Frost stated yesterday that "significant differences" remain as the latest restricted round of talks concluded a day early.

• Last month Boris Johnson asserted that he wanted a Brexit deal by the end of July.
• But far from putting a tiger in the tank, David Frost appears to be making a dog's dinner of the talks.
• With the impact of coronavirus already weighing heavy on UK business and the economy, we cannot afford for the Government to continue posturing on Brexit. They must work to secure a deal so that the UK does not leave the transition period with a bad deal or - even worse - no deal at all.
• Liberal Democrats will keep fighting to maintain the rights, values and access the UK enjoys through the EU.

Ministers must move faster to improve NHS Test & Trace system

The latest figures indicate that the NHS Test & Trace system is still failing to find a quarter of people who have tested positive for COVID-19.

• The latest NHS Test & Trace figures suggest the system is not improving at the rate that it needs to.
• With lockdown restrictions due to be eased further from Saturday, a robust and effective system to test, trace and isolate every case of coronavirus to keep people safe is absolutely critical.
• Ministers must move much faster to improve the Test & Trace system and local authorities must be at the heart of those efforts. This means providing real-time, postcode-level data now on positive tests so that local Directors of Public Health, who have the expertise and local knowledge, can ensure any outbreaks are suppressed at an early stage.

Govt not doing enough to tackle disproportionate impact of COVID on BAME groups

UCL's COVID-19 Social Study has shown that people from BAME backgrounds have had higher levels of depression and anxiety throughout the lockdown.

• It is alarming to see yet more evidence of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BAME people, this time in terms of it's adverse effect on mental health.
• It's clear that the Government has not done enough to protect BAME communities from the impact of this terrible virus at every level. Ministers must make clear what steps they are taking in light of the recent review which exposed these stark inequalities.
• Of course, action to protect the health of BAME groups must be part of a wider effort to tackle systemic racial inequality in the UK. That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to implement a Race Equality Strategy.

Govt need to act on RCP's priorities in planning for future waves of COVID-19

The Royal College of Physicians have today outlined their 'Priorities for future COVID-19 wave planning'.

• Too many of our health and care workforce have lost colleagues, endured serious illness, or faced significant trauma through this crisis. Millions have made heart-breaking sacrifices. Effective planning for any future waves of COVID-19 is essential if we're to prevent such a catastrophic impact in the future.
• Dire shortages of protective kit, alongside the failure to ramp up testing capacity, were major shortcomings in the Government's initial response. Ministers must act now on every point raised by the Royal College of Physicians to ensure we are prepared for the normal winter flu season, on top of any future surge in COVID-19.
• Public trust in the Government has been deeply shaken. We need real transparency over local testing data and the effectiveness of NHS Test & Trace as a whole. The Prime Minister must also commit to an independent inquiry into the Government's response to the crisis, so that we can learn vital lessons.

Govt must protect children from rise in abuse under COVID-19

A report in the British Medical Journal suggests there has been a surge in domestic child abuse during the pandemic.

• The apparent rise in child abuse during this pandemic, both online and in the home, is alarming and heart-breaking.
• The Government must ensure that police child protection teams have the officers and resources they need to tackle this disturbing trend. Ministers must also make sure that promised funding gets through to charities such as Childline and the NSPCC who provide such an important lifeline to vulnerable children and young people.
• This pandemic has highlighted the desperate need for extra safeguards and services for survivors of domestic abuse, whether they are adults or children. It's a relief that the House of Commons will finally pass the Domestic Abuse Bill on Monday. Liberal Democrats are delighted that our cross-party campaign to properly recognise children as victims in law has succeeded.

Govt must enable COVID-safe prison visits or video calls for children

The Joint Committee on Human Rights' have issued a new report on children whose mothers are in prison during the coronavirus pandemic.

• We know what a terrible and lasting impact having a parent in prison - especially a mother - can have on a child. With prison visits suspended, the coronavirus pandemic is making that even worse.
• Maintaining positive family relationships is vital for both the prisoner's rehabilitation and the child's future. The Government must urgently find ways of making that possible, whether through socially distanced visits or video calls.
• Since the beginning of this crisis, the Liberal Democrats have called for Ministers to alleviate the severe overcrowding in prisons by releasing all low-risk prisoners serving short sentences. This is even more important for mothers in prison, who are usually the primary carer, because of the effects on their children. However, the Government has failed to act with nearly enough urgency.
• Once this crisis is over, the Government will have to work extra hard to repair this damage - including by reducing the number of mothers in prison through women's residential centres and effective community sentences. If it doesn't, we'll have more children whose opportunities in life will be limited and more prisoners who go on to re-offend.