Government must provide resources so councils can house all rough sleepers
Responding to reports that the Government has written to all local councils asking them to find homes for all rough sleepers by the weekend to protect them from the coronavirus outbreak, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:
"It is right that the Government is taking urgent action to find secure accommodation for rough sleepers, as Liberal Democrats have called for since this crisis began.
"The Government must also equip local authorities with the financial resources to provide sufficient secure emergency accommodation to meet demand. Ministers must also make specialist support available to those who struggle with addiction or other mental health issues, as is the case for so many people sleeping rough right across the UK."
As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the local elections we were expecting in May have been postponed until 2021. For many of us, this is disappointing news - especially after months of hard work - but it is absolutely the right call to keep us and our communities safe.
In addition, any by-election that comes up and would be due before May 2021 will also be held off until then. Depending on the public health situation by-elections may restart sooner than May next year.
Not only are we going through what could become the country's biggest crisis since 1945, but we're also entering a very new world that will persist once the immediate crisis is over.
I'm proud of what we have achieved so far by championing NHS workers and pressing the Government on issues such as offering a better deal to the self-employed.
The NHS takes care of us and keeps us safe every day.
Coronavirus is affecting every part of our lives and is already putting a huge strain on the NHS and NHS workers. We want to say thank you to the people working so hard to keep us all safe.
We are so lucky to live in a country where we have access to such high-quality healthcare that's free at the point of use. It's saved countless lives and, over the coming weeks and months, it's going to save many, many more.
This week, the UK has gone into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Those of us who can are staying at home and adapting to a new way of life, where we work from home, have hobbies at home and socialise only through video calls.
It is an uncomfortable transition, but it is absolutely worth doing to slow the spread of coronavirus, preventing the NHS from being overwhelmed and saving thousands of lives.
Coronavirus demonstrates how valuable our public service broadcasters are
Responding to the news that the BBC News is to suspend its plans to cut 450 jobs, Liberal Democrat DCMS spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:
"It is in times like this that our public service broadcasters demonstrate most clearly just how valuable they are. The BBC is right to ensure it remains properly staffed.
Welcome to the Weekly Whip. Your one-stop shop for Lib Dem Parliamentary updates, covering the week that was and the week to come.
For up to date information from the Lib Dem Whips Office, follow us on Twitter: @LibWhips
Weekly Whip w/c 23rd March
In the last week ahead of Recess; Westminster Hall debates were suspended, and select committees will now continue over video conferencing. Given the ongoing pandemic, we went early to Recess on Wednesday.
Ed Davey challenges government to roll out support package for self-employed
Today Ed Davey, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, challenged the Chancellor to "move as fast as possible" to roll out a financial support package for the five million self-employed people in the UK.
In an Urgent Question in the House of Commons, Ed Davey highlighted that the self-employed, who are excluded from current financial support for businesses and employees, are under "real stress" and are "literally running out of money" as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Last week, the Government set out a package of financial measures to support UK workers, highlighting just how threatening coronavirus is to our economy and our society.
As soon as these measures were announced, Liberal Democrats stated our concerns that far too little was being provided to help the self-employed through this crisis. Days later, and no new support has been announced by the Government.
Each day the govt fails to protect the self-employed, many get closer to irreparable damage to their livelihoods.
We, with cross-party support, have written to Rishi Sunak calling for urgent action to support the 5 million self-employed people in the UK. https://t.co/nDU6VF8zMS
There are five million self-employed people in the UK. These are our construction workers, our childminders and our delivery drivers.
Each day that we fail to take action to protect the self-employed, millions of people remain worried and unsure of how they are going to support themselves or their families. Leaving them with no reliable safety net is unacceptable.
Ministers cannot keep hiding from the insecurity these individuals have been put in by the coronavirus crisis. It is not good enough to say it is "operationally difficult" to pay them.
The Liberal Democrats have put down amendments to the Government's coronavirus legislation to support the self-employed. They are:
increasing the weekly rate of Statutory Sick Pay from £94.25 to £220
guaranteeing 80% of self-employed individuals' earnings, up to £35,000
Today, MPs will debate the Government's emergency Coronavirus Bill.
The Coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat, leaving the most vulnerable in our communities at risk. People across the country are rightly worried about their loved ones. This is a national emergency and emergency powers are clearly necessary to keep individuals and communities safe from the virus.
The Government's analysis shows that they lead to higher rates of reoffending than community sentences. The President of the Prison Governors Association has described them as "pointless". They need to end for both men and women.
But we also need to recognise that prison is especially damaging for women.
It's been just weeks since Brexit ended my brief term as an MEP, but today I'm very happy to announce that I've been elected as Chair of the Federal People Development Committee.
I wouldn't be where I am today without the outstanding training and support offered by the party.
Like many of you reading this, I'm a relative newcomer to politics and to the Lib Dems. I joined in 2016, so I think I bring a fresh perspective to this role as a newbie. I'm eager to help the party expand and improve on its strategy, structures and processes for recruiting, engaging and activating members.
Lib Dems move to ensure Goverment pay out to keep children learning
On Saturday, we tabled an amendment to the Coronavirus Bill which makes clear the Government must pay schools and colleges "whatever it costs" so that children can keep learning if schools stay shut for several months.
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran, a former teacher, has warned if some schools continue to deliver lessons and others don't it will be a "disaster for social mobility."
The proposals from the Liberal Democrats includes creating a duty on schools and colleges to ensure that pupils - whether at home or on-site - continue to receive an education, accepting that schools are unlikely to be able to cover the national curriculum.
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - and this year, the importance of this day has been brought into stark focus more than ever before.
The Liberal Democrats will always fight for freedom, fairness and equality for people of all races and ethnicities in the UK.
We can all make a difference - each and every one of us.
One of the many things that unites Liberal Democrats is our campaigning zeal for our communities. Our drive to change things for the better. A way of working that engages local people in our campaigns.
Today, I'm asking you to turn your campaigning zeal wholeheartedly towards helping your community during this Coronavirus crisis.
Liberal Democrats
