Rushcliffe Liberal Democrats

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Weekly Whip w/c 15th June

Monday 15th June

Despite the promise from Rees-Mogg that Parliament must return physically to get through the huge number of Bills the Government had, there was only one scheduled this week.

One of the defining features of the Liberal Democrats is that we have a democratic conference with one member, one vote. We discuss and debate policy together and party officers and Parliamentarians are held to account.

In these extraordinary times, however, we are having to change the way we work as a party.

Yesterday the Prime Minister announced that the Foreign Office and Department for International Development are set to merge.

By working internationally we can achieve so much more than we can alone.

The Liberal Democrats have always made absolutely clear our unequivocal support for Britain's role as a world leader in providing aid to those most in need.

The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but now the Conservative Government is turning its back on child refugees and failing to live up to our obligations to them.

That's why over 40 Liberal Democrat parliamentarians have signed letter to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary, urging them to uphold the UK's proud tradition of providing sanctuary to unaccompanied refugee children from elsewhere in Europe and to deliver on the Government's commitment to continue reuniting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from across the EU with their families in the UK.

In a letter to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the Liberal Democrats have condemned today's front page of The Sun as "appalling and unacceptable" and urged the independent regulator to make clear there must be no place for the "glorification of violence" in our media.

Liberal Democrat MPs Christine Jardine, Daisy Cooper and Ed Davey, the Party have also called on The Sun to donate all its revenue from today's paper to the charity Refuge, to support its vital work helping survivors overcome their abuse and rebuild their lives.

A group of cross-party MPs and charities have come together to condemn the front page of The Sun for giving a voice to an alleged perpetrator of domestic violence, J.K. Rowling's former husband.

As we move through the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting on the last three months has exposed deep roots of inequality and unfairness in our society. I believe we must seize this opportunity to provide real change and a fresh start. Now must be the time we ensure no one is left behind, whether that's protecting workers who have lost jobs, families who have lost loved ones, or students who have lost valuable education.