On the 1st of August, we notified both Leadership Campaigns of a proposal from the Radical Association to conduct an event.
An agreed Chair wasn't then identified before Saturday 8th. At this stage, we were advised that the Layla Moran campaign could no longer attend the event.
The Returning Officer's team believes both campaigns acted reasonably and in good faith, indeed they have been notably helpful and flexible with the shifting arrangements throughout this campaign.
The past few months have been incredibly difficult for pupils and teachers. We must ensure no child's opportunities are diminished due to this terrible pandemic - that means getting children back to school safely.
A comprehensive test, trace and isolate system is critical to reopening classrooms as safely as possible.
- Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) August 10, 2020
Ministers need to work with local authorities to improve the NHS Test and Trace service, which is still failing to reach enough close contacts. https://t.co/GsFQkDDYov
The world has watched in horror as the persecution of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang has been revealed. From the initial reports of mass surveillance, to evidence of up to 3 million people forced into so called re-education camps, the situation is bleak and all too familiar.
We remain clear that the UK has a duty to act.
During the war in Afghanistan, a number of Afghan civilians served with British troops as interpreters. These brave men and women risked their lives to enable our Armed Forces to do their jobs.
It was our own Paddy Ashdown who fought to ensure that the Government didn't forget the service of these Afghan heroes.
Many of them were no longer safe in Afghanistan, facing reprisals for their service to the UK.
So I was proud that, when the UK began withdrawing our forces in 2012, it was our own Paddy Ashdown who fought to ensure that the Government didn't forget the service of these Afghan heroes.
Back in 2013, he spoke powerfully about the "debt of honour" we owe them, and argued that they must be offered the chance to live in the UK.
Afghan translators put their lives at risk to help British troops. The least we can do is allow them the chance to build their lives in the UK.
- Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) August 7, 2020
It was our own Paddy Ashdown who back in 2013 fought to ensure that the Government didn't forget the service of these brave people. 👇 pic.twitter.com/TECrCZgUyH
Thanks to Paddy's campaign and the efforts of Liberal Democrat Ministers, we secured a scheme to allow interpreters to move to the UK.
However, they faced fierce resistance from Conservative Ministers, who set tight limits on who could benefit from the scheme.
Only those who were still working for the UK in December 2012 were eligible, and they could only bring family members with them if they moved at the same time - spouses and children could not join them later.
This left far too many interpreters stuck in Afghanistan and at serious risk of violence, or in the UK but separated from their families.
So we kept campaigning and, in 2018, the Government promised to expand the scheme to include all interpreters who have served on the frontline with British troops since May 2006.
It claimed that up to 200 more people would be able to benefit from the changes - but, two years later, just two translators have been able to come to the UK under the new rules.
Afghan translators put their lives at risk to help British troops. The least we can do is now allow these brave people the chance to build their lives in the UK.@Jamie4North has led a cross-party letter demanding we fulfil our debt to these brave translators 👇 pic.twitter.com/mSs5PN89A5
- Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) August 4, 2020
The Government also promised in March last year that interpreters who have relocated to the UK would now be able to bring family members to join them.
Brave individuals in Afghanistan who put their lives at risk for our country deserve the right to stay in the UK.
Sadly, however, not a single family member had been relocated to the UK under the new rules more than a year after that change came into force.
These failures represent an appalling breach of the debt Paddy spoke of back in 2013.
These courageous interpreters must not be left to live in fear of reprisals for their service, nor must they be cruelly separated from their families.
So, along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues and a number of MPs from other parties, I have written to the Defence Secretary and the Home Secretary, urging them to put this right without further delay.
A complaint has been made about Ed Davey's campaign's conduct in its communication with members as to their voting intentions, specifically that they instructed canvassers not to disclose the identity of the campaign they were actually calling on behalf in calls made on the 11th and 14th of July 2020.
Throughout this terrible disease, people have not only faced heartbreaking loss of life, but also crushing anxiety over their livelihoods.
Lockdown has been necessary to prevent an even greater catastrophe, but the economic shutdown has thrown millions of people into financial hardship.
Liberal Democrats have been fighting to make sure people do not feel left behind as the country slowly recovers. We cannot allow this to create a new wave of inequality in Britain; the damage done to businesses and jobs falls harder on some than others.
Like many young people and students in the early 2000s, I first joined the Liberal Democrats because of Charles Kennedy's brave stance on the invasion of Iraq.
Charles played a courageous role in steadfastly opposing military intervention, putting both his and the party's reputation on the line. I joined a million others marching on the streets in protest, pleading with Blair's Government to change course.
A complaint has been made about Layla Moran's campaign's use of data gathering tools ('Cookies') in their official website.
The Party has considered carefully and has taken representations from the Campaign.
The party's found that a technical breach had occurred in relation to the specific consents relating to these Cookies.
What are the Liberal Democrats calling for?
We're calling on the Government to grant indefinite leave to remain in the UK - the right to stay - to all foreign nationals currently working in the NHS and social care, and their families.
How many people from other countries work in the NHS and social care?
Throughout this crisis, the Government's communications have been an utter disaster.
Yet more mistakes reveal how necessary it is for an inquiry to be launched now
To announce a regional lockdown of millions of people not only just hours before it's enforced, but with no clarity on the new rules coming into place, is beyond comprehension.
